Dry pinto beans?

[my_psychosis]

How many hours should I soak dry pinto beans? I'm making pinto beans and rice tomorrow. (I've all ways used canned before.)

 

[Phil]

I've never soaked mine. I rinse them clean and cover them in about two inches of water and bring to a boil. I then strain them and add fresh water, thick sliced bacon, garlic. Bring to boil and simmer an our and a half. Then add quarter sliced onion and two chicken bullion cubes. Simmer till done, add pepper and salt if needed. About two, two and a half hours.

 

[Andy M.]

Follow the package directions.

Typically there are two choices for dry beans. One is to soak them overnight in a pot of water. The other is to bring them to a boil for two minutes then let them sit for two hours.

Phil's process is similar to the second option I listed.

 

[DaveSoMD]

I usally soak my beans overnight. (start them around 9 PM before I go to bed and they are ready in the morning when I'm ready to cook around 6 or 7 AM

 

[4meandthem]

I usually soak mine overnite and discard the water.
I add 1-2 yellow onions
2-3 bayleaqves
black pepper
1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic.
1-2 cubes mexican chicken boullion.

i don't add salt until they are about half done.

Sometimes a smoked ham hock is good too.

I usaully let the them cook about 5-6 hours.

 

[Selkie]

I think adding salt or a salty product to a pot of simmering beans makes them tough. I simply soak over night in fresh water, change the water just before transferring to the cooking pot and add the onion, herbs while cooking, then add the bacon or salt the final half hour or so.

 

[Andy M.]

I think adding salt or a salty product to a pot of simmering beans makes them tough. I simply soak over night in fresh water, change the water just before transferring to the cooking pot and add the onion, herbs while cooking, then add the bacon or salt the final half hour or so.

I think the toughness comes from acidic ingredients, not salt. If you don't salt your beans, they won't taste as good. Acidic ingredients such as tomato or tomatillo should be added later in the process.

 

[Selkie]

This is from the Vegan Gourmet:
***************************************
NO SALT When Cooking Dried Beans
Add NO SALT until the beans are tender and cooked completely. Adding salt will prevent the beans from absorbing water. This is because a bean has an opening that is large enough for water molecules to enter it, but salt molecules are larger and will plug the bean opening, preventing the water to enter... thus you have HARD beans that never seem to cook right. Some say the bean is TOUGH, but the scientific reality is that the bean only got to absorb the water you soaked it in and not the water you cooked it in.

I could get more scientific, but if you cook a batch of beans with and without salt, your tongue will taste and feel the difference in the beans.

So add the salt and seasonings AFTER the beans are tender and the consistency you want the finished recipe to represent.

 

[my_psychosis]

Thanks for all the good ideas everybody! I think I'll just try try the over night soak this time as I all ready have a recipe to use them in. But I'm definitely gonna try some of the other ideas another time.

 

[Andy M.]

This is from the Vegan Gourmet:
***************************************
NO SALT When Cooking Dried Beans
Add NO SALT until the beans are tender and cooked completely. Adding salt will prevent the beans from absorbing water. This is because a bean has an opening that is large enough for water molecules to enter it, but salt molecules are larger and will plug the bean opening, preventing the water to enter... thus you have HARD beans that never seem to cook right. Some say the bean is TOUGH, but the scientific reality is that the bean only got to absorb the water you soaked it in and not the water you cooked it in.

I could get more scientific, but if you cook a batch of beans with and without salt, your tongue will taste and feel the difference in the beans.

So add the salt and seasonings AFTER the beans are tender and the consistency you want the finished recipe to represent.

DUELING SOURCES!!!

Common Bean Myths The captious vegetarian

 

[Selkie]

DUELING SOURCES!!!

Common Bean Myths The captious vegetarian

Hey, I don't cook dried beans often enough to give a definitive personal answer, but I'm only quoting a source I've used in the past and had success with. As for dueling, my gun's unloaded, but I'll put my split pea soup against yours any day!

 

[Andy M.]

Hey, I don't cook dried beans often enough to give a definitive personal answer, but I'm only quoting a source I've used in the past and had success with. As for dueling, my gun's unloaded, but I'll put my split pea soup against yours any day!

I do love split pea soup!

 

[forty_caliber]

Here is an authoritative reference to cooking beans from Central Bean Co.

Covers:

• How To Cook Dried Beans
• Basic Cooking
• Stove-Top Cooking
• Pressure Cookers
• Bean Cooking Times
• High Altitudes
• Oven Cooking
• Crock Pots (Electric Slow Cookers)
• The Great Microwave Debate
• Microwave Cooking
• Microwave Ovens
• Until Tender
• Leftovers
• Freezing Cooked Beans
• Thawing and Reheating Frozen Beans
• Growing Your Own Bean Sprouts
• How To Use Sprouts

.40

 

[Phil]

Hey, I don't cook dried beans often enough to give a definitive personal answer, but I'm only quoting a source I've used in the past and had success with. As for dueling, my gun's unloaded, but I'll put my split pea soup against yours any day!

Post it on another thread. I'd really like to compare it to mine. Mine? What am I talking about. I got if from The Joy of Cooking post WWll book.

 

[Robert White]

Hi..!!
I say soak overnight and rinse....know that most legumes will expand 3X so make sure you leave room in the container...rumor has it that an overnight soak will also help release the gaseous enzymes...

 

[PattY1]

I pre-soak according to pre-planned time frame, which method I use. The only benefit of pre-soaking is the bean skins don't separate when the beans are pre-soaked. Pre-soaking has nothing to do with gas or anything else.

 

[DaveSoMD]

Good Eats: Pantry Raid III - Cool Beans
Good Eats - S3E10 - Pantry Raid III - Cool Beans | Free Educational & How-To Videos - Watch Educational & How-To Videos Online | Veoh

Soaking, salt addition, an a whole lot more.

 

[zfranca]

FROM MY FAVORITE COOKBOOK--LAUREL'S KITCHEN--
After sorting, rinse beans well to remove dirt and dust. You can soak them, if you like, for several hours; it reduces cooking time about 15 minutes.....
....A more drastic soaking procedure has been developed by USDA scientists to address the flatulence problem. They claim that their method removes 90 % of the sugars that cause intenstinal gas. If you want to try it, here's how:
Boil the beans for 10 minutes in 5 to 10 times their weight in water. (Beans weigh about half as much as water, so tha'd be 5 to 10 cups of water for a scant 2 cups of beans.) Allow them to cool and soak for 24 hours at room temperature in the same water. Discard the soak water, rinse the beans, and cook. This method does not affect protein content significantly, but there is considerable loss of minerals and vitamins.....
.....cook beans in two or more time their measure of water, simmering until tender. Add salt toward the end of cooking time--added at the beginning, salt toughens the beans and makes them take longer to cook. (Our rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of salt per cup of raw beans.) A good heavy pot helps prevent scorching. Beans cook fastest if the water is simmering all the time.