Black Beans won't soften

[JGDean]

Today I have been cooking some black beans after soaking in boiled water for one hour. These little guys are refusing to soften. Any ideas???

 

[Andy M.]

Several possibilities:

First, if the beans are old, they won't easily soften.
Second, if you put anything acidic in the water too early in the cooking process, that will retard the softening.

What did yo put in the water and how long have they been cooking?

 

[JGDean]

black beans

Bottled water, smoke turkey neck, some sliced garlic

 

[JGDean]

beans

About 2 hours

 

[Claire]

I learned what Andy said (i.e., that when they're old, sometimes dried beans of any kind will never soften) a number of years ago. Since you cannot tell how old a bag of beans is when you buy it, it can be unpredictable. So ... I've taken to almost always using canned beans, especially when I need a predictable result. It's one thing to have to toss out a dish I'm making just for hubby and me. Yet another thing to have to start all over on a dish that takes hours when you're making it for company. My turning point was when we were on the road and bought anasazi beans at a market in rural Colorado that was famous for its fresh produce --- and they never softened. Now I'm afraid that I rarely cook beans from dried any more (never say never or always) because I dislike having put 3 hours into something I have to throw away.

Yes, acid of any kind will keep them tough -- tomatoes, wine, vinegar, beer. Anything like that has to be added AFTER the beans are cooked in my experience.

 

[Andy M.]

Give them another hour and see if that makes a difference. If they're still hard, I think it's a lost cause.

 

[Swann]

If you have a pressure cooker, use it for beans. They will cook in 20 to 30 min after a fast soak. If after 20 min they are not done another 5 to 10 min or 15 min will do it.... saves hours on the stove!I add my onions and garlic when I start but you can always add a bit later and still have everything cooked. I add herbs and seasonings at the end and let it cook unpressured for a few min. If I am going to bake afterwards, I just cook the beans to the done stage, put into a bean pot or dish, add onions, molasses, bacon etc. to finish in the oven for several hours like my GMA used to do.

 

[licia]

I've had black beans that never softened also. Funny thing, I've never had the problem with any other kind.

 

[jennyema]

I suspect that they are old, in which case they may never soften enough, even in a pressure cooker.

 

[erinmself]

I always soak my beans overnight before cooking them.

 

[Piccolina]

I've read numerous times that it's best not to salt dried beans durring cooking as this can toughen them up. As a result I now only salt my dried pulses once they're done cooking. I do agree with the group here though, chances are they're just old beans that have passed their prime.

 

[Andy M.]

Jess:

The salt story is actually false. You can salt your beans right away. That will ensure better tasting beans. The thing to avoid is acidic ingredients until the beans are softened.

 

[Piccolina]

Thanks, Andy Good to know. I've heard it both ways, even from TV chefs, but I'll certainly take your word for it

 

[Sandyj]

How old is too old? I just cleaned out my pantry cupboard yesterday, and came across some black beans I think I bought in December of '05. Is that too old?

 

[jennyema]

How old is too old? I just cleaned out my pantry cupboard yesterday, and came across some black beans I think I bought in December of '05. Is that too old?

Maybe.

It all depends on how long they were sitting on the store shelf before you bought them. It's good to buy beans at places with high turnover. I try to buy my dry black beans at hispanic markets or supermarkets with significant hispanic clientle. Also, health food stores generally sell better dry beans than the plastic bags in the supermarket.

And, Andy is right about salt. It's good.

 

[auntieshelly]

I agree with Claire. I, too, use canned beans now. I always rinse them to remove the gassy liquid and then they are instantly ready for any type of recipe. When I used to soak beans, I always used a small amount of baking soda in the water and then rinsed the beans before cooking to remove the soda and gases. Sure hope you have better luck with your next batch of beans!

 

[JGDean]

I ended up putting them in a crockpot with chicken broth overnight. They did soften but I didn't enjoy the amount of effort it took. I think I'll work with the canned most of the time from now on.

 

[Nivchek]

I found the solution! I know that acids prevent the softening of the beans, so I wondered if some alkalinization would help. I added several tablespoons of baking soda to the beans while they boiled and within minutes they were soft. This produced a great deal of foam to skim off, which would indicate that they had previously been on the acidic side. (Volcanos with baking soda and vinegar come to mind). I checked the pH of the water after this procedure and it was off the chart, somewhere above 9. It worked!

 

[Steve Kroll]

Baking soda works but adds kind of a weird taste, in my opinion.

Age of the beans aside, "Modernist Cuisine" claims the time it takes to cook beans also depends on the hardness of your water. If you have hard water and consistently have trouble getting beans to soften, they suggest using distilled water.

 

[Roll_Bones]

I always soak my beans overnight before cooking them.

I do the same thing. And would this step provide proof the beans were still good?
I am asking. If you soak them and they swell up, would that prove they are not old and viable for cooking?