How do you cook dry beans?

[Scooby_Brew]

This may sound stupid... but I never cooked dry beans, I always buy them in a can. But I got some dry pintos and black beans today and... there is 3 different ways to cook them on the bag, and about 10 different ways to cook them on the Internet. Which is the "proper way"???? Heeeelp!!!

 

[enderwig]

I soak overnight, rinse in the morning, then low boil for a couple of hours

 

[Revvy]

Usually you need to soak them overnight in water to re-hydrate...though I think there might be a way to speed cook them...But I think I tried that once and the beers turned out sucky...

If you have a pressure cooker you can hasten the process....

Here is the general procedure for working with dried beans.

Cooking with Dried Beans, Dried Bean Guide, Soaking Dried Beans

But if you soak over night and cook the next day, you wouldn't have to worry about it....

 

[Revvy]

Interestingly enough the sit I linked above has this to say..

Dried beans are often soaked too long. Most recipes say overnight. The best way is to put them in cold water; bring them gently to a boil and then with saucepan off the heat, allow them to remain in the water for 1 to 2 hours only.

 

[RayInUT]

Like Revvy said. Any attempt I've made at speeding up the process made a less than desireable pot of beans. Pressure cooking was the worst. Soak them overnight, rinse them, and simmer covered until done with some onion and garlic.

 

[Revvy]

Like Revvy said. Any attempt I've made at speeding up the process made a less than desireable pot of beans. Pressure cooking was the worst. Soak them overnight, rinse them, and simmer covered until done with some onion and garlic.

Wow Ray, really? I figured pressure cooking would kinda...I don't know, cover the sin of speeding up and make them seem as if you did soak them over night. What were they like? Gummy or grainy? That's usually the description I think of when I don't soak them enough...they are kinda grainy seeming.

 

[Revvy]

Does anyone have experience with working with dry chick peas or black beans? I still can't get them to have the same texture of canned, even with soaking them overnight. Both of those always tend to have that grainy texture when using them.And I probably use more black beans and chick peas in recipes that any other bean.

AND I can get both dried in large poundage really cheap...and have a few pounds of both in my cupboard.....any suggestions?

 

[jcarson83]

Maybe that's just what they are supposed to be like dried. Its like canned green beans versus fresh. The texture is completely different. I've used dry black beans in chili before and they turned out great but I probably cooked them at least 6 hours on simmer.

 

[Revvy]

Maybe that's just what they are supposed to be like dried. Its like canned green beans versus fresh. The texture is completely different. I've used dry black beans in chili before and they turned out great but I probably cooked them at least 6 hours on simmer.

Yeah I have noticed that in really really long simmers they turn out fine, all day cooking., yeah..but like in 3 hours simmers not so much. Evensoaking over night and using them in a short cooking (an hour maybe) they still are grainy.)

 

[thataintchicken]

I don't soak beans overnight.
I'll either do the pressure cooker thing or a long 4-6 hour simmer.

I've simmered black beans in a vegetable/chicken stock this way and they were quite good. I've also pressure cooked them and have had no complaints.
Pintos are always a low and slow cooking process. I think using a stock -vs- water is a big help no matter how you prepare your beans.
YMMV.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

Thanks you guys. I think I'll just soak them overnight and then boil'em for 2 hours. The funny part is that I actually thought I could buy them today and have them with fajitas tonight! lol

 

[enderwig]

I still can't get them to have the same texture of canned, even with soaking them overnight.

The only way to really get anywhere near canned type beans would be to rehydrate, then can in the same solution they use, usually some sort salt water.
Never tried it before, but maybe if you heat you soaking water so that you can dissolve some sea salt in it, then chill and soak your beans overnight, then cook. Not sure if that would work since regular canned beans off the shelf have been in that can, in that solution for who knows how long.

 

[RayInUT]

Wow Ray, really? I figured pressure cooking would kinda...I don't know, cover the sin of speeding up and make them seem as if you did soak them over night. What were they like? Gummy or grainy? That's usually the description I think of when I don't soak them enough...they are kinda grainy seeming.

I'm new to using a pressure cooker but I think low and slow is best. Adding some Dashi (Japanese dry chicken stock) to the water definately makes them better. Dashi has MSG in it but it makes everything SO good!

 

[newkarian]

Another trick is to not salt the beans until they are done cooking. Salting them ahead of time make the outer skin harder and makes the bean not as tender.

 

[blackwaterbrewer]

soak overnight in cold water. rinse. bring to boil then reduce heat to medium. i have cooked hundreds of pounds of beans (black bean soup in restaurant i worked as a cook in). this is the only way to do it. never salt until the beans are done cooking. PM me with any other cooking questions. i know everything.

 

[cheesenbeermmm]

I put my beans in a pot of water and bring to boil, let sit a couple hours in the hot water, drain, rinse, lay them out on a sheet pan, put 'em in the freezer until they are all frozen, then boil over low flame until done. This has worked wonders on my pintos, garbanzos, and blacks. Haven't tried it with any others yet.
The pintos acquire a nice buttery smooth texture inside, the garbanzos make hummus that is not grainy, and the blacks are tender without falling out of their skins.
And I agree with the above statements... never salt until they are done cooking.

 

[ChshreCat]

Slow cooker is the best! Put them in to soak the night before. Rinse and put in the slow cooker in the morning. Dinner that night.

My wife is making beans as we speak. I slow cooked a pork shoulder for tacos yesterday. We saved the cooking liquid from that and she's making beans in it tonight, along with the leftover shredded pork from the tacos.

Last spring, we picked up a ham while they were on sale and had that for a dinner. I cut off as much as I could without trying to hard to save for sandwiches and then we made a pot of pinto beans. When they were about halfway done, I sunk that bone with all the meat on it into the beans. When the beans were done I was able to just grab the bone and it came out totally clean. A quick stir and the meat broke up in the beans. It was the best batch of beans I've ever had.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Slow cooker is the best! Put them in to soak the night before. Rinse and put in the slow cooker in the morning. Dinner that night.

Bingo! Set the slow cooker to high heat. I almost always cook them overnight and well into the next day.

We have bean day at work every now and then. It's about 7 crock pots all full of pintos (6 with hamhock, 1 with no meat), a bunch of people bring in cornbread and some diced onion and we have nice pinto bean and cornbread feast.

We usually set up the crocks at the end of first shift and let them soak overnight until beginning of next first shift. The next morning we drain, refill with fresh water, add the hamhocks, and let them cook on high all through first and second shift (so that's like from 8:00 AM until almost midnight). Second shift unplugs all the crock pots and they just sit like that overnight. Next morning we remove the hamhocks and pull the meat/discard the fat and bone, then evenly distribute the pulled meat to the 6 crocks. Then we plug the crocks in and by lunchtime they're hot again...and awesome.

EDIT: ChsreCat, I like them better with ham too but the guys at work like the smoked hamhocks. Still pretty good.