# Dry beans in a pressure cooker



## clemsontiger06 (Oct 17, 2006)

Hi everyone,

I'm an expatriate grad student living in Brazil and taking my first stab at cooking some famous Brazilian beans in a pressure cooker. I'm about 30 minutes into it (gonna let it cook for about 40 min), and just wanted to know if it's normal for steam to be hissing out from the top valve. It is fairly noisy, and I'm a little hesitante to get too close to it!  

Is this normal? Anyone have any tips for cooking dry beans in a pressure cooker?

I added about 500 grams of beans and a little more than 2 liters of water and it's cooking over an open-flame stove (sorry I'm a newbie   ).

Thanks, appreciate any help!


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## bethzaring (Oct 17, 2006)

I would turn the heat down just a little bit, so it is not hissing to the extent that you are nervous.
Yes, I have cooked beans in a pressure cooker.  It is normal for some hissing to occur.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

Hissing is normal - but not a full-blown costant hiss - what type of pressure cooker do you have?  

It is imperative that you put some oil in your beans while they cook.  This oil keeps the foam down which prevents the steam valve from clogging.  About 1 TBS per 2 cups of beans then addiitonal oil for more beans.

I'm not going to argue/defend this statement so don't anyone even try to say it's not true  *known fact*.    

So......what kind of pressure cooker do you have?  Does it have a round weight on top that you turn to the different weights?  Or is the pounds/pressure controlled by heat.  Also, what brand do you have?


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## clemsontiger06 (Oct 17, 2006)

Wow thanks for the fast replies

After 40 minutes, I turned off the flame, opened it up, and saw that the beans were starting to get about as soft as they should be, but there seemed to be extra water (not the nice, super-thick juice), so I emptied some water, added some sauteed some onions, garlic, and soy oil and let it cook for about 15 minutes longer. After that, it is starting to look and smell about right. It was still boiling when I opened the pressure cooker so I put the lid back and let them simmer.

I'm not sure about the brand of my pressure cooker. It holds about 4.2 L. The lid has a long flexible metal piece that can be clamped to the handle of the pot. At the top/center of the lid, there is a valve, I think it is weighted (I've noticed that if I wiggle it, I can adjust the volume of steam released). There is also a red valve on the lid that I assume acts as a back-up. 

I just tried some of the beans, they're good, but the broth isn't thick enough to my liking, seems too watery. And the beans don't quite have enough flavor, I think next time I need to add some sausage and pork meat.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

When I make a pot of pintos I will dice up, fairly small, a potato.  By the time they are done the potato has usually broken down and thickened the broth.  If not totally broken down stirring will usually do the trick.

Try using a ham bone for seasoning or smoked ham hock, or even bacon.  If you want to you can even thicken your water with some instant potatoes and I think some people use tapioca?  Is that right?

As far as the rocker on top - you want it to rock about 3 or 4 times per minute - too much more than that your heat is too high.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

I take it Brazilian beans are black beans?  If so they can be seasoned with lime juice, spring onions, and cilantro.  But you probably know that already!   You can also cook them with a dried red chili for some heat!


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## Gretchen (Oct 17, 2006)

What everyone else said about turning down the flame. It should just barely hiss, I think.  And meat/ham definitely helps beans. Put everything in at the beginning--onions, a little celery, grated carrot if you want, ham hock. Cover the beans with 2 fingers worth of water and cook for about 40 minutes. LOVE my PC.


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## Aurora (Oct 17, 2006)

Rather than adding a foreign (non-bean) thickening agent, I take about a quarter cup of cooked beans and mash them up with a spoon until they are of a mushy constinency and add them back to the pot.  If you stir them in thoroughly they will provide a gravy type thickening.  This always works for me.


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

Aurora said:
			
		

> Rather than adding a foreign (non-bean) thickening agent, I take about a quarter cup of cooked beans and mash them up with a spoon until they are of a mushy constinency and add them back to the pot.  If you stir them in thoroughly they will provide a gravy type thickening.  This always works for me.



LOL LOL LOL - All I had to do was look at my black bean soup recipe - that's what I do with it to make it thicken - boy, sometimes I just don't think!  Thanks for coming to the rescue here!!!  I feel so DUH right now!   

Clemsontiger - you can still do that with what you have left.  I don't actually remove my beans I just use a stick blender right in the cooking vessel when I'm done.  

(walking away just shaking my head wondering how I make it through the day sometimes!) 

...are you a SC transplant?  I'm in NC - where we REALLY have a school called "Carolina" (running really fast right now!............lol)


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## clemsontiger06 (Oct 17, 2006)

Well, all in all they came out pretty well. Flavoring the next pot will be my priority. Mmm, thinking about them flavored with bacon or smoked ham hock almost makes me hungry again  

I say Brazilian beans, but here they are called "feijão carioca," they're not black beans (feijão preto). They resemble pinto beans but are not quite the same, instead of specks of dark brown, they have long transverse stripes, maybe they are a different variety of pinto beans, just not sure.

I really appreciate the help and tips! I am sure I'll have more questions in the future for you guys. Thanks 

-Graham


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## clemsontiger06 (Oct 17, 2006)

Well I was born and raised in Athens, GA...decided I didn't want to be a bulldog and went up to Clemson, graduated last May, and now I'm in Brazil for graduate school (I came down here in part to be with my girlfriend and to get a masters in tropical botany...she, by the way, doesn't cook)!

