# HELP: Simple Cumin/Salt Black Bean Proportions



## ErgoErgun (Jan 5, 2007)

My recipe causes my entire store to smell like Cumin!  I think my proportions are off... and people tell me I'm adding way too much.  The beans are going inside of tacos, etc...  
Right now for 32 cups of beans...
1/2 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Cumin
3 Cups Lime Juice
1 1/2 TBS Salt

What do you guys use to make this popular style of black beans?  Thank you!


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## Reanie525i (Jan 5, 2007)

You may want to cut back on the cumin and add a little goya. I also use cilantro when I make them and some onion as well.


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## Uncle Bob (Jan 5, 2007)

I don't do black beans very often...However; IMO 1/2 cup of cumin in a couple of gallons of beans is a might heavy! Maybe cut it by 1/2 then taste.
I personally would add Masa to suit my taste...


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## bethzaring (Jan 5, 2007)

okay, I'm deserately trying to break this down, would this be less than 1 teaspoon of cumin per cup of beans?  And is the 32 cups, dried or cooked beans?

The cumin proportion seems okay to me, but I really like cumin.


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## urmaniac13 (Jan 5, 2007)

Are you talking about cumin seeds, or powdered cumin? If it is seeds, probably the amount is okay, you may have misinterpreted the recipe and used powdered one, which packs itself in more tightly in a measuring vessel, which means more would go in.
If you use the seed, measure, then grind it yourself, probably the amount is okay. I suggest mixing in some coriander seed as well.


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## JDP (Jan 5, 2007)

Cut your cumin by a 1/2 and taste when it's done. You can always add more. The salt seems a bit light. I also like fresh cilantro, and maybe some chipoltle would work out nice to give some heat and smoke.

JDP


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## GB (Jan 5, 2007)

Regardless of what the recipe says, if you think it smells too powerful and people are saying there is too much then cut it back. I agree with the others who say to cut it in half to start and go from there.


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## jennyema (Jan 5, 2007)

1 1/2 T of salt for 32 cups of beans doesn't seem like nearly enough.

IMO the cumin seems in the ballpark.

I agree that you probably want some other seasonings inthere, as well.

Mexican oregano, cilantro, garlic come to mind


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## GB (Jan 5, 2007)

I didn't even notice the small amount of salt. Good eyes Jenny. I agree that seems like next to nothing for that amount of beans.


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## ErgoErgun (Jan 5, 2007)

*Thanks for your replies*

You guys are great.  Thanks for your comments.  I'm using cumin powder, not seed.  The beans for the recipe are already cooked, so they've absorbed water and enlargened.  You said the salt was too much, but no one said anything about the lime juice.  Is that a typical amount of lime juice?  What would be a more appropriate amount of salt?  After some more feedback, I'll cut the cumin back, do what we decide with the lime juice and the salt, then try the recipe again and post my findings.


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## jennyema (Jan 8, 2007)

I didn't even think about the lime juice.

That seems like way too much.

Rather than experiment on the whole batch of beans .....

*I'd take 2 cups of beans and add 1T of cumin, 1t of salt and 1T of lime juice.*

If that tastes good, then covert it to 32 cups by multiplying by 16.  *That would be 1 cup cumin, 5 1/2 T of salt and 1 cup of lime juice.*

I probably would add even more cumin, but that's just me.  I still think you seriously need more flavor from oregano, garlic, onion, pepper and possibly cilantro, though.  Beans with just salt, cumin and lime juice strike me as fairly one dimensional, flavor wise.


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## kitchenelf (Jan 8, 2007)

I think everyone gave you good advice on proportions.  Starting out with less will always allow you to add more.

When I make my black beans I basically add the ingredients for a pico de gallo also.  So, along with my beans I have salt, pepper, cumin, lime juice, cilantro, chopped fresh jalapeno, spring onion, and chopped tomatoes.  Or I just make a pico de gallo and put on top of the beans on each plate.  When I cook my beans I cook with some carrots and dried red peppers, and of course a smoked ham hock - but sometimes I leave the ham hock out if I just don't have one handy.


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## Candocook (Jan 10, 2007)

This is 2 gallons of beans if someone needs a picture. I would think it needs some garlic, a bit more salt and the cumin isn't really that far out of kilter. And maybe a soupcon of sugar.  And a bit of cooking. For the lime juice, what does it taste like when it is all together?  That is the answer--and particularly, what does it taste like ON the taco.  Bloody Mary mix tastes entirely different from the finished drink.


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## karadekoolaid (Jan 15, 2007)

When we prepare black beans over here, we always start with a _sofrito_; 
fry together a little onion, garlic, bell pepper, mild chile pepper and tomato. Then we add the beans. DRY, not cooked, cover with water and continue cooking until the beans are soft.Salt is added last, although if you were to add cumin, I'd add it to the sofrito to begin with. Just before serving, season with salt, pepper, a tsp of sugar, and abundant chopped cilantro. If you want to add lime juice, add it at this moment. 

Since I don't work with anything except metric, I can't help much on the cups/gallons/etc., but from lots of experience working with spices, I can assure you that while 1/2 tsp of cumin, for example, is fine for 1 cup of beans, this formula does not necessarily mean 5 tsps of cumin for 10 cups. Some spices need to be used sparingly , so you may find you need a lot less cumin. I find this very true with turmeric, too. Do what the other posters have advised and add the cumin bit by bit, starting with half the quantity. 

AND...
tell us how it worked out!


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