Beans not coming out right

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong?

At what altitude do you live.

Sheldon

Beans that are older than a year or so will never cook.
Here's a page with some basic info:

http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,1-32551,00.html

Jeneen

27 Jun 2005 said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Watery: Put some of the beans through a food processor, then add them back
to the mix.

"L, not -L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Do you salt the water? If so, next time, try salting after they have
cooked. Salted water makes beans tough.

That's a myth. See www.pgacon.com/kitchenmyths.htm. You may have old stale
beans. Try buying from another sources, preferably a bulk store that has a
lot of turnover.

--
Peter Aitken
Visit my recipe and kitchen myths page at www.pgacon.com/cooking.htm

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

The pan full of water. After beans are soaked the don't need all that much
water to cook in. Try adding just enough water to cover them and then keep
a close eye on the water level.

I cook pintos in the oven. From dry bean to done takes about 4 hours and
they come out perfect every time. Put the beans and some ham in a 5 quart
dutch oven. Fill about 3/4ths full with water. Turn the oven to 350, cover
and bake. Check the water level after about 3 hours. You don't need to
fill it but it needs enough to just cover the beans.

Kathy

Peter Aitken said:

"L, not -L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Do you salt the water? If so, next time, try salting after they have
cooked. Salted water makes beans tough.

That's a myth. See www.pgacon.com/kitchenmyths.htm.

Give it up already... your entire fercocktah UNDOCUMENTED website is a
myth and each time it makes you look like a real [censored]... salt does
indeed inhibit bean cookery, so says http://www.americanbean.org

Sheldon

<<>I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

Quoted message said:

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

Quoted message said:

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Watery: Put some of the beans through a food processor, then add them
back
to the mix. >>

I also add a peeled potato and whole onion to mine while they cook.

Billie

Sheldon said:

Peter Aitken said:

"L, not -L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 27-Jun-2005, [email hidden] wrote:

>I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.
>
>What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
>overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
>let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
>soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.
>
>What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
>cooker for a week?
>
>
Do you salt the water? If so, next time, try salting after they have
cooked. Salted water makes beans tough.

That's a myth. See www.pgacon.com/kitchenmyths.htm.

Give it up already... your entire fercocktah UNDOCUMENTED website is a
myth and each time it makes you look like a real [censored]... salt does
indeed inhibit bean cookery, so says http://www.americanbean.org

Sheldon

Untrue

--
You wanna measure, or you wanna cook?

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Buy the beans somewhere that has a high turnover. The beans should be
slightly softened after soaking. Rinse them and put them in fresh water
to cook. How much above sea level are you? Do you bring the beans to a
boil first before simmering?

If all else fails, put a pinch of baking soda into the soaking water.
Rinse the beans and cook in fresh water.

Bubba said:

Sheldon said:

Give it up already... your entire fercocktah UNDOCUMENTED website is a
myth and each time it makes you look like a real [censored]... salt does
indeed inhibit bean cookery, so says http://www.americanbean.org

Untrue

Actually, it does say that on the American Dry Bean Board website:
http://www.americanbean.org/BeanBasics/Home.htm#Cooking
"Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may
cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process. "

I just report this stuff, I don't write it.

Carol

--
Coming at you live, from beautiful Lake Woebegon

As others have pointed out, starting with fresh dried beans will make
all the difference. That sounds like a contradiction in terms, but you
can figure out what I mean. In my part of the world, I get the freshest
beans from the supermarket. You'd think the health food store would do
it, but they don't get a high enough turnover. Look in the Latin
section of the store if you don't find them right away.

All the other tips about soaking and not putting in salt and pressure
cooking are worth trying and might shave a little off the final cooking
time, but the big difference comes from having fresh beans to start with.

Irrelevant fun stuff: Take those old beans that are taking forever to
cook, and wrap them individually in a few paper towels. Moisten the
towel, and keep it wet. Take a peek at it each day. You'll be able to
see when the bean has germinated. If it doesn't, you know you have old
beans. If it does, plant them in a small pot of dirt. They make nice
house plants when they're long past eating stage.

--Lia

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

"Arri London" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Buy the beans somewhere that has a high turnover. The beans should be
slightly softened after soaking. Rinse them and put them in fresh water
to cook. How much above sea level are you? Do you bring the beans to a
boil first before simmering?

