Dry Red Beans - What Am I doing wrong?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    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.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    Glad you figured it out!
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    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!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    We live a few doors down from each other, LOL. I'm used to higher elevation cooking. We're pretty high here (2,201 feet from sea level) but I've lived as high as 4,199 feet.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    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.)
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    Aross83 wrote: »
    I cook dried beans in the crockpot. they come out so much better than boiling them.

    I do this as well. No pre-soak. Just put them in a crock pot with enough water to cover. Ad water as needed to keep them covered and cook for as long as it takes for them to be the way I want them. Usually about 12 hours on low/auto-shift. When they are about right I drain the water and add seasoning and let them cook for another 2 hours or so.

  • Azurite27
    Azurite27 Posts: 554 Member
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    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.
  • sannaf36
    sannaf36 Posts: 19 Member
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    Soaked beans take longer to cook. Bring to boil and keep on medium. Keep refilling water cuz it will evaporate and get absorbed. I would say cook for solid 3h. At the end, add tomato paste, ground cumin and chopped cilantro. Voila!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,020 Member
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    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.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
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    I cook all kinds of beans, usually quick soak (I.e. Boil 2 min & sit and hour or two), but for red beans I have better luck with the overnight soak. I also start by frying bacon in the pot, then sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper in the bacon grease, then add beans and water. I'll throw in a couple bay leaves, fresh thyme, and a pork bone if I have one in the freezer left over from another meal. I use a couple red pepper flakes and tons of black pepper. They're usually done after a little over an hour. Feeling hungry now!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Oh, you did great!!! :mrgreen:
  • unrelentingminx
    unrelentingminx Posts: 231 Member
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    I tried cooking dried red kidney beans from scratch and it was too much hassle for me so now I just buy tins of cooked kidney beans. They just need draining and a quick rinse and then adding towards the end of whatever I'm cooking to heat them through. So much easier.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
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    If you don't soak beans (whether overnight or quick soak method) and discard the water, prepare for memorable farts.

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