soaking and using beans - did I mess up?

[AnnaRaven]

Okay -
having read folks here mention soaking their beans overnight with a "glug" of ACV, I tried that. Today, I'm making chili with the soaked beans. I put them in about noon, and they've been in the crockpot for about 3-4 hours now. I just tasted it and the taste is great but I'm worried about the beans. They're, um, not softening up much at all yet. I understand they'll be cooking for a few more hours but I'm getting worried.

Help? I keep reading elsewhere that the beans shouldn't go in with anything acidic cuz that'll toughen them. But, then, if you're using ACV, that's acidic... And the canning recipes have you put everything in together. So, I'm not sure I understand why it's okay to put everything in together for the canning recipes but then people warn that the beans won't cook if you use the tomatoes right away.

Am I going to have crunchy beans for dinner tonight?

 

[abifae]

In CO, you have to add baking soda because the water is so hard. And I soak 24 hours just because everything takes longer up here.

 

[moolie]

Beans need longer soaking and/or cooking time depending on the age of the beans (how long ago they were harvested--longer = more soaking and cooking), the hardness of your water as Abi notes, and the type of bean--some soften up way faster than others.

I've never been able to use beans that were not soaked at least 18-24 hours and then cooked overnight plus all day.

My best results have been since I've been pressure cooking/canning my beans. I soak 18-24 hours, then pressure cook as instructed in my Presto manual.

I also pressure can up full canner loads of pinto, black, and kidney beans at a time so that I have "instant" beans for easy dinners on the spur of the moment. People buy canned beans for a reason

eta: I've never tried adding baking soda because I've read that it diminishes nutrients.

 

[abifae]

*

 

[miss_thenorth]

I always soak the beans, then cook them plain, then add them tot he chili or whatever.

 

[Wifezilla]

abi, too much baking soda can reduce vitamin b levels. if you use bottled water you shouldn't need it. i only use baking soda if the beans don't soften.

 

[AnnaRaven]

Well, I soaked them overnight in water with some ACV. They probably sat a good 18 hours. Then I put them in the refrigerator in a bag (after draining them) for a day (because I didn't cook chili yesterday). Today, I rinsed them again, and put them in the chili.

They seem to sloooooowly getting better. So maybe in a couple hours they'll be edible. Guess I was just worried about the acidity of the tomatoes interfering with the cooking.

The bag was a new bag from the store. Don't know how old they were when they got to the store though.

 

[Toulle]

We cook chili like that - and as a neat coincidence we had chili tonight. Only difference was we did it fast this time and used canned beans.....

Anyway, with dried beans we soak the beans overnight first. The next day (cooking and eating them day) we change their water. We pour the water they soaked in on the roses or such.
We bring them to a rolling boil in the new water, then reduce heat to a low roll and cook for a hour or so, then add veggies like onions and peppers, and tomatoes around 20-30 minutes later.

Note that - tomatoes are the last thing we add.

Meat is cooked separate as we have a couple of vegetarians about.

 

[Emerald]

Probably not too helpful to this thread but when I do chili I soak the beans over night and then drain and cook with fresh water in small sauce pan next to chili until tender, no salt or anything (usually works out time wise) and then drain again(give the water to the chickens after it cools) and then put in the chili for the last hour of cooking along with the masa harina.

 

[moolie]

I always soak the beans, then cook them plain, then add them tot he chili or whatever.

ditto, I should have mentioned that I cook them plain until they are "done", then add to recipes.

But pressure cooking has totally changed my life with beans--takes about an hour (after soak)