# Black beans (from dried beans)



## castironbound (Jun 9, 2008)

Hi there, I'm new to the forum - joined this weekend and planned a regular intro thread, but need help in the meantime! 

I made black beans today. After doing a 2 minute boil + 2 hour soak, I cooked them on high for about 4 hours in my crockpot, followed by a 3 hour simmer on my stove top. They are STILL not the proper consistency (somewhat crunchy). I'm afraid that because I added some smoked cured ham, the salt in the ham may be preventing the beans from cooking fully. Is there any help for these beans at this point? Thanks!


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## AMSeccia (Jun 9, 2008)

Good question!  I have not tried black beans from a dried state, but have read to avoid salt during the soak.  I wouldn't give up just yet (I am too frugal for that).  What have you got to lose by allowing an overnight soak at this point?  

I am interested to see how this works out for you!


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## castironbound (Jun 9, 2008)

Thanks. 

They definitely aren't getting wasted (DH would have a fit, especially with all that yummy smoked ham in them!). For safety reasons, they are having another overnight soak, this time in the fridge. We'll see how it goes. I told DH I will just put them in the crockpot on low in the am and let them go all day, then give it another try.

My main concern now is figuring out what went wrong so I don't repeat it.


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## mcnerd (Jun 9, 2008)

Ahhhh, crunchy beans.  Love 'em.  Yes, the salt didn't help but only 4 hours in the crock was not enough.  They really need at good 6-8 hours.  I would have boiled at the beginning for a good 5 minutes and sit for 1-1/2 hours or more.

At least you will make notes and will have perfection the next time you do black beens.  BTW all dried beans are not the same when it comes to rehydrating them.


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## Andy M. (Jun 9, 2008)

Old dried beans will never soften.  Buy dry beans from stores that have a high turnover and soak them in plain water.  

Cook them with the ham bone.  Don't add any acidic ingredients until later in the cooking process as acidic ingredients introduced too early in the cooking process will make the beans tough.


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## castironbound (Jun 9, 2008)

UH OH... I added a can of diced tomatoes.  But I always do that w/pintos & they come out great!

Is there any saving them??? Thank you for the advice.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 9, 2008)

They need way more than 3 hours in a crockpot.  Maybe 6 - 8 hours is more like it.  Soaking them won't help - cooking them will!


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## jpmcgrew (Jun 9, 2008)

I live at a fairly high altitude 7600 ft so beans take forever so what you should do is wash them and soak over night soaking over night will double them in size then rinse real well and put in crock pot with fresh water add all your other ingredients and set crock pot to high let them cook away when they start to soften  about 6-7 hours you can turn pot to low if you are not in a hurry . I start mine in the morning after soaking  I start to cook them around 9:00 am they will be ready around 4:00 to 5:00 PM . Soaking overnight will help alot. You could also soak a day ahead and then put them in crock and just let cook overnight.


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## castironbound (Jun 9, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> They need way more than 3 hours in a crockpot.  Maybe 6 - 8 hours is more like it.  Soaking them won't help - cooking them will!


Oh, I know! I should have been more specific. I stopped crockpot and switched to simmering at that point in the hopes that those additional simmering hours would be quicker than the crockpot.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 9, 2008)

Got it now!    If they are still hard it's because they are too old.  Nothing you can do to change that either.  I hope they turn out!


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## mcnerd (Jun 9, 2008)

Unless you bought the dried beans twenty years ago, they aren't old.


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## gadzooks (Jun 10, 2008)

Haha. I have a friend who brought black beans to a potluck a few years back. Good recipe, but she used her pie shell beans. You know, beans she put in empty pie shells to pre-bake. Came out like buckshot. I have made bunches of black beans from dried. One of my favorites is black beans, carrots, celery, potatoes and onion, seasoned with a bit of salt, garlic, Mexican oregano, bay leaf, cumin, liquid smoke, ham or cooked beef (whatever I have as leftover) and a finely chopped habańero. I either presoak 'em the night before, or do the parboil first, then cook, but I do them in a pressure cooker. Serve with cornbread.


