Roasted soybeans make a good snack and the planning needed is worth the wait.

Start with the basic roasted soybean procedures then get creative with your flavorings. Cookbooks can give you some ideas of coatings that will work well.

Start with whole, dry soybeans. Rinse in water to clean. Soak at least 8 hours then rinse in colander and shake excess water off.

Use two cups of soaked beans per baking sheet. Spread into single layer on baking sheet. Bake at 350°F, stirring after 15 minutes, then stirring every 5 minutes until golden brown and crunchy.

The total roasting time will vary depending on the moisture of the beans, but should take about 25 to 35 minutes. Watch carefully when the beans are close to done so they don't taste scorched.

Roasted soybeans can be used in salads for texture, added to trail mixes, or eaten alone for a snack. To add a little more flavor, after roasting place nuts in small brown paper bag and sprinkle with Cajun spice mix or dry ranch dressing, shake bag, then spray lightly with oil, shake bag again, and repeat process until nuts are coated to your liking. Lay out on a flat surface to cool. You'll get about 1/2 cup of roasted soybeans for each cup of dry beans.

To fry your soybeans, start with the soaked soybeans as if you were roasting. Let them air dry about an hour. Then fry in hot oil until golden brown. It is recommended to put about 1 cup of beans in a fryer basket. Lower the basket slowly into the hot fat. Moisture in the beans may cause excessive splattering if beans are lowered rapidly into the fat.

Fry about 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and lightly browned. Drain beans on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with salt. When cool, store in a tightly covered container.

Dry soybeans can also be cooked and used in any way that navy beans are used. Before cooking, remove any discolored, cracked, or shriveled beans. After sorting, measure beans and wash thoroughly. One cup of dry soybeans will yield about 2 1/2 cups cooked beans.

Soak the beans in 4 cups of water for each cup of dry beans. To soak them quickly, boil beans two minutes, remove from heat, and let stand one hour. Or boil beans two minutes and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Next boil, adding one teaspoon salt for each cup of dry beans. Simmer, covered, in soaking water two to three hours until beans are tender. Add water, if necessary, during cooking. When done, the beans will be firm but tender, and not mealy. To reduce foaming, add one to two teaspoons oil or meat drippings to the cooking water.