Authentic Canned Black Beans
Eons ago, I stumbled on a culinary discovery that has delighted me for years: Safeway’s O Organics Organic Black Beans. I just happened to grab a can from the store one day and frankly, I didn’t have high expectations for a store-bought can. But after I sampled Safeway’s O Organics Black Beans, I was transported back to my days in Honduras as a Water Sanitation Technician with the Peace Corps. These beans tasted just like the black beans served in my remote, agricultural village of Santa María. Their taste is so distinctive and authentic that they deserve to be consumed alone. Simply, drain the liquid and season with a pinch of Kosher salt if desired. Also, serve with fried eggs, fried plantains, corn tortillas, and salted cheese for my region’s take on the national dish of Honduras, plato típico. And note: the Safeway brand of dried black beans is not as authentic, in my opinion, as its canned black beans.
Ingredients
- 1 x 15 oz. can Safeway’s O Organics Organic Black Beans
- Pinch of Kosher salt, optional
Directions
- Step 1 If you want to serve the black beans whole, drain the liquid and heat the beans in a microwave-safe dish in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until needed. Alternatively, you can heat the beans with their liquid in a small pot over the stovetop until hot.
- Step 2 If you want to make refried black beans, empty the contents of the can, the beans and their liquid, in a skillet and cook until the beans meld into a thick paste.
- Step 3 In either case, season with a pinch of Kosher salt if desired. Serve warm.
Click here and read how a can of store-bought black beans reminds me of the beans I was served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the highlands of Western Honduras. Just open, heat, and serve these beans with your favorite Central American recipe!
Thanks for the reminder of the joys of black beans! Although I remember black beans and rice from Costa Rica, now I am tempted to try plato tipico from Honduras. I try to imagine the rich experiences you had with people in Santa Maria, and would love to hear more.
Jane, yes, I remember with fondness my days in Santa María, traipsing through the cloud forests and sipping coffee by the verandas. My region in Honduras typically served black beans over pinto beans, the exception being baleadas, a bean taco made of flour tortillas and refried pinto beans. The plato típico was served regularly in the comedores, but since it was an impoverished area, the ingredients were what were commonly available: eggs, plantains, beans, and tortillas. I was surprised to read on other blogs that the plato típico of Honduras featured grilled meat and sausages. The typical campesino in my town could not afford meat and refrigeration was a problem in rural areas. Even the cheeses were salted in my village as a preservation method. Thanks so much for your interest!