It sure is easy to buy a can of beans when you need it. And trust me, I do that a lot. I’ve always got a pantry stocked with cans of beans. Black beans, cannellini beans, refried beans, pinto beans, we are a bean-loving family. Especially my kiddos. But I do also like to cook my own sometimes. You get to control the sodium level and you can cook them to your desired consistency. Usually, a bean is a bean is a bean in my book. But with chickpeas, when you use them mainly for 5-minute hummus and the occasional healthy cookie dough, it helps to have extra soft and tender and creamy chickpeas. And we eat a lot of hummus around here. My kids are particularly found of beet hummus and I make about a dozen different varieties of other types of hummus for appetizers. Mediterranean layered hummus is great for a crowd, and we also loving making hummus and veggie roll ups, hummus pita pizzas and chicken hummus bowls. Can’t get enough! So I always need lots of chickpeas around and I’m fond of the homemade kind because they are softer, resulting in a much creamier hummus, in my opinion. And it’s so easy to cook them yourself, from a bag of dried chickpeas. Especially when you use a slow cooker! Crock pot chickpeas couldn’t be easier. Dump in your rinsed beans, some water and salt and set your crock pot or slow cooker. I even cook them overnight sometimes. Gotta love a kitchen appliance that’s hard at work while you’re asleep. You wake up and you have a big batch of chickpeas ready to go. Honestly, the hardest part is bagging them up once they are cooled. Alright, let’s tackle a few tips so you can have the ultimate success as well.
Tips and Tricks
Chickpeas: Be sure to rinse and pick through the bags of chickpeas. You’ll want to remove any broken pieces and especially any strangely colored beans or possibly small rocks that have gotten into the bag. Salt: It may seem like a lot of salt, but it’s still far less than you would find in a can of beans. Plus we’re making a ton of chickpeas and that’s how much you need to get it slightly seasoned. Yield: This batch yields the equivalent of about 8 cans worth of chick peas. I bag them up into individual portions to make a “can,” which is about 1.5-1.75 cups of chick peas per portion. You could also halve this recipe if you prefer and don’t need quite as much. Storage: You can store the chickpeas, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers! Place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, label and date it, and freeze for up to 5 months. (I tend to store mine in quantities that equal one can, so it’s easy to pull out and ready to use.)
I love having a stockpile of chickpeas in my freezer ready to go when I need them. So every couple of months, I make a big batch of crock pot chickpeas. All of your chickpea needs are covered. Rest easy now. And then go make some hummus! Or BBQ roasted chickpeas. Or easy baked falafel. Enjoy! XO, Kathryn Chickpeas: Be sure to rinse and pick through the bags of chickpeas. You’ll want to remove any broken pieces and especially any strangely colored beans or possibly small rocks that have gotten into the bag. Salt: It may seem like a lot of salt, but it’s still far less than you would find in a can of beans. Plus we’re making a ton of chickpeas and that’s how much you need to get it slightly seasoned. Yield: This batch yields the equivalent of about 8 cans worth of chick peas. I bag them up into individual portions to make a “can,” which is about 1.5-1.75 cups of chick peas per portion. You could also halve this recipe if you prefer and don’t need quite as much. Storage: You can store the chickpeas, once cooled, in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the leftovers! Place in a freezer-safe ziplock bag, label and date it, and freeze for up to 5 months. (I tend to store mine in quantities that equal one can, so it’s easy to pull out and ready to use.)
All-Clad Programmable Oval-Shaped Slow Cooker