There are a lot of interesting and unique dishes here, it seems like every day I'm trying something new.

Oh and I'll be the first to agree with you, Carolina (NC) is the real Carolina!
It's my father's alma mater and USC happens to be our greatest rival


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## kitchenelf (Oct 17, 2006)

I hope you truly have a great time there.  Good luck with graduate school and your masters, your girlfriend, and MOST of all, your cooking!  (not necessarily in that order  )  Please keep us informed of anything we MUST know about Brazilian cooking!!!!!  I think those beans you used tonight are called cranberry beans here.  Don't forget to make cornbread to go with them next time.  Put some jalapenos and green chilies in the cornbread!  And cranberry beans are also good with a dollop of sour cream on them.

Looking forward to some of your recipes!


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## thegrova (Oct 21, 2006)

Pressure cookers are great for cooking dried beans.  I use mine often.  Mine has a pressure valve which is designed to hiss very quietly when it has the right pressure.  I definately agree with the suggestion that oil should be added to prevent froth from clogging the valve.  I have also read that the beans should be cooked prior to adding the flavourings and other ingredients as tomato or salt added prior to their being soft can cause them to be tough.  Also, care is needed to boiled, drain and rinse kidney beans prior to cooking as this releases toxins from the beans.


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## Gretchen (Oct 21, 2006)

I thought they might be anasazi beans like I get in Denver--looks like a pinto horse but more white than red. But yours are red, I believe, like these in the link. I don't think I have seen similar here in  our town.  
http://sstradebrazil.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/11069345/Carioca_Beans_Phaseolus_Vulvaris_/showimg.html


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## Michael in FtW (Oct 21, 2006)

clem - look on the bottom of your PC (pressure cooker) and you'll find the name (brand), probably a model number, too ... if you didn't keep the manual that came with it there is probably one on-line that you can download that will explain everything.

Beans are "done" in degrees ... some like the beans to just be "soft" with a watery liquid, some like the beans to be cooked to the degree that some begin to break down and thicken the liquid a little, some like the beans to cook down into a "mush". The final texture will depend on "how much" they are cooked.

Gretchen - I love anasazi beans! A little sweeter than pintos - I, too, got hooked on them when I lived in CO (Golden). But, I cooked them the "old fashioned" way in a pot on top of the stove ... long and slow.


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## Aurora (Oct 21, 2006)

Michael in FtW said:
			
		

> Beans are "done" in degrees ... some like the beans to just be "soft" with a watery liquid, some like the beans to be cooked to the degree that some begin to break down and thicken the liquid a little, some like the beans to cook down into a "mush". The final texture will depend on "how much" they are cooked.


 
Excellent point!  I often combine different varieties of beans for that very reason.  If you cook black beans and pinto beans which have been soaked for the same time, the black beans will become mushy and provide a rich and smooth black gravy while the pinto beans will woft yet maintain their shape and integrity.

I pressure cook the black bean and pinto bean combo for 45 to 55 minutes at 15 psi in the pressure cooker and then cool down using the slow method. (just shut off the heat and let the pot cool).  This is enough time to break down the smoked hock or other meat ingredient.


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## lorie (Nov 15, 2006)

"Cooking Under Pressure" by Lorna Sass would be very useful.  The first cookbook of her's I got was "Recipes From an Ecological Kitchen".  It has been re-released under a different title.  I am vegan, as is the second book I mentioned, so it is my personal favorite of hers.  They are both full mof just about all the info you need to get the most from your cooker.  So good in fact, that I bought a second cooker within a month of buying my first and her books.  I have 8 quart Megafesa cookers. They are made in Spain.  They are fabulous.  My prior experience was with the old jigle tpo Presto.  I was always sure I was going to blow myself up, so never really used it.  Lorie


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## Gretchen (Nov 15, 2006)

_I have also read that the beans should be cooked prior to adding the flavourings and other ingredients as tomato or salt added prior to their being soft can cause them to be tough. _

To me the convenience/speed  of using the PC for cooking beans means adding all the ingredients at one time and cooking it.  Adding salt in the beginning means the salt will be a part of the bean, and not just sitting on the surface--and has no effect on the cooking. I also don't find that cooking with tomatoes makes much difference either. They are very much a part of my black bean soup, minestrone, and other bean soups--even when not cooking with the PC, I add it all together with no problem.

_Also, care is needed to boiled, drain and rinse kidney beans prior to cooking as this releases toxins from the beans._

I do not understand this statement at all and don't think it is correct. I'd be long ago DEAD!!!   ;o)


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## petey (Jan 17, 2007)

clemsontiger06 said:
			
		

> Well, all in all they came out pretty well. Flavoring the next pot will be my priority. Mmm, thinking about them flavored with bacon or smoked ham hock almost makes me hungry again
> 
> I say Brazilian beans, but here they are called "feijão carioca," they're not black beans (feijão preto). They resemble pinto beans but are not quite the same, instead of specks of dark brown, they have long transverse stripes, maybe they are a different variety of pinto beans, just not sure.
> 
> ...




Oi! Tudo Bem? Eu gosto de feijao preto muito 

Eu uso alho, sal ,louro, bacon, & linguica calabresa. Muito delicioso! 


Boa Sorte !

Petey


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