Originally posted 2017-04-11 18:40:52.

Beans, beans.  The magical fruit!  The more you eat, the more you.. need to stock more.    Beans are an excellent addition to your food supply for an emergency.  They last practically forever if stored correctly, and can provide you with a nutritional punch that is very hard to match for the price you pay for them.  I’m going to cover a couple of the varieties of survival beans and why you should consider adding them to your emergency pantry.

Beans have been a human staple for thousands of years.  A member of the legume family, beans have been cultivated the world over both as food for people and livestock.  In fact, evidence in Thailand points to beans having been cultivated since the early seventh millennium BCE, which actually predates the creation of ceramic pottery.

In terms of using beans as a food storage item, you have a LOT of choices.  The most common beans you’ll find in most US grocery stores include:

• pinto beans
• black beans
• kidney beans

Pinto beans

Probably the most famous of the beans, pinto beans are widespread in Mexican cooking (commonly seen as refried beans)  They are high in protein, iron, and several micronutrients and of course provide you with needed fiber.  Pinto beans are also  great cheap survival beans, and can be purchased in bulk without hurting your wallet.  And, as the children’s rhyme goes, they actually are good for your heart.

Black Beans

Commonly available in canned form or dried in packs, the black bean is a little smaller than the pinto bean, but actually has a lot more flavor and are just a little more interesting to the pallete, in my personal opinion.  There is research suggesting that black beans can help reduce your risk of certain types of cancers.  With some lime and cilantro flavored rice and black beans, you’re well on your way to a survival beans burrito in no time.

Kidney Beans

My mother used to make this weird kidney bean relish and when I was a kid, I absolutely hated it.  As I grew older, though, I became more health conscious and came to love the kidney bean.  Taking its name from the shape of our internal kidneys, these red beans are a welcome addition to any prepper’s pantry. Like it’s pinto and black cousins, the kidney bean is high in molybdenum, folate, fiber, copper, manganese, phosphorus, protein and fiber.  Kidney beans tend to be a little more expensive than the previously mentioned varieties, but they have a unique flavor and can add a hearty element to any meal.

Mixed survival beans for soup

Anyone else remember having 15 bean soup?  It’s such an easy meal to make, and if you can throw in some ham or bacon, it’s freaking delicious!  Plus, there’s lots of different variants of this classic meal that you can throw together in no time.   the beans take on any different flavorings or spices you may mix with them, and if nothing else the colors make it a fun dish to prepare.

Grow your own survival beans

Of course it’s easier to just buy a bag of survival beans and throw it in your cupboard, but if you’re like me, you like to see if you can produce your own!  Beans are a pretty easy crop to grow for the beginning gardener, and there are many dozens of beautiful varieties to choose from.  Some of these beans can be eaten while still in the pod (think regular old green string beans)  and some can be left to dry until the beans themselves are husked from the pod at harvest.  Some have the ability for both.  If you don’t have some bean seeds, you should get some.  You might even get lucky and grow a giant bean stock and find a golden goose!