Got Beans? | Page 2 | Food Production and Preservation | Forums

My 2 cents - I don't sweat storing them. We have left them in the 50# bags they came in within a large plastic tub to keep 'dust' & crawlie critters out. I NEVER 'pre-soak' as my experience has been that it just makes the beans more difficult to cook tender. Also NEVER add salt until the beans are cooked to a tender state.

I have cooked beans the old way - slowly simmering for 2-3 hours - then adding spices, veggies, meat whatever one wants dish to end up as, and cook another slow simmer hour. Now days I cook beans two ways - summer time I slow cook the dry beans in liquid in my solar oven - usually for one day. The next day I add the goodies and cook that for a few hours. Come winter I use a pressure cooker to cook (on our wood stove) the dry beans - covered with plenty of water for 20 mins., open to make sure water is adequate, then finished cooking - around another 10-15 mins. to tender. Open pot, add goodies, then either simmer in open pot on wood stove OR close pressure cooker and cook a few mins. (5 - 15 depending on 'goodies').

Bean dishes we eat include - chili, (Boston) baked, refried, + rice on side (complimentary protein), and added to minestrone. My hubby isn't a huge bean fan so I am tip-toeing into adding these to our menus. One surprising dish is to mash and mix cooked (pinto) beans with cooked rice and chopped onions and using that to make enchiladas. The filling is surprisingly like a 'meat' and very filling too.