Dry Red Beans - What Am I doing wrong?

Soak 2 days.

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

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

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.

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!

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.

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.

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!

red beans aren't spicy unless you add spicy stuff to them. if you're not cooking the beans with any spices, they're going to be pretty bland...just like dumping some beans out of a can.

jgnatca wrote: »

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.

Just out of curiosity - she didn't move to a higher elevation by any chance, did she? One thing we discovered after a move is that it takes longer to cook beans at a higher elevation - the boiling point is lower. If you get high enough in elevation, it's nearly impossible to get the beans soft, actually. Quite frustrating!

RodaRose wrote: »

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

Thanks - you beat me to it - I made ATK's Cuban Rice and Beans last week and it was amazing. The recipe starts:

Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

(Of course, there are lots of other ingredients.)

I follow the directions on the bag and never have any issue. 4 hours is bit long. Mine are done around 1 1/2 hours (after an overnight soak or 1-2 hour quick soak). I usually put plenty of water in the pot though, not just a couple inches. I usually make 5-6 servings at a time and freeze them for quick rice and bean bowls.

aggelikik wrote: »

If the beans are older, then you might boil them for 10 hours and still they might not have a nice texture.

^^This is most likely the problem. It helps if you buy from a place that has a lot of turn-over, but even then, you don't if the beans they're stocking are from the most recent harvest.

The only issue I see with your cooking methods is that you didn't mention whether you added water during the four hours of cooking -- I would expect just an inch of cover to cook down, and you want to make sure they have enough water throughout the cooking process.

And as other have indicated, red beans are not spicy in and of themselves. You need to add spices.