5 Bean Soup in a Jar

Ingredients
1 pound pinto beans
1 pound split green peas (or green lentils)
1 pound great northern beans
1 pound black beans
1 pound kidney beans

2 tablespoon black pepper
2 tablespoon paprika
2 tablespoon dry mustard
4 tablespoons dehydrated onions (found in the spice aisle)
4 tablespoons sea salt
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried rosemary
8 bay leaves
4 vegetable bouillon cubes

Materials
4 clear quart Mason jars plus lids and rings
Parchment paper
Tape or stickers
Labels
Fabric and ribbon to cover top

Assembly

• In each of the four Mason jars, layer 2/3 cup of pinto beans—shaking the jar gently to level the beans. Then repeat with 2/3 cup of green peas and so on ending with the kidney beans. Set jars aside.
• In a small bowl, combine all remaining spices except bay leaves and bouillon cubes.
• On a 10″ x 10″ piece of parchment paper (or small plastic baggy), spoon (4) tablespoons of the spice mixture in the middle. Place two bay leaves and one bouillon cube on top. Fold parchment around spices to make a small spice packet. Seal with tape or stickers. Repeat three more times to create four total packets. Squish the packets into the top space of each of the four bean jars. You can also package the spices into plastic zip-top baggies if you prefer.
• Place lids on jars, cover in fabric and ribbon and label as desired.

Cooking

1. Remove spice packet and set aside.
2. Rinse beans and place in a large stock pot covered with 1" of water. 
3. Bring to boil over high heat and boil for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat. Cover and let soak 1 hour. 
5. Drain and rinse beans then return to pot. 
6. Add spice packet, one 14oz can of diced tomatoes, and 4-5 cups of water (less for stew, more for soup).
7. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce and simmer for 60-90 minutes until beans are tender and soup is thick. 

Serve with a big hunk of crusty bread.