Cooking with Canned Beans

[blissful]

We called it corn smut when I was growing up in the great state of NoDak. It was a reason to throw out corn. Looked absolutely disgusting. I didn't realize until a few years ago that it's a Mexican delicacy, and becoming increasingly popular here.

Exactly! I told DH, this smut is a delicacy, he wasn't interested in eating it. I wasn't either. Somehow the word 'smut' and 'food' shouldn't be in the same sentence. I didn't realize you were from NoDak. My middle son moved there 2 years ago so I have a soft spot in my heart for NoDak and it's people.

 

[Dawgluver]

Indeed. "Smut" and "food" have no place in the same sentence!

We NoDaks are a hardy bunch. Friends there have 12 inches of snow right now. But no way any of us would eat corn smut.

 

[rodentraiser]

We were innocently growing some sweet corn one year, then we were attacked by raccoons and a skunk. We trapped them, we tried to rescue the corn. By then, this horrifying disgusting glop called huitlacoche started growing on it, putrefying any chance of eating good sweetcorn. We burned it at the stalk to prevent the end of the world as we knew it.

You're the millionth person I've heard say the raccoons eat corn. But when I was feeding our raccoons here, not only did they totally ignore the neighbor's corn, the one time I threw out a couple of cobs (with kernels) for them, they refused to eat those, too.

We must have some really weird raccoons in this neck of the woods.

 

[blissful]

You're the millionth person I've heard say the raccoons eat corn. But when I was feeding our raccoons here, not only did they totally ignore the neighbor's corn, the one time I threw out a couple of cobs (with kernels) for them, they refused to eat those, too.

We must have some really weird raccoons in this neck of the woods.

Yes you must have had the weirdest raccoons hanging out with you. We have animals all the time, mostly skunks when the grub population gets bad under the grass, and they pull up big portions of it to get to the grubs. We get to follow it the next day stomping out the pulled up grass back into the places where it got pulled up. The raccoons though, we don't have them unless I was feeding cats catfood outdoors, or we grew some corn.

So this last time we tried to grow corn (and gosh we have tons of farmers around here growing it so we thought they'd leave us alone), we had raccoons and skunks. There was a raccoon and we couldn't get it to go into a trap, so we moved the trap up onto the deck, on the picnic table in full view of the patio window and baited it with peanut butter. So the darn thing wouldn't go IN the trap. So DH stealthily, walked out the front door and came up behind the raccoon, and the raccoon was scared INTO the cage. Yeah my DH is that scary.

 

[Dawgluver]

Oh boy, Bliss, not sure I'd mess with a coon, they're nasty little beasts! I've never met a coon who doesn't like corn. That would be an exercise in futility for me to plant corn, even though we live in the heartland. We have to have baffles for the bird feeders, and I have my little vegetable garden fenced in with a dog kennel I constructed. We still get bunnies and deer. Haven't seen skunks yet, but they're around. Possums, I like. They eat ticks, and leave my plants alone.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Apologies to the OP, we got clear off in left field.

I use mostly canned beans in recipes, saves me lots of time and they are a wonderful canned product. I only use dried beans to make my ham and bean soups.

 

[Dawgluver]

Heh. We never do that here!

I really do love canned beans, have a nice assortment.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Heh. We never do that here!

I really do love canned beans, have a nice assortment.

Around here in Wyoming, a lot of pinto beans are grown...wish I knew anyone who was growing them so I could snag me some of the fresh beans.

 

[Dawgluver]

We have a large Mexican population here, and a large population of pinto beans. Have not tried growing them myself though.

The canned and dried are easily found.

Don't think I've ever had fresh pinto beans.

 

[Kayelle]

I've never had fresh pinto beans, or frozen either for that matter, only canned and dried. However, fresh frozen black eye peas are offered here between Christmas and New Year for the traditional good luck meal for Jan. 1st. Those frozen black eye peas are far tastier than canned or dried with those ham hocks and greens.

 

[rodentraiser]

I tried growing beans once. The ground squirrels were digging them up before I had the last one planted.

I do use dry pinto beans when I make refried beans. That's because I haven't found a can of refried beans yet that I like. I would love to find them fresh from the field, too.

 

[medtran49]

I've never had fresh pinto beans, or frozen either for that matter, only canned and dried. However, fresh frozen black eye peas are offered here between Christmas and New Year for the traditional good luck meal for Jan. 1st. Those frozen black eye peas are far tastier than canned or dried with those ham hocks and greens.

They have fresh black-eyed peas here during that time even in the regular grocery stores so you might want to check if you are interested.

 

[giggler]

I Love this list, such wonderfull replies!

Eric, Austin Tx.

 

[Addie]

We are a chatty bunch!

 

[Kayelle]

They have fresh black-eyed peas here during that time even in the regular grocery stores so you might want to check if you are interested.

You're lucky Med! My guess is they are only available fresh in the southern states. Oh how I love that good luck meal on Jan 1st, thanks to my southern transplanted Mom teaching me how.
"“Peas for pennies. Greens for dollars. Cornbread for gold.”

 

[Dawgluver]

Have never had any kind of blackeyed peas. Including the frozen. They interest me, but I suspect they're not available here along the river either.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Have never had any kind of blackeyed peas. Including the frozen. They interest me, but I suspect they're not available here along the river either.

Wha????? You have to try some black eyed peas. Heated with salt and pepper, maybe a little Tabasco...heaven!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I like canned green and wax beans, and canned spinach, can tolerate canned peas, and if I absolutely have to, canned carrots. Canned potatoes, canned asparagus, canned artichoke hearts, and canned okra are to me just a sin against food.

Of course, fresh is always better, except for good canned tomato product. I grew up in a place where fresh produce wasn't always available, and canned was a convenient way to stock the pantry shelves. And I loved VanCamp's pork and beans, which have suffered in quality since I was young (no more piece of pork in the can and more can juice and fewer beans), and my Dad's favorite - B&M Baked Beans - came in a jar.

Canned veggies are the ingredients that taught Sprout how to blend flavors to get what she wanted in her first, simple soups.

I guess it's what you grew up with, and a matter of personal taste. But then again, up through my teams, Appian Way, and Chef Boyardee pizza kits were a favorite. Now, I can hardly choke them down. Same with Hamburger Helper and a host of pre-seasoned, and boxed meals/bagged meals. Still like cheap pot pies though, and TV dinners. Can't understand why. They're really not ver good at all.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Dawgluver]

I keep canned potatoes on hand for when I don't have regular potatoes for stews. They're emergency potatoes. Canned okra, not so sure about. Artichokes either.

 

[Dawgluver]

Wha????? You have to try some black eyed peas. Heated with salt and pepper, maybe a little Tabasco...heaven!

Need to find a source!