Dry Red Beans - What Am I doing wrong?

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I had some dry red beans that I'm trying to cook. They are just coming out chalky / dry in the middle and bland (aren't red beans supposed to be spicy?).

Here's what I did:

1. Soaked beans for 12 hours.
2. Drained water, rinsed.
3. Put beans in pot, covered with 1 inch of water.
4. Brought to boil on the stove.
5. Decreased heat to just above simmer.
6. Covered and cooked for 4 hours.
7. Gave up because they are still very chalky in the middle and they are very bland.

What am I doing wrong? Should I just get a pressure cooker?

br3adman

Soak 2 days.

JeffBrown3

All I do is wash them, drain... Cover with water and put on high until they start to boil . Let them boil about 5 mins. Then i reduce to low med heat, add seasonings and cook covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Come out perfect every time.

stephanieluvspb

They're bland because they might need more seasoning. I like using garlic and cajun seasoning. Yum

br3adman

If you start the water at a rolling boil add dry beans cover then put in the oven you can skip the 2 day soak. Just add salt/ flavoring

maasha81

JeffBrown3 wrote: »

All I do is wash them, drain... Cover with water and put on high until they start to boil . Let them boil about 5 mins. Then i reduce to low med heat, add seasonings and cook covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Come out perfect every time.

This is what I do as well. It seems to pass the yummy test with my 4yo! I freeze some in batches as well

T1DCarnivoreRunner

So if I skip soaking, they won't be chalky?

RodaRose

If they are dry, they needed to be cooked at a higher temperature or for longer
Re the taste, instead of water you could use a boxed/canned chicken or vegetable broth like one of these:
http://www.thekitchn.com/we-tried-5-brands-of-chicken-broth-and-heres-the-winner-grocery-taste-test-215129
I also add about 1/4 head of garlic -- toss the garlic in with the broth and beans at the beginning.

sheldonklein

Beans aren't spicy unless you a add heat. Google spicy bean recipe and you'll get a zillion recipes. And as an alternative to overnight soaking, there is a quick soak method. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, turn off the heat and cover for 1 hour. Drain and then cook normally. And I agree that you are cooking at too low of a temperature. Beans don't take 4 hours. More like 60 to 90 minutes.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

RodaRose wrote: »

If they are dry, they needed to be cooked at a higher temperature or for longer

That's what I keep reading... I keep seeing that I need to soak them and then cook them for several hours. But after soaking for 12 and then cooking for 4 hours (I tasted at 1 hour and every hour afterward without noticing much change), I decided I need help.

RodaRose

midwesterner85 wrote: »

So if I skip soaking, they won't be chalky?

I sometimes skip soaking, but I always boil for five or ten minutes. Then I pour out the water and start with fresh water or the broth or half water/half broth.
I do stay away from kidney beans as they are more complicated because some people react to them:
http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Food-Poisoning-from-Undercooked-Beans

Cahgetsfit

get a pressure cooker. You won't even need to soak them if you use one. Stick in cooker cover with water like a few cms over - cook on high pressure for about 40 mins. Then you season it to make it yummy - a bit of olive oil, garlic and bay leaf and hmmm bacon or sausage!

PaytraB

I don't usually soak my beans. Like others have mentioned, I boil them for about 10 minutes, then turn the heat down and simmer them until they are soft.
Beans are fairly bland in taste unless you spice them up. Add some spices of choice to the cooking water or broth (broth will add more flavor). Google "spicy dry beans" for some recipes to try.

christefeimster

I was born and raised in New Oreans and cooking Red Beans is like second nature for us not to mention a weekly meal! I would suggest looking up a reciepe for New Orleans style Red Beans and rice. Not sure if you live in an area that sell Camilla Red Beans(they have a recipe on the back of the pack) as for your beans coming out chalky you must add more water and cook them low and slow. I would be happy to give you a reciepe but mine is committed to memory so I never actually measured anything but I'm sure if you follow the list of ingredients your beans will not be bland. So here goes

-1lb dry beans(I don't soak but some people do soak them overnight)
-Smoked meat(sausage, neck bone, ham pieces or pickled meats- your choice anything goes when it comes to cooking a pot of beans I use smoked turkey leg now but most of my family use smoke sausage or pickled meat I would say about 1lb of meat to give some flavor I'm sure I use more at times
-Season blend- (1 cup of Guidry fresh cut works well or do what we call a trinity which is chop 1 fresh white onion, 1 bell pepper (seeds removed), celery(2 ribs) and parsley)
-couple bay leaves
-salt and pepper to taste
-couple dashes of Tabasco( only if you want a lil kick)

Place beans, meat, seasoning, bay leaves salt, pepper and Tabasco in a 6 quart pot and cover completely with water. This would probably be around 8 cups if not more. Cover and bring to a rolling boil (may need to position top so that your contents don't boil over) after boiling for about 15 min turn heat down to a slow boil and allow to cook on a low slow boil until they become creamy and very very soft to touch...this could take up to 3 hours or more, So stir offen to make sure they don't begin to stick to bottom of pot. Serve over rice

Sorry for the long post and if something is not clearly understood. Hope this help.

RodaRose

According to this, soaking in salt is the preferred method for tender and creamy beans --
-- use salt for soaking the beans for 8 to 24 hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk9YnmnUnSY

LKArgh

If the beans are older, then you might boil them for 10 hours and still they might not have a nice texture. And it is very hard to tell if they are from the last harvest or 3 years old, so when it comes to dry beans, sometimes you are just not lucky. Do not expect them to have a spicy taste, unless you cook them with spices. A good trick is to throw an onion and some garlic in from the beginning, and when the beans become soft and are almost done, add whatever else your recipe calls for. It helps them absorb more taste.

Aross83

I cook dried beans in the crockpot. they come out so much better than boiling them.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

I tried again, did not soak beans. Brought to a boil for 5 min., then added some cajun seasoning and cooked on medium heat for 2 hours. I added some cayenne pepper and Louisiana hot sauce towards the end. They came out soft this time and had the spicy taste I was looking for (though the hot sauce didn't get evenly mixed and I think they can be better yet). But a lot of them were split as well.

So I just needed to turn up the heat. Now I just need to perfect the blend and distribution of spices. Thank you all for your help!

Chabela53

No you don't need a pressure cooker. The best thing is to soak them at least overnight before starting to cook. I always change the water at that point. Red beans are not spicy. You need to add your spices to them. I use usually, cayenne pepper or any hot pepper you like along with salt. They are basically plain until you season them to your liking.

LegalMom0928

I soak mine overnight in salt water. Then I cook them in the crockpot with all my seasonings, on high, all day (6-8 hours). When they are good and tender, they are done! This is also how I do pinto beans and southern style green beans.

I agree that the key is how you season them. There are lots of great recipes out there, or you could pick up a packaged on from the store, too.

It takes time and a little practice, but definitely worth it!

jgnatca

Glad to hear it worked better the second time. There must be a knack to this because I never have trouble but my daughter complains hers never work out the same as mine. She buys canned.

Here's a quick soak method that starts with a boil.
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-quicksoak-dried-beans-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-198610

Lately I've been soaking overnight, changed the water, brought to a boil and simmer for about thirty minutes, then I put it in a slow cooker with all the spices and things for another 4-6 hours.