dry beans

[ruthiechan]

Anyone have any tips on how to cook with dry beans?

I soaked some beans (after picking out the bad ones, and there were a lot) all night and all day, then boiled them, but they were still all hard and dry. What gives? Where they just old? Did I do something wrong?

Halp! I needs enlightenment!

[NeuroTypical]

Anyone have any tips on how to cook with dry beans?

I just jumped into the wonderful world of dry beans myself, and had some good success. Here is the recipe I followed:

Pinto Beans

Sort and soak 1 lb of pinto beans overnight. Drain off water. Rinse and fill pan with beans with 2 quarts of water. Cook for 2 hours, then add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped jalapenos, 2 tablespoons salt, and 2 teaspoons of pepper and 1 pound of bacon, cut into small pieces. Cook on low for a couple of hours more. Great with cornbread!

So, I used Pinto beans that had been sitting in an unsealed cannery can since 2004. We skipped on the jalapenos, since the kids don't like it too spicy. (I also wish I had cut back on the pepper a bit.). We didn't have bacon, so I used a big 'ol ham slice.

So, I followed the directions and got the same result you did - at the end of the last couple of hours, they were still hard and crunchy. So, I put the crockpot on low and cooked for another 3 hours, and I guess that was what they needed. They tasted great!

My two girls are picky eaters, but they jumped all over these beans. The whole experience was quite satisfying. Beans are almost a religion of their own, and I think we've signed up!

LM

[ruthiechan]

Ah, so maybe I tossed them out before they were done. >.<

Thanks for the tip. Next time I will definitely try the crockpot after boiling for two long hours.

[KuriChan]

Also, a pressure cooker does miracles for beans

[breezygirl]

I find that beans cook best for me if I sort them then put them in a pot with cold water. Bring the pot to a full rolling boil for 3 minutes then shut the heat off and let sit for at least an hour. Drain the water off and cover with fresh water..... add stuff like peppers or garlic or onions but nothing with salt. Bring up to a simmer and simmer on low till tender, THEN add the stuff like bacon or ham. Simmer on low till the beans are tasty and the meat falls apart. I found that adding stuff with salt or adding tomatos before the beans were tender made them tough. The whole process usually takes about 3 hours for me. I am in denver and I dont know if its the altitude that makes the difference with adding salt later in the beans but it does. Altitude does affect cooking times and processes.

[Guest GhostRider]

thanks for the good recipe LM!

There is some beans called Anasazi Beans that come dry. They are sorta like a pinto bean yet they dont shall we say talk back. They also have a different taste. a little sweeter IMHO. They are really good. they are grown in the colorado area i think. May want to give them a try.

As for the regular dry beans...I agree. When I cook em over a fire I soaked mine for a day and a half then cooked them for about 5 hours min. Just have to be carefull not to turn them into mush. good luck!