Pinto beans - find anything wrong with this very simple recipe?

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alondrakayy
alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I'm an extremely picky eater.. so finding this recipe took a while. However, I can't cook to save my own life (but I am trying to learn). Starting to use the crock pot since I feel like I will fail less with it. So far I've cooked chicken breasts.. ok but thinking of a couple things I can tweak to make them better.

Anyways, how does this recipe look? My main concern is the part where she doesn't let the beans soak overnight and then says "if you leave the beans in the slow cooker for a while..." Um, how long is a while?


http://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/wprm_print/15439

Replies

  • CindyWard2
    CindyWard2 Posts: 88 Member
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    I never soak pinto beans overnight. If you put them in a pot with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes then let set for 2 hours. Then they can be cooked however you intend to.
  • CindyWard2
    CindyWard2 Posts: 88 Member
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    Now that I looked at the recipe I see that did not answer your question, lol. I would guess maybe an hour as she said "while the beans cool down".
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    Generally, it's not the best idea to cook dried beans in a slow cooker unless you first soak them overnight, change the water, and then bring them to a boil for 10 minutes before putting them into the slow cooker.

    Beans are quite forgiving. Put them in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours and they'll be fine.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
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    Also, beans to be cooked on the stove top or in a pressure cooker don't really need to be soaked overnight but some people think that soaking does provide some benefit towards cooking time, fartiness level, and texture.
  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
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    Although I know most people don't agree with this... I've never soaked dry beans before putting them in the slow cooker. I always just put them in with plenty of water or stock and let them go 1.5 times as long as I would have cooked pre-soaked beans. I wouldn't do this with kidney beans, but it's fine for pintos, garbanzos, and many others.
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
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    Thanks guys! I'm going to go ahead and do it exactly how she is telling me to.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    alondrakayy wrote: »
    I'm an extremely picky eater.. so finding this recipe took a while. However, I can't cook to save my own life (but I am trying to learn). Starting to use the crock pot since I feel like I will fail less with it. So far I've cooked chicken breasts.. ok but thinking of a couple things I can tweak to make them better.

    Anyways, how does this recipe look? My main concern is the part where she doesn't let the beans soak overnight and then says "if you leave the beans in the slow cooker for a while..." Um, how long is a while?


    http://www.momskitchenhandbook.com/wprm_print/15439

    If you are going to use the cooked beans in a recipe that isn't mashing them then I might not let them get to the creamy stage.
    The part I might change is to add the salt at the end of cooking.

    "If you leave the beans in the slow cooker for a while, they will continue to absorb the liquid as they cool, making them more tender and creamy."
    The timing is subjective here. Look at your beans. Are they the consistency you would like? If so they are done.


  • shandy82165
    shandy82165 Posts: 184 Member
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    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    Generally, it's not the best idea to cook dried beans in a slow cooker unless you first soak them overnight, change the water, and then bring them to a boil for 10 minutes before putting them into the slow cooker.

    Beans are quite forgiving. Put them in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours and they'll be fine.

    There's nothing wrong with not pre-soaking your beans before using a crock pot. As long as you give them a good rinse first, they're fine. I just made a batch of jalapeno pintos myself, didn't soak, came out fine.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
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    Beans must be soaked overnight, quick soaked in boiling water for or an hour, or cooked much longer than a recipe states. I never had much luck with beans getting done in a crock pot. If you're planning dinner, it's usually not feasible to just cook them a few more hours ..
  • hoffman2300
    hoffman2300 Posts: 104 Member
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    I don't have a slow cooker but I make beans alot. I learned from Mark Bittman that you don't actually have to soak beans before you cook them. I haven't soaked in years and i name at least 1 pot and often 2 (in the winter) each week.
  • StevLL
    StevLL Posts: 921 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I soak because if I don't, I spend a lot of time alone. ;) That being said. It usually takes about 6 hours on high in my slow cooker to get the beans done where they still have a bite if I don't soak and 8 hours if I want creamy. The earlier you put in salt the tougher they tend to come out. If beans are your friend then you can get away without soaking, if beans tend to make you putter around then it is a community service to soak. B)
  • SueSueDio
    SueSueDio Posts: 4,796 Member
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    shandy82165 wrote: »
    DX2JX2 wrote: »
    Generally, it's not the best idea to cook dried beans in a slow cooker unless you first soak them overnight, change the water, and then bring them to a boil for 10 minutes before putting them into the slow cooker.

    Beans are quite forgiving. Put them in the slow cooker on low for 8-10 hours and they'll be fine.

    There's nothing wrong with not pre-soaking your beans before using a crock pot. As long as you give them a good rinse first, they're fine. I just made a batch of jalapeno pintos myself, didn't soak, came out fine.

    I've been making my own "refried" beans in my slow cooker and I don't soak the dried beans either - just rinse well and throw them in there. They've been just fine.
  • OldHobo
    OldHobo Posts: 647 Member
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    You don't have to soak beans. They might cook a little quicker if you do though. You definitely should sort looking for rocks and dirt clods though. Folks will say you don't have to but if you cook beans long enough you will get some that'll make you wish you woulda done. It's also good practice to rinse them.
  • Nony_Mouse
    Nony_Mouse Posts: 5,646 Member
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    Soaking beans isn't about speeding up cooking time, it's about getting rid of toxins. With most beans, you can get away with just cooking them, if you're willing to deal with some potential digestive issues. Kidney beans should absolutely be soaked, drained, and cooked at a high enough temperature (rapid boil 10 mins, then simmer - I also used to change the water after the rapid boil, bring to the boil again, then simmer), as they have that toxin (phytohaemagglutinin) in much higher concentration than in other beans. Eating raw or undercooked kidney beans can have pretty nasty consequences.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    Nony_Mouse wrote: »
    Soaking beans isn't about speeding up cooking time, it's about getting rid of toxins. With most beans, you can get away with just cooking them, if you're willing to deal with some potential digestive issues. Kidney beans should absolutely be soaked, drained, and cooked at a high enough temperature (rapid boil 10 mins, then simmer - I also used to change the water after the rapid boil, bring to the boil again, then simmer), as they have that toxin (phytohaemagglutinin) in much higher concentration than in other beans. Eating raw or undercooked kidney beans can have pretty nasty consequences.

    This is my understanding as well. I have heard that slow cookers don't get hot enough to inactive the lectins in beans so they should be soaked first. A pressure cooker is a better way to cook beans.

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