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## Dave Hutchins (Jun 10, 2008)

I have cooked many years and beans can some time make you want to scream as seem to never git tender.  Two things you can do 1. pressure cook them for a hour and check them.  2. add a tsp of soda to the cooking liquid. that will some times help. If that does not work recook them all day if necessary.  Next time buy fresh beans not some thing that has sat on the shelf since hector was a little dog.  wish I could be more help


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## castironbound (Jun 10, 2008)

That is so funny!! (the pie shell beans)

These weren't really old, I don't think. But I'm thinking the quick soak method isn't as effective as the old fashioned overnight soak with black beans (although I never have a problem with good ole pintos).

I am seriously considering getting a pressure cooker.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 10, 2008)

castironbound said:


> That is so funny!! (the pie shell beans)
> 
> These weren't really old, I don't think. But I'm thinking the quick soak method isn't as effective as the old fashioned overnight soak with black beans (although I never have a problem with good ole pintos).
> 
> I am seriously considering getting a pressure cooker.



A pressure cooker is ideal for beans with some instruction.  You can do a Google search.  Just be sure to add some oil to your beans to reduce the foam caused by cooking.  This foam can clog up your release valve, which isn't good.  Oil prevents the foam from occurring.


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## jennyema (Jun 10, 2008)

mcnerd said:


> Unless you bought the dried beans twenty years ago, they aren't old.


 
Not so.  Beans can be too old to soften even if you just brought them home from the store.  Buy dry beans from a place that sells a lot of them.

The primary reasons beans won't soften are (1) they're old; (2) they were cooked with acidic ingredients or (3) you have hard water.

Salt doesn't inhibiut softening and is much needed for seasoning duirn the cooking process.


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 10, 2008)

I have never had much luck with beans except soaking overnight.  I don't know what the shelf life of black beans is.  If I were worried about dried black beans being too old, I would purchase them at a store with a large Mexican clientiele.  Shelf life of a product stocked but not widely sold is generally suspect.  One lesson I learned when soaking beans, overnight is just right.  Soaked some 2 days and they turned sour.


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## kitchenelf (Jun 10, 2008)

Soured beans - ick ick ick!!!!!!

With a pressure cooker there is no need to pre-soak - just a little additional cooking time.  I cook mine with ham hocks, chili peppers, carrots, onion chunks - - - when done I pick the meat out of the ham hocks, remove the peppers, carrots and onion chunks, then I add some lime, cilantro, roasted jalapeno and zap with a stick blender.  Spoon some over some rice that I top with some Monterey Jack cheese and spring onions, top with some sour cream and pico de gallo - and call it LUNCH!


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## JillBurgh (Jun 10, 2008)

kitchenelf said:


> Soured beans - ick ick ick!!!!!!
> 
> With a pressure cooker there is no need to pre-soak - just a little additional cooking time. I cook mine with ham hocks, chili peppers, carrots, onion chunks - - - when done I pick the meat out of the ham hocks, remove the peppers, carrots and onion chunks, then I add some lime, cilantro, roasted jalapeno and zap with a stick blender. Spoon some over some rice that I top with some Monterey Jack cheese and spring onions, top with some sour cream and pico de gallo - and call it LUNCH!


 
Yum!

I like the stick blender idea


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## kitchenelf (Jun 10, 2008)

JillBurgh said:


> Yum!
> 
> I like the stick blender idea



It works great!  It lets me blend as many as I want leaving a few chunks in there.  Any hunks of onion or carrot left in there just gets blended up.  I do try to remove ALL of the whole chili peppers - those suckers are hot!


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## castironbound (Jun 11, 2008)

Beans turned out to be absolutely delish with another *eight *hours of crockpot on slow! They musta been some old beans or something, but they were tasty. 

Thanks for all the ideas!


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## Bigjim68 (Jun 11, 2008)

That is probably why they call crockpots slow cookers.  Some things you just cannot hurry.


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