   CHOW points out that the process of baking the beans a few
times causes a chemical reaction called pyrolysis, where the
sugars and amino acids in the beans start to give off a rather
unpleasant smell. They're still edible, they just wouldn't be
fun to eat. Instead, line the bottom of the pie crust with
parchment paper and pour in some rice. Bake your pie crust, and
it'll still hold its shape, but some of the butter from the
crust will seep through the paper and get into the rice.  You
can then cook the toasted rice into a delicious, buttery rice
pilaf, as opposed to pouring mildly smelly beans into a plastic
bag for the next time you want to make a pie. Do you use beans
for pie crusts, or just buy pre-made? Share your baking tips in
the comments below. Photo by Kimberly Vardeman.  Can I Eat the
Beans I Use for Pie Weights? | CHOW via The Kitchn