Dry beans not getting tender

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syndicate559

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I don't have a lot of experience using dried beans, but I've been working on a spin-off of Wampus' peach bourbon beans. I soaked a couple pounds of dry northern beans overnight, then made the beans and cooked them. After almost five hours, they still weren't completely tender. Typically, shouldn't they only take about 2 hours after they've been soaked? The only thing I'm wondering is, since I'm cooking them in a thick mixture of BBQ sauce, brown sugar, etc, maybe they're not absorbing as much moisture as they would in water. Maybe I should boil them in water after the soak before the final cook with the other ingredients. Anybody else experience this or have a solution?
 
I soak for one day, then boil in a seasoned broth, simple salt and bay leaves, then add to the sauce. You do need to make sure you season the boiling water with at least salt.
 
Yep, the soak is only to make them absorb some water, but they'll still be tough. You need at least an hour of those babies cooking in some water, after the soak, and before you mix them into your Bourbon beans. I mean, I'd say two hours myself, but it depends on how tender they are, and how long they'll be cooking in your mix. You don't want them to be mush by the time it's all said and done.

Typically I soak my beans for eight hours or so, cook them in water at a simmer, not a full boil, for about an hour to two hours, depending on what I'm planning for them, and going from there.
 
landarc said:
I soak for one day, then boil in a seasoned broth, simple salt and bay leaves, then add to the sauce. You do need to make sure you season the boiling water with at least salt.
Click to expand...

Yep, he's right all the way! Stock is always best. I like to use homemade vegetable broth. I just make it from my vegetable scraps.
 
Salt makes beans toughen if you add it to the initial cooking water, add it after they are cooked and tender.<see below post!
Consider the salt content of other ingredients you are using to cook the beans.
You may need to cook the beans till tender then do the next step?

I should add, the idea is to break down cell walls and allow an enzyme called lipoxygenase to convert the fatty acids into flavor molecules.
If the water you are using contains magnesium and or calcium then your cooking time will dramatically lengthen, they fit in the cell walls the same place that salt does.
 
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How old are the dried beans? I've bought some in supermarkets that never really got tender (or 1/2 did and 1/2 didn't).

Look for a Mexican market where people eat a lot of beans and you can be sure you're getting relatively "fresh" dried beans.
 
I don't do the overnight soak. After sorting they go in a pot and I bring them to a low boil for 10 min. remove from heat cover the pan and leave them for 1 hr. Drain and continue with the recipe. I think the thick sauce could be your problem I don't know what temp your cooking at never the less add some water to the pot and thin it out some it will tighten up as it cooks through evaporation, the beans hydrating and giving off starch.
When I make My Boston baked beans from scratch I prep them just like I described add all the ingredients to the pot and chuck on the pit in the DO in 6 hrs they are perfect.
 
Check the date on the package. Sometimes if they are old, they will take longer to cook.

I never soak beans. After I have sorted through them for bad beans, and any stray fragments, and rinsed them, I simply put them in a heavy bottomed pot cover with water, add all my seasonings including the salt. Then I bring them to a rolling boil for about 3-5 minutes, then put the heat down low. Never had tough beans this way.
 
After soaking overnight did you bring them to a boil in fresh water? I usually bring them to a boil then simmer for 20-30 mins before adding to the bean sauce mixture then bake per the recipe. This will allow them to absorb some additional moisture and get them on their way. However a few times even after this process I have experienced what you describe. My Mom and Uncle (both made amazing baked beans) claimed that this will happen if the beans are old Even if you just bought them if there isn't a date on the bag you never know how long they've been on the shelf. I also never buy from the bulk bins. I just figure they stay fresher in a sealed bag. Old beans will eventually soften up but always seem to have thatsomewhat dry, starchy interior.
 
Location plays a major role.
The cell walls of beans contain magnesium.
If the water you uses also contains it, or calcium, the effect is that it reinforced the cell walls rather than letting water penetrate and create the breakdown.
Presoaking DOES help speed the process.
The water works in through the hilum, the place where the bean was connected to the plant.
This expands the starch, which is what the cooking process is targeting.
Heat then finishes the job of getting the starches fully expanded.
HTH
>>I just went to check that my info wasn't outdated. It turns out two studies since I learned this showed salt increases the speed of the softening process ....by minutes.
Take into account tho, the water comments that I posted, magnesium and calcium changes the equation.
 
I can't tell you where I heard this or why it works but here's my process.

1) Rinse the beans well & soak over night.
2) Drain, rinse & slow boil in fresh water until they're at desired tenderness. No salt or anything. Supposedly the salt and acid from the tomatoes (BBQ Sauce) will cause the beans to remain hard.
3) Add the remaining ingredients & simmer for at least an hour. Longer is better.

This works for me. Cheers!!!
 
The old bean scenario may have made it worse this time around. My grocery store, for lack of a better term, is in a pretty white area and they probably don't sell very fast at all. I added water a few times and each time I did, they seemed to soften up a bit. We got them edible and everybody really liked them, but I'm really looking forward to going at it the right way the second time around.
 
Dump them in your Dutch Oven, rinse, sort, fill with water and then throw them on your grill for 3 hours with your ribs... Damn, I will do some this weekend!!!!

Brian
 
Unless you live at high altitude......I agree with everyone that mentioned old beans..... I'm sure that is the problem. I have a friend whose family are farmers, and beans are one of their cash crops. Every October I get Great Northern and pintos from this years crop. They come straight from the elevator in these little sacks. They can be cooked without soaking, but I give them a few hours just because.


IMG_0244a.jpg



For this years crop, you might try a farmers market or an organic market. Beans are good food......Make plenty and make them often....


DSC01483ra.jpg
 
I be locally grown navy beans from the nearest farmers elevator as well. They get tender much quicker than the beans I get a my super grocery store. They also are a heck of a lot cheaper per pound.
 
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