…… Dried Beans help
- Thread starter Marie
- Start date
PJM
Contributing Member
I read that soaking the beans in salt water may help.
3 tbsp. of salt dissolved in 4 quarts of water for 1 pound of beans. Soak at room temperature for 8-24 hours. Then rinse. Also, cooking in the oven at 250 may help.
I haven’t tried the salt, but I do cook them in a slow oven for 3 hours or so.
Hope it might help.
3 tbsp. of salt dissolved in 4 quarts of water for 1 pound of beans. Soak at room temperature for 8-24 hours. Then rinse. Also, cooking in the oven at 250 may help.
I haven’t tried the salt, but I do cook them in a slow oven for 3 hours or so.
Hope it might help.
If the beans are fairly fresh, and not old, you could try cooking them in distilled water or even rain water and seeing if it makes a difference.
Yep... it sure can. Is the water in my new town preventing my beans from softening? - Home Cooking
Apparently adding a bit of baking soda to your water can help.
Summerthyme
Yep... it sure can. Is the water in my new town preventing my beans from softening? - Home Cooking
Apparently adding a bit of baking soda to your water can help.
Summerthyme
coloradohermit
Veteran Member
Another possibility to get them to soften up is pressure canning. Soak overnight, rinse and refill the water. Boil for an hour then pressure can them. If you have hamhocks add the ham to the boil then put some in each jar before canning.
Melodi
Disaster Cat
If you have hard water (we do) don't soak them in saltwater - it makes it even less likely they will soften (in hard water) - instead try soaking them overnight, then rinse and add water to cover the top of the beans (at least an inch) now bring to a rapid boil, turn off and let sit for an hour to three or four hours.
After sitting in the hot water, you can either rinse again and add more water or just use the same water; bring it back up to a rapid boil and then simmer until soft.
Once SOFT add salt and other flavorings - you can add garlic/onion/chile to these beans before softening but not anything with salt in it like salsa.
After the final adding of ingredients, simmer them for an hour to over-night depending on what you are making.
I've been doing this for 25 years and our water here is so hard it almost stands up by itself (just kidding but you get the idea).
After sitting in the hot water, you can either rinse again and add more water or just use the same water; bring it back up to a rapid boil and then simmer until soft.
Once SOFT add salt and other flavorings - you can add garlic/onion/chile to these beans before softening but not anything with salt in it like salsa.
After the final adding of ingredients, simmer them for an hour to over-night depending on what you are making.
I've been doing this for 25 years and our water here is so hard it almost stands up by itself (just kidding but you get the idea).
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
Thanks!
I needed to know that. I have soaked for 24 hours and then used a pressure cooker and it still had a bit of hardness. Just a little bit and yes our water is harder than rock.
This should give me the last clue to make proper beans.
Melodi
Disaster Cat
You can also do the last step in the pressure canner, but you really want to bring the beans to a boil then simmer them to get them soft first if you can.
The Age of the beans can also make a difference I'm managed to skip the boil and simmer part with fairly fresh (last two years) pinto beans but anything older really needs that extra boil-simmer-sit step.
You can also "soften" the water a bit by adding a tsp of vinegar, you can do the same thing with really hard water when you are making a sourdough/bread starter.
The Age of the beans can also make a difference I'm managed to skip the boil and simmer part with fairly fresh (last two years) pinto beans but anything older really needs that extra boil-simmer-sit step.
You can also "soften" the water a bit by adding a tsp of vinegar, you can do the same thing with really hard water when you are making a sourdough/bread starter.