60 yrs and up

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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,386 Member
    ridiculous59 wrote: »
    @AnnPT77 I never have any luck getting my beans soft enough. We have very hard water and I've wondered if that's the reason. I eventually just gave up and buy them canned. Except for lentils. Even I can't mess up cooking lentils haha. But perhaps soaking overnight and then boiling for 30 minutes would soften them enough to add to chili or whatever. Do you have any experience with hard water and legumes?
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    I doubt it's the hard water. I lived for years in a city with very hard and quite delicious water. I had no problem cooking beans. Some people find that hard water can make the skins a little tougher, but the beans still get soft. Having tougher skins can actually be an advantage for some things. When I make bean salad (more vegetables than beans), I have to be very careful not to overcook the beans or they'll fall apart. I have pretty soft water now; maybe I should add some alkalinity to the soaking water next time.

    I always cook beans in salted water; I have for quite a while. It does not make the beans tough either. What it does is let some of the salt INTO the beans to add flavor. If you salt after they're cooked, the salt just flavors the cooking liquid, not the beans. Some people even salt the soaking water. I don't do that.

    Bring to a very brief boil, then turn down to a simmer and let cook for... depends on the beans. I cooked mayocoba beans today, and they were done in 50 minutes. Last time I cooked black beans, they got done quicker. Garbanzos take longer. Some find cooking with the lid off makes them have more flavor as the liquid gets more concentrated. You may need to keep adding boiling water to keep the liquid level up, and it also uses more energy since heat escapes as steam. Cook them ten minutes less than you think, then scoop out three beans and try to mash them between your tongue and palate. If they're soft; done. If not, give them some more time.

    I buy dried beans in bulk. I don't cook them in the summer because it heats the house up too much. One of my batches this fall had some beans that I had stored over the summer AND some beans I had bought more recently. They cooked at different rates. The older ones were still hard and the newer ones were falling apart. If you have old beans, they may take much longer to cook. I remember many years ago I had some garbanzos that were really old; they NEVER got soft. Beans can keep for years, but then they do take longer to cook.

    A half hour ain't gonna do it though.

    I do enjoy beans. I made two quarts of bean soup and a gallon of bean salad today; they will last all week as part of my meals. Yum!

  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 233 Member
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol

    I soak larger beans (pintos and such) overnight, drain them and put them in the Instant Pot with 5 to 6 cups fresh water, a bay leaf or two, and a handful of herbs from my garden, bring to pressure on high, cook for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Split peas cook to silky smoothness in 15 minutes with no soaking. I like my beans on the mushy side, so you might want to adjust the time. :)
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    edited February 2023
    Wow, this is going to be great! I like'em on the mushy side too. Soaking some beans tonight 😋

    Thanks for the intel @spinnerdell !
  • BartBVanBockstaele
    BartBVanBockstaele Posts: 623 Member
    edited February 2023
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    BCLadybug888 wrote: »
    spinnerdell wrote: »
    I've had mixed success getting dry beans as soft as I like them by soaking and boiling them, and I think our hard water may be partially to blame. The Instant Pot I was gifted for Christmas does a great job cooking them evenly. I agree that fresh, high quality beans will give the best results, but my bottom-of-the-line pintos and black beans turn out very well when soaked and pressure-cooked. I leave out the salt until the end of cooking just out of habit.

    Tell me your Instapot routine pretty please 🙏 lol

    I soak larger beans (pintos and such) overnight, drain them and put them in the Instant Pot with 5 to 6 cups fresh water, a bay leaf or two, and a handful of herbs from my garden, bring to pressure on high, cook for 20 minutes, then let the pressure release naturally. Split peas cook to silky smoothness in 15 minutes with no soaking. I like my beans on the mushy side, so you might want to adjust the time. :)
    I do not soak beans, but I cook them at a 45 min setting. One of the advantages of the Instant Pot (mine, anyway) is that it remembers the 45 min setting, so I never even think about it anymore. That made me a big fan of the Instant Pot.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    If you were going to make chili in the Instapot, would you put everything in together with the beans, and cook together?
    I'm already soaking the beans, but was thinking I'd make chili, so now wondering about NOT cooking the beans first. Or maybe 1/2 cooking them??
    Thanks for everyone's input 😘
  • spinnerdell
    spinnerdell Posts: 233 Member
    I cook the beans first for chili so that I can control how much liquid is in the final product. I'm usually all for dumping everything together, but some dishes come out better with a little fiddling. The half-cooked idea sounds worth trying.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,386 Member
    Cook the beans most or all of the way before adding anything acidic, like tomatoes. You can add the spices so they get inside the beans, but my gut tells me wait to add acidic things.

    How long until someone from Texas chastises you for even considering putting beans in chili?
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    Lol, to me it's not chili without the beans!
    Thanks folks.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,620 Member
    So true, @ridiculous59! I've been mostly doing indoor exercise out of some sense of duty (kind of on the same basis as tooth-brushing, treating it as a thing I Just Do, not something I have a choice about ;) ).

