Making chili in the slow cooker with dried beans

[jamoehope]

Hi,

Here is a similar question to my first question. I would like to make chili made from dried beans in the slow cooker so I can avoid salty canned beans. I've found a few recipes online on how to cook dried beans in the slow cooker but not many on how to make chili from dried beans in the slow cooker. Also, I wonder how to replace a can of stewed tomatoes with fresh tomatoes for the chili.

I want the tastiness of slow cooked chili with convenience so I don't have to babysit.

Thanks,

Jamie

[Dave Hutchins]

I would never attempt to use dry beans in my crock pot for chili. they would take all night and all day to cook. Cook your Pinto beans in a little chicken stock salt free till tender then add to your chili fixens and cook away on low for 6-8 hours should be just fine . about 12-14 plumb tomatoes should equal 1 303 can of tomatoes.. For even more flavor roast your tomatoes for 45 minutes when they slump they are done then puree and add to your chili fixens

[college_cook]

I you soak your beans overnight first, the cooking time shouldn't be too terrible.

[auntdot]

With slow cookers I prefer to use the canned. I grow a lot of tomatoes and they vary quite a lot in their water content. Just my take on things.

[jamoehope]

Thanks for all of the responses! I'll definitely try soaking the beans correctly first and then roasting the tomatoes.

With slow cookers I prefer to use the canned. I grow a lot of tomatoes and they vary quite a lot in their water content.

I'll also take that into account if my chili doesn't come out like I want.

[jennyema]

IMO fresh tomatoes are wasted on chili. Too much seasoning. Covers up the taste of the tomatoes. One of the things where canned works better.

There are some very good, high quality canned tomatoes out there. For me, if they don't come out of my garden (or the farmer's market) they come of the can.

[Jeekinz]

Just made a batch on Sunday. Used canned black and red beans and canned tomatoes. I always rinse the beans off first, they weren't salty at all. I fact, I had to add about 4T of salt when all was said and done.

Add the beans at the last hour of cooking so they don't become mushy.

[Caine]

Originally Posted by jennyema

IMO fresh tomatoes are wasted on chili. Too much seasoning. Covers up the taste of the tomatoes. One of the things where canned works better.

But, if you are growing your own tomatoes, they're free, you probably have a ton of them, and the containers (vines) go right back into the soil as compost, not into the local land fill.

jamoehope, just soak and cook the beans ahead of time, brown your chili meat, squish your tomatoes, then combine everything in the crockpot to cook together. Just remember that, with a crockpot, there is no evaporation, so use less liquid than you would when cooking your chili in a pot on top of the stove. If, after a few hours in the crockpot, you find your chili is too watery, smash up a bunch of the beans to add thickness.