Black beans (from dried beans)

[mcnerd]

Unless you bought the dried beans twenty years ago, they aren't old.

[gadzooks]

Haha. I have a friend who brought black beans to a potluck a few years back. Good recipe, but she used her pie shell beans. You know, beans she put in empty pie shells to pre-bake. Came out like buckshot. I have made bunches of black beans from dried. One of my favorites is black beans, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion, seasoned with a bit of salt, garlic, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, cumin, liquid smoke, ham or cooked beef (whatever I have as leftover) and a finely chopped habańero. I either presoak 'em the night before, or do the parboil first, then cook, but I do them in a pressure cooker. Serve with cornbread.

[Dave Hutchins]

I have cooked many years and beans can some time make you want to scream as seem to never git tender. Two things you can do 1. pressure cook them for a hour and check them. 2. add a tsp of soda to the cooking liquid. that will some times help. If that does not work recook them all day if necessary. Next time buy fresh beans not some thing that has sat on the shelf since hector was a little dog. wish I could be more help

[castironbound]

That is so funny!! (the pie shell beans)

These weren't really old, I don't think. But I'm thinking the quick soak method isn't as effective as the old fashioned overnight soak with black beans (although I never have a problem with good ole pintos).

I am seriously considering getting a pressure cooker.

[kitchenelf]

Originally Posted by castironbound

That is so funny!! (the pie shell beans)

These weren't really old, I don't think. But I'm thinking the quick soak method isn't as effective as the old fashioned overnight soak with black beans (although I never have a problem with good ole pintos).

I am seriously considering getting a pressure cooker.

A pressure cooker is ideal for beans with some instruction. You can do a Google search. Just be sure to add some oil to your beans to reduce the foam caused by cooking. This foam can clog up your release valve, which isn't good. Oil prevents the foam from occurring.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by mcnerd

Unless you bought the dried beans twenty years ago, they aren't old.

Not so. Beans can be too old to soften even if you just brought them home from the store. Buy dry beans from a place that sells a lot of them.

The primary reasons beans won't soften are (1) they're old; (2) they were cooked with acidic ingredients or (3) you have hard water.

Salt doesn't inhibiut softening and is much needed for seasoning duirn the cooking process.

[Bigjim68]

I have never had much luck with beans except soaking overnight. I don't know what the shelf life of black beans is. If I were worried about dried black beans being too old, I would purchase them at a store with a large Mexican clientiele. Shelf life of a product stocked but not widely sold is generally suspect. One lesson I learned when soaking beans, overnight is just right. Soaked some 2 days and they turned sour.

[kitchenelf]

Soured beans - ick ick ick!!!!!!

With a pressure cooker there is no need to pre-soak - just a little additional cooking time. I cook mine with ham hocks, chili peppers, carrots, onion chunks - - - when done I pick the meat out of the ham hocks, remove the peppers, carrots and onion chunks, then I add some lime, cilantro, roasted jalapeno and zap with a stick blender. Spoon some over some rice that I top with some Monterey Jack cheese and spring onions, top with some sour cream and pico de gallo - and call it LUNCH!

[JillBurgh]

Originally Posted by kitchenelf

Soured beans - ick ick ick!!!!!!

With a pressure cooker there is no need to pre-soak - just a little additional cooking time. I cook mine with ham hocks, chili peppers, carrots, onion chunks - - - when done I pick the meat out of the ham hocks, remove the peppers, carrots and onion chunks, then I add some lime, cilantro, roasted jalapeno and zap with a stick blender. Spoon some over some rice that I top with some Monterey Jack cheese and spring onions, top with some sour cream and pico de gallo - and call it LUNCH!

Yum!

I like the stick blender idea

[kitchenelf]

Originally Posted by JillBurgh

Yum!

I like the stick blender idea

It works great! It lets me blend as many as I want leaving a few chunks in there. Any hunks of onion or carrot left in there just gets blended up. I do try to remove ALL of the whole chili peppers - those suckers are hot!