Guest guest Posted January 10, 2007 Report Share Posted January 10, 2007 A couple of years ago, I bought several jugs of pre-cooked dried beans. Got them from Spices, Etc; don't remember what I paid. I got pintos, black, red kidney, white northern, and red lentils--maybe others that I can't remember. Anyway, I'm not sorry. A cup of beans, a cup and a half of stock, some dried Thai pepper flakes, two minutes in the microwave--and presto, beans to go! , " genny_y2k " <genny_y2k wrote: > > In the high altitude of Colorado the only way to cook beans is by > soaking over night. Bringing to a boil and allowing to sit will not > work here but I know it works at lower altitudes. A pressure cooker > will work especially the newer ones. Lots of mishap stories about > pressure cooked beans in this area. The beans on the ceiling stories > abound. > Try to buy the freshest beans possible. The older ones work but lose > their flavor over time. Buying bulk is the way to go and the Farmer's > Markets are the perfect source. Beans are sooo inexpensive and buying > bulk is even cheaper. > Sending smiles and hugs > Deanna > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 If you are having problems with beans, chances are they are very old ones and have dried out a lot. I normally can cover dried beans with water plus two inches, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, stir the beans a few times, take a quick break to drink a cup of coffee or tea, then pour the excess water off, cover with fresh water, and cook the beans for about an hour or so until tender. The very old dried beans may benefit from cooking them in a pressure cooker, though the manufacturers often say don't use the pressure cooker for beans. It shouldn't be a problem for the recipe, which only involves one and a half cups of beans, but I can see the problem if you were trying to cook four or five pounds at the same time--beans expand as they absorb water, and the beans, might expand bigger than the cooker can hold, and try to come out with the steam and block the pressure vent. Kaboom is not the sound you want to hear from your kitchen, so don't overdo it and try to cook more than a pound of beans in a pressure cooker. By the way, some people say don't add salt or tomatoes or spices until the beans are getting tender--the salt may slow down the softening process. Sue in Wausau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 If you are having problems with beans, chances are they are very old ones and have dried out a lot. I normally can cover dried beans with water plus two inches, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, stir the beans a few times, take a quick break to drink a cup of coffee or tea, then pour the excess water off, cover with fresh water, and cook the beans for about an hour or so until tender. The very old dried beans may benefit from cooking them in a pressure cooker, though the manufacturers often say don't use the pressure cooker for beans. It shouldn't be a problem for the recipe, which only involves one and a half cups of beans, but I can see the problem if you were trying to cook four or five pounds at the same time--beans expand as they absorb water, and the beans, might expand bigger than the cooker can hold, and try to come out with the steam and block the pressure vent. Kaboom is not the sound you want to hear from your kitchen, so don't overdo it and try to cook more than a pound of beans in a pressure cooker. By the way, some people say don't add salt or tomatoes or spices until the beans are getting tender--the salt may slow down the softening process. Sue in Wausau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the water that the beans soak in (esp. if using the overnight soaking method) is supposed to help the beans cook up to be more tender, esp. if your water is on the hard side. --- On Fri, 1/15/10, sue reynolds <skreynolds2 wrote: sue reynolds <skreynolds2 Re: dried beans Friday, January 15, 2010, 5:31 PM  If you are having problems with beans, chances are they are very old ones and have dried out a lot. I normally can cover dried beans with water plus two inches, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, stir the beans a few times, take a quick break to drink a cup of coffee or tea, then pour the excess water off, cover with fresh water, and cook the beans for about an hour or so until tender. The very old dried beans may benefit from cooking them in a pressure cooker, though the manufacturers often say don't use the pressure cooker for beans. It shouldn't be a problem for the recipe, which only involves one and a half cups of beans, but I can see the problem if you were trying to cook four or five pounds at the same time--beans expand as they absorb water, and the beans, might expand bigger than the cooker can hold, and try to come out with the steam and block the pressure vent.  Kaboom is not the sound you want to hear from your kitchen, so don't overdo it and try to cook more than a pound of beans in a pressure cooker.  By the way, some people say don't add salt or tomatoes or spices until the beans are getting tender--the salt may slow down the softening process.  Sue in Wausau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Adding a teaspoon of baking soda to the water that the beans soak in (esp. if using the overnight soaking method) is supposed to help the beans cook up to be more tender, esp. if your water is on the hard side. --- On Fri, 1/15/10, sue reynolds <skreynolds2 wrote: sue reynolds <skreynolds2 Re: dried beans Friday, January 15, 2010, 5:31 PM  If you are having problems with beans, chances are they are very old ones and have dried out a lot. I normally can cover dried beans with water plus two inches, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, stir the beans a few times, take a quick break to drink a cup of coffee or tea, then pour the excess water off, cover with fresh water, and cook the beans for about an hour or so until tender. The very old dried beans may benefit from cooking them in a pressure cooker, though the manufacturers often say don't use the pressure cooker for beans. It shouldn't be a problem for the recipe, which only involves one and a half cups of beans, but I can see the problem if you were trying to cook four or five pounds at the same time--beans expand as they absorb water, and the beans, might expand bigger than the cooker can hold, and try to come out with the steam and block the pressure vent.  Kaboom is not the sound you want to hear from your kitchen, so don't overdo it and try to cook more than a pound of beans in a pressure cooker.  By the way, some people say don't add salt or tomatoes or spices until the beans are getting tender--the salt may slow down the softening process.  Sue in Wausau. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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