    Today, I got out for a short walk (little over 3 miles) with one of my friends. It was a little warmer than usual (around 40F / 5C) and a rare sunny day, really nice to be outdoors. There were surprisingly many bicyclists on the trails, making me think maybe I've been too hesitant about getting out my bike on these rare nicer days, and instead stationary biking indoors.

    How is everyone else doing?

    New folks, how is the "learning MFP" thing going? Have you found a way to make some progress? If you're having challenges, can others here help in some way? Speak up!

    Long timers, what's going on with you?

    I hope everyone's doing great! :)
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    alteredsteve175 wrote: »
    Greetings. Haven't checked in here in about three weeks.
    Typing this on my phone, and I can't insert pictures. AARRGGHH! Oh well. I went snowshoeing a couple of weeks ago. Very enjoyable and a good workout. Will certainly do that again. The trip was capped with an one hour soak in a hot springs. A bald eagle flew by the end of the pool. It was a glorious day!

    No changes here with my wife's situation. Just the day after day grind for everyone involved.

    Weight is holding steady. It's good practice for maintenance when I finally reach my goal.

    I do read the posts here from time to time. Y'all are an inspiration. Keep up your great efforts!

    I was actually wondering about you yesterday. Glad you had an enjoyable day and are hanging in there with your day to day.
  • trekkie123
    trekkie123 Posts: 250 Member
    Welcome BB
  • karlschaeffer
    karlschaeffer Posts: 1,507 Member
    @BCLadybug888 Well Done! Great news about your IF progress. I’ve seen a few articles lately questioning the efficacy of IF for weight loss, but none mentioned insulin levels etc. I think that’s the main benefit of IF. Again. Well Done!
  • listvanek61
    listvanek61 Posts: 3 Member
    Please, please add me. I need all of the motivation I can get. I am getting married in August and would like to be down at least 20 to 30 pounds before then.
  • alteredsteve175
    alteredsteve175 Posts: 2,726 Member
    Welcome, @listvanek61. Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. You're in the right place for some support and sensible advice.
  • BCLadybug888
    BCLadybug888 Posts: 1,767 Member
    swimmom_1 wrote: »
    It's been awhile but I think I'm starting to get my head back in the "right mindset" again. I've lost 5 lbs so far this month.

    Yay you! 😘
  • sandramarshall200
    sandramarshall200 Posts: 108 Member
    Hi, I couldn’t post for ages, but still logging. Hit a plateau, but slowly beginning to lose again. . I wish I had snow.
    I have been swimming a lot which I love.
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 1,033 Member
    @sandramarshall200 Feel free to come to CO and take all of my snow!
  • sandramarshall200
    sandramarshall200 Posts: 108 Member
    @MaggieGirl135 . I would love to. Where is CO? I am in England.
  • MaggieGirl135
    MaggieGirl135 Posts: 1,033 Member
    Sorry, CO is Colorado. I live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, southwest of Denver, at slightly less than 8,000’. Denver promotes itself as the mile high city (which it is!), but I live half of that again, lol. Actually, we got probably a bit less than a half a foot two days ago with no more anticipated for ~5 days. It will probably melt off in the next couple days in the blazing Colorado sun, so come quickly! (Of course, there’s plenty more a bit west—at the ski resorts!)
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    Opened a cough drop early this AM. The wrapper has some inspirational sayings and I think they apply to us.
    -Conquer today
    -Let's hear your battle cry
    -Push on
    -Be resilient
    -Don't give up on you
    -Impress yourself today.
    All of these on a little cough drop wrapper!!!!
  • sandramarshall200
    sandramarshall200 Posts: 108 Member
    Wow Maggiegirl. That sounds lovely. We are possibly going to have some snow next week, so I may get mywish without the long flight( I hate flying!) won’t get mountains though, I live in the flat Midlands.
  • sandramarshall200
    sandramarshall200 Posts: 108 Member
    Crikey swimmom, that wrapper sounds exhausting! I’d rather get one that said, oh dear, got a nasty tickle? Wear a little scarf, wrap up warm, stay by the fire!
    Probably why I’m fat…
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,192 Member
    personally I like the sayings on the Halo Top pint cartons better... LOL
  • swimmom_1
    swimmom_1 Posts: 1,302 Member
    swimmom_1 wrote: »
    Opened a cough drop early this AM. The wrapper has some inspirational sayings and I think they apply to us.
    -Conquer today
    -Let's hear your battle cry
    -Push on
    -Be resilient
    -Don't give up on you
    -Impress yourself today.
    All of these on a little cough drop wrapper!!!!
    sandramarshall200 wrote: »
    Crikey swimmom, that wrapper sounds exhausting! I’d rather get one that said, oh dear, got a nasty tickle? Wear a little scarf, wrap up warm, stay by the fire!
    Probably why I’m fat…

    Funny thing is I never noticed the quotes on it before but I needed the encouragement that day. So I'm glad I did! Maybe God directed me to see it!

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