If all else fails, put a pinch of baking soda into the soaking water.
Rinse the beans and cook in fresh water.

What's with the sea level question?

"Sheldon" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Aitken said:

"L, not -L" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

On 27-Jun-2005, [email hidden] wrote:

> I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.
>
> What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
> overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
> let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
> soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.
>
> What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
> cooker for a week?

Do you salt the water? If so, next time, try salting after they have
cooked. Salted water makes beans tough.

That's a myth. See www.pgacon.com/kitchenmyths.htm.

Give it up already... your entire fercocktah UNDOCUMENTED website is a
myth and each time it makes you look like a real [censored]... salt does
indeed inhibit bean cookery, so says http://www.americanbean.org

Sheldon

Jeez...have you two [censored] ever actually tested the salt theory, or are you
just parroting what you've heard elsewhere?

Doug Kanter said:

"Arri London" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Buy the beans somewhere that has a high turnover. The beans should be
slightly softened after soaking. Rinse them and put them in fresh water
to cook. How much above sea level are you? Do you bring the beans to a
boil first before simmering?

If all else fails, put a pinch of baking soda into the soaking water.
Rinse the beans and cook in fresh water.

What's with the sea level question?

If you're too high above sea level, water boils at a lower temperature
and it can take *forever* to cook beans without a pressure cooker.

Bob

Jeneen,
I came to post the same thing as you did. LOL. I had been cooking for
many years when a friend of mine, who won all kinds of ribbons at
cookoffs for his pinto beans, told me basically what you did. Pinto
beans that are old are hopeless. He used to order a good variety fresh
from a place in Colorado. I couldn't believe the difference. Before
that, I thought all dried beans were created equal. :>😉

Trish

Jeneen Sommers said:

Beans that are older than a year or so will never cook.
Here's a page with some basic info:

http://www.familyeducation.com/article/0,1120,1-32551,00.html

Jeneen

27 Jun 2005 said:

I seem to be completely unable to cook beans.

What usually happens is I start with some pinto beans. I soak them
overnight in a pot of water, then put them in a pan full of water and
let them simmer 4-5 hours. They're always still tough, rather than
soft, and the water remains watery rather than thick and hearty.

What am I doing wrong? Do I have to put these things in a pressure
cooker for a week?

Damsel said:

Bubba said:

Sheldon said:

Give it up already... your entire fercocktah UNDOCUMENTED website is a
myth and each time it makes you look like a real [censored]... salt does
indeed inhibit bean cookery, so says http://www.americanbean.org

Untrue

Actually, it does say that on the American Dry Bean Board website:
http://www.americanbean.org/BeanBasics/Home.htm#Cooking
"Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may
cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process. "

I just report this stuff, I don't write it.

The bean board has a lot of pretty bad information on their site. It's
all that old stuff our grandmothers said was true. Tests in more recent
years have proven them wrong about most of it.

Russ Parsons of the LATimes did test all these old ideas and wrote a few
articles about them. If anyone has access to LATimes archives, take a
look. Here's the opening of an article that refers to Russ's tests.
<http://tinyurl.com/dfpgf>

Here's an account of another test:
<http://www.stuttercut.org/hungry/archives/dinner_reports/000310.php>

Here's a discussion from EGullet
<http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=36312>

Pastorio

Damsel said:

Actually, it does say that on the American Dry Bean Board website:
http://www.americanbean.org/BeanBasics/Home.htm#Cooking
"Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may
cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process. "

I just report this stuff, I don't write it.

Salting after cooking is common practice.

Doug Kanter said:

Jeez...have you two [censored] ever actually tested the salt theory, or are you
just parroting what you've heard elsewhere?

What's your experience???

sf said:

Damsel said:

Actually, it does say that on the American Dry Bean Board website:
http://www.americanbean.org/BeanBasics/Home.htm#Cooking
"Add salt only after beans are cooked to tender. If added before, salt may
cause bean skins to become impermeable, halting the tenderizing process. "

I just report this stuff, I don't write it.

Salting after cooking is common practice.

Its *a* common practice.

And it's also a common practice to put a salty ham hock in with the
beans right at the beginning.

Pastorio