Dried bean question

[PrincessPerky]

Lid on or off to cook?

Should I add spices to the boiling water or wait till it is cooked and then add (What I have been doing cause of precious failures to actually cook the beans) What about ground meat and stuff, should I wait to add that til the beans are soft like they would be out of hte can?

Is there a nutritional loss to over cooking? or is there a gain? I mean noodles are best aledente, vegetables just soft, but what about beans? I really have no experience wtih them though I have been expiramenting for a week or two.

[SeeAPenny]

The lid of the pot should be cracked at the very least when simmering beans, or they could foam and bubble over (like pasta when it's covered). Typically, I do prefer to cook my beans first (generally using my pressure cooker), then add them/spice them according to whatever recipe I'm preparing with them -- and I do try to add salt only at the very end of the cooking time -- since I find it can interfere with softening if added too early. Older beans will take longer to cook and soften than fresher dried beans (and very old beans may still stay a bit on the tough side no matter how long you cook them). Also note that freezing and thawing cooked beans softens them even more -- since the act of freezing breaks down some of the fibers...

Also note that soaking dried beans (excluding split peas, black-eyed peas, and lentils --these don't really need pre-saoking) in water overnight, does help to reduce cooking times signigicantly. Many dispose of the soaking water before adding fresh water and cooking (this can help them be not so 'gassy', in you know what I mean). Sometimes I do that, and sometimes I don't -- but I ALWAYS save the rich cooking water. Makes a wonder stock for soups and stews....

To be fully digestible, beans are best thorougly cooked and soft -- but the amount of softening depends on the recipe. Beans for salads for example, should still have maybe a little firmness to them to hold their attractive shapes. But pintos and chickpeas for refried beans and hummus are easier to mash when they are soft-near-to-mushy. Peas for split-pea soup should certainly be VERY mushy, while lentils for lentil soup maybe not so much. I guess in many cases it's a matter of 'taste'.....

[kashi]

Are you quick-soaking them? Here's what I do: pick through the beans and take out any odd looking ones, and rinse the rest under the tap. Place the beans in a pot and cover with enough water to cover them. Bring them to a boil, and boil for two minutes, uncovered. Take them off the heat, cover, and let them stand for one hour. Drain the water, replace with fresh, and they are ready to be cooked. At this point I put them in the crockpot, but seeing as how yours isn't working, you'll have to cook them on the stove. Quick soaking them takes out the gas-producing enzymes.

Do you have a Betty Crocker cookbook? There's a recipe in there for Italian White Beans. They don't seem to have it on their website, but it says to boil the beans for two minutes, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, then drain. Stir in remaining ingredients and cook until hot. I have no idea if this works or not.

Hope it turns out well!!

[PrincessPerky]

thanks, I went ahead and put a lid on it :0 big mess (before you all replied)

I tried the overnigt before when I was a newlywed and I ended up with beans that never cooked, just how much water does a bean take? and cookbook wise I have the joy of cooking and thats it.

[kashi]

I think it might say on the package of beans - 6-8 cups of water per 1 lb of beans (2 cups=1 lb). That goes for quick soaking and overnight soaking.

[soiltiller]

I've been cooking beans for decades. They are practically foolproof. Overnight soak before cooking. Depending on the taste you want, add whatever spices during cooking. For bakes beans I use molasses, chopped onion, a hunk of salt pork and brown sugar. (Yum, haven't had that in a while, good idea) For a more spanish twist when cooking pinto add chile powder, garlic, cumin. You could even add in some chopped carrot, celery, whatever! Beans are a great, nutritious, inexpensive food. So glad you are getting to know them.

[Beeba]

I love dried beans. Just remember to salt at the end after they've been cooked through.