homemade beans

[smokestack willie]

2nd try on the baked beans today. I soaked them overnight, went per instructions,except adding salt and the beans are still hard.

I cooked them in the smoker for around four hours at 350 or so.

Any suggestions?

I always add salt at the start when cooking beans and never had a tender issue, but then again I cook mine at a constant soft boil, no crockpot for me.

 

[dport7]

I always add salt at the start when cooking beans and never had a tender issue, but then again I cook mine at a constant soft boil, no crockpot for me.

Guess I'll have to add salt and par boil the beans first off, next time.

The spices are great though. Looks like more bean dip.

 

[quamdar]

Looks delicious! I hardly ever have dry beans, I'm too lazy to do the whole process. I just opt for the can opener and jazz them up instead LOL

 

[qman]

2nd try on the baked beans today. I soaked them overnight, went per instructions,except adding salt and the beans are still hard.

I cooked them in the smoker for around four hours at 350 or so.

Any suggestions?

Yes.
Cooking dried beans is kinda like cooking a brisket---they are done when they are done. The longer dried beans are stored before using, the longer they take to cook. There is no single rule about time. Just keep cooking till they are tender-it is that simple.
Baked beans SHOULD be precooked in lots of water before going into the pan to bake. That is why canned beans always work.
With dried beans, you just have to be patient.

 

[dport7]

Looks delicious! I hardly ever have dry beans, I'm too lazy to do the whole process. I just opt for the can opener and jazz them up instead LOL

Yes.
Cooking dried beans is kinda like cooking a brisket---they are done when they are done. The longer dried beans are stored before using, the longer they take to cook. There is no single rule about time. Just keep cooking till they are tender-it is that simple.
Baked beans SHOULD be precooked in lots of water before going into the pan to bake. That is why canned beans always work.
With dried beans, you just have to be patient.

Thanks fellas, I'll take that advice qman, cook the liven $#?% outa them and force em soft.

I'm gonna try them one more time, if they don't go, I'm going your route
quamdar.

 

[Bludawg]

I'm gonna say this again no salt until the beans are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Salt messes with the starch in the beans making them tough.
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/recipe-facts/

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Looks very good to me

 

[arclite]

I'm gonna say this again no salt until the beans are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Salt messes with the starch in the beans making them tough.
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/recipe-facts/

Not necessarily true. I've added salt to overnight soaks for years to keep the skin intact and the beans from exploding when they go on a long simmer, yet the final product stays tender as long as they are cooked through. Stale beans, water hardness and acidity are more likely culprits for tough beans.

A nice read with a little science.
https://christopherkimball.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/cooking-beans-101/

 

[dport7]

I'm gonna say this again no salt until the beans are done!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Salt messes with the starch in the beans making them tough.
http://www.usdrybeans.com/recipes/recipe-facts/

I have never added salt when soaking for ham and beans, Didn't think
they needed anything in the soak, but water.

Ham and beans always turn out with nice soft beans.
next time I'm going to cook the beans without spices, just adding pork
to see if that works, then add in the spice.

 

[TedW]

Interesting that there would be so many thoughts on salt in the beans. I've always heard not to salt. Then I read this from Cooks Illustrated:

Brining isn’t just for meat. When you soak dried beans in salted water, they cook up with softer skins. Why? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are more weakly charged than calcium and magnesium ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans.

Brining Formula: For 1 pound of dried beans, dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt in 4 quarts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using.

They also found that flavoring the soaking brine definitely imparted additional flavor to the bean. Like onion.

 

[Bludawg]

If you have hard water they will never get tender they will be mealy no matter how long ya cook 'em
same goes for old beans. I never salt and never have a problem I tried that brine BS Mealy beans, salt in the cook water Mealy beans, no salt perfect every time. Keep it Simple Stymie at least until you get 'em right. Beans, water, 1/4 lb of leached out salt pork Crushed Garlic, Comino seed, Bay leaf, Chili de Arbol, at the end teasp of salt & Tablspoon ketchup or chili sauce.

 

[TedW]

Softened water or RO water wouldn't benefit from the salt in a brine, I'm thinking. Based on some quick reading, it seems the sodium is blocking out the Ca and Mg in hard water. Not thinking this is happening to the Ca and Mg in the bean skin, as the article speculates.

