SMALL RED BEANS, 20 LB BOX

Small red beans have red, glossy skin and a firm texture that holds up well in cooking. They're popular in stews, and traditional Creole dishes, such as red beans and rice. SortingBefore you use dry beans, especially larger beans, you need to sort through them to make sure there aren't any stones or clumps of dirt in them. Even mechanically cleaned beans will have a few stones in them. Soaking Because beans are dry, they need to be soaked for at least 12 hours before you cook them. A good rule of thumb is that the beans will double in size when they're finished soaking, so if your recipe calls for 4 cups of cooked beans, start with 2 cups of dry beans.  Put the beans in a bowl and cover them several inches deep with water and leave to stand overnight. You can soak them for up to 24 hours. After that, rinse, drain, and move them to the fridge if you're not ready to use them. They'll keep for about another day. More digestible beans You can also 'sprout' your beans before they