This would also explain why there are so many differing experiences / opinions / articles. The variable is the hard water

 

[arclite]

Interesting that there would be so many thoughts on salt in the beans. I've always heard not to salt. Then I read this from Cooks Illustrated:

Brining isn’t just for meat. When you soak dried beans in salted water, they cook up with softer skins. Why? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are more weakly charged than calcium and magnesium ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans.

Brining Formula: For 1 pound of dried beans, dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt in 4 quarts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using.

They also found that flavoring the soaking brine definitely imparted additional flavor to the bean. Like onion.

Yes, I was taught that adding salt to an over night soak will make the skin softer and more elastic. The problem it addresses has more to do with beans not exploding during the simmer, not for internal tenderness. The little old ladies who taught this more than likely had no idea about the science behind it, and not sure what they would have said if still around to hear about it?

I guess you could lower your water's pH level with some baking soda. Also exclude any acid (or salt - rinse the soaked beans if you brine) in the simmer and don't use the bag of beans that has been sitting in your pantry for the past 3 years.

 

[cheez59]

I love all beans but home made are the best. Those look absolutely delicious.

 

[Bludawg]

I do mine in the pressure cooker, 1 lb of dry pintos beans 3 qrts water 35 min under pressure remove the heat and let the pressure drop. Frijole perfection.

 

[dport7]

I do mine in the pressure cooker, 1 lb of dry pintos beans 3 qrts water 35 min under pressure remove the heat and let the pressure drop. Frijole perfection.

Not a bad way to do them at all, I've never done them that way.

I'm just trying to do them in my small okie jo smoker and have them turn
out.

 

[Big Red Fan]

I have done homemade baked beans, in my slow cooker many times. I have done variations of this recipe, but this is my go to recipe.

Ingredients
1 pound dry great Northern beans
6 cups water
1 package of smoked ham hocks
1 pound bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound spicy ground sausage
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

1. The night before, combine the Great Northern Beans and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Pour beans and their liquid into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. In the morning, drain liquid off of the Great Northern Beans, reserving 1 cup. Pour beans and the reserved liquid into the crock of a slow cooker, add about one additional cup of fresh water, or enough to cover the beans.
   
3. Cook bacon in skillet, draining on paper towels.
   
4. Cook spicy ground sausage in skillet, draining on paper towels.
   
5. Cook onion in pork fat.
   
6. Stir in the bacon, sausage, onion, smoked ham hocks, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Cover, and cook on Low for 12 to 14 hours. Stir before serving. Remove ham hocks in last hour, remove meat from hocks, and put meat back in slow cooker.

Here is what they look like when they are ready to serve:

 

[dport7]

I have done homemade baked beans, in my slow cooker many times. I have done variations of this recipe, but this is my go to recipe.

Ingredients
1 pound dry great Northern beans
6 cups water
1 package of smoked ham hocks
1 pound bacon
1 cup chopped onion
1 pound spicy ground sausage
1/2 cup molasses
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions

1. The night before, combine the Great Northern Beans and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Pour beans and their liquid into a bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. In the morning, drain liquid off of the Great Northern Beans, reserving 1 cup. Pour beans and the reserved liquid into the crock of a slow cooker, add about one additional cup of fresh water, or enough to cover the beans.
   
3. Cook bacon in skillet, draining on paper towels.
   
4. Cook spicy ground sausage in skillet, draining on paper towels.
   
5. Cook onion in pork fat.
   
6. Stir in the bacon, sausage, onion, smoked ham hocks, molasses, brown sugar, mustard and pepper. Cover, and cook on Low for 12 to 14 hours. Stir before serving. Remove ham hocks in last hour, remove meat from hocks, and put meat back in slow cooker.

Here is what they look like when they are ready to serve:

Yours look great, Im going to copy your recipe to try in the future. I want to stick with this one first, but I am going to take your advice on cooking for
1 1/2 hours, then refrigerating.

I am going to make this work, I don't care how much bean dip I have to make, as my sig line says LOL.

 

[Big Red Fan]

Yours look great, Im going to copy your recipe to try in the future. I want to stick with this one first, but I am going to take your advice on cooking for
1 1/2 hours, then refrigerating.

I am going to make this work, I don't care how much bean dip I have to make, as my sig line says LOL.

Best of luck to you. :rockon:

 

[dport7]

Best of luck to you. :rockon:

Thanks, I'm gonna try in a week or so, I'll let ya know if I have pork and beans or bean dip for fritos again.