Cooking Dried Beans

[Tropicalsenior]

3 minutes ago, Smithy said:

They did say to hold off on adding salt until the beans were cooked.

Interesting. According to just about everything I have read lately, especially on EG, not cooking beans with salt is a myth that has been totally discredited.

[Smithy]

1 minute ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Interesting. According to just about everything I have read lately, especially on EG, not cooking beans with salt is a myth that has been totally discredited.

 

Well, this package is at least 5 years old! Maybe folks have learned something since those instructions were written! Could have been beginner's luck with me. 🤷‍♀️

[Rickbern]

I can’t recommend strongly enough that you take the plunge and invest in some manner of traditional clay bean pot. I’ve been a compulsive consumer of dried beans and lentils for years, during the pandemic I bought a copy of Paula Wolferts clay pot cookbook and I was immediately smitten. Bought a la chamba black clay soup pot and between beans, soups and bolognese sauce it’s one of the best pots I own. 
 

if you make it through the great bean drought of 2025 and find yourself with an abundance of legumes I definitely recommend trying a Persian Ash-e Reshteh which is a bean and noodle soup. Substitute whole wheat spaghetti for the reshteh if you must, it’s what winter was made for  

[Shel_B]

3 hours ago, Rickbern said:

[...] invest in some manner of traditional clay bean pot.

[...] a la chamba black clay soup pot

[...] Persian Ash-e Reshteh 

 

Thanks for posting those suggestions. Since I'm new to preparing beans, the idea of a dedicated bean pot is also new to me. In what way do you think it's a better alternative to a Le Creuset-type pot? The La Chamba cookware is aesthetically very appealing. Which did you choose, and why?

 

Persian Ash-e Reshteh is also new to me. I searched and found several variations of the dish. I'd like to learn more about it and try making it.

 

 

Edited January 7 by Shel_B
addl info (log)

[SLB]

Clay pots are gorgeous, but I'm done paying major money for a tool that breaks so readily.  If the function isn't primarily art, and the price isn't cheap, gimme metal.  

[Katie Meadow]

4 hours ago, Shel_B said:

 

Thanks for posting those suggestions. Since I'm new to preparing beans, the idea of a dedicated bean pot is also new to me. In what way do you think it's a better alternative to a Le Creuset-type pot? The La Chamba cookware is aesthetically very appealing. Which did you choose, and why?

 

Persian Ash-e Reshteh is also new to me. I searched and found several variations of the dish. I'd like to learn more about it and try making it.

 

 

If you are new to cooking dried beans I suggest practicing with your Le Creuset before you throw more money at equipment. Delicious beans can be easily made in enamel coated cast iron. 

[Shel_B]

18 minutes ago, Katie Meadow said:

If you are new to cooking dried beans I suggest practicing with your Le Creuset before you throw more money at equipment. Delicious beans can be easily made in enamel coated cast iron. 

That's essentially the plan and has been even before learning about the La Chamba cookware.  Beans I've made in the p cooker don't give a thick sauce, which I understand can only be achieved by evaporation.  Is there a way to get that thick sauce in the p cooker? Perhaps using the cooker to a point, use a natural release, and then continue cooking with the top removed?

[Tropicalsenior]

I've been wadeing through this thread that is the ultimate source for  bean information. @rancho_gordo Paula Wolfert, and Russ Parsons all contributed a lot of advice. I've only gotten to page 5 of 14 and I have learned a lot. They covered just about everything that we have talked about. From salting the beans, adding tomatoes and the advantage of using a bean pot.

@Shel_B I think if you read far enough in this thread you will find your answer to getting a thicker, richer  pot liquor.

Edited January 8 by Tropicalsenior (log)

[Katie Meadow]

7 hours ago, Shel_B said:

That's essentially the plan and has been even before learning about the La Chamba cookware.  Beans I've made in the p cooker don't give a thick sauce, which I understand can only be achieved by evaporation.  Is there a way to get that thick sauce in the p cooker? Perhaps using the cooker to a point, use a natural release, and then continue cooking with the top removed?

I don't have any instaInt cooker, so I don't have a clue about that. I use an approx 6 qt  Creuset start to finish, The top is on with a small crack open for the full simmering time. The thickness of your bean broth will depend on how much liquid you start with. Beans vary as to how much liquid they drink. One option is to cover the beans with an inch or so of liquid to start with and add water as needed. I suppose if you end up with more broth than you like you could simply take the lid off during the last part of cooking. I follow three rules: I soak my beans for several hours, I don't salt until very close to the end, and acidic ingredients such as coffee or tomatoes are added about 2/3 of the way through. Clearly there are a lot of opinions about when to salt.  I always cook one full bag of RG beans at a time. The Domingo Rojo beans that I usually use take about 2 - 2.5 hours total. 

[Smithy]

This seems as good a topic as any to post about my latest bean cookery. I grabbed a package of Rancho Gordo beans -- Domingo Rojo, I think -- and loaded them into the Instant Pot after the usual rinsing and checking for debris. I was too darned lazy to go through the rigmarole of chopping and sauteeing onions or celery, but I did finally open a can of spice mix that I bought way back here from Spice Trekkers. I gave those spices a bit of a pounding, then loaded them into a cheesecloth bag so they'd be easy to fish out later. I also added a few bay leaves from the freezer.

 

 

Then, away I went to do other chores while the beans cooked. I used the pressure cooking function, gave 'em about 45 minutes. Came back, checked, decided they needed more time, added more water, pressure cooked again.

 

The finished product is more of a soup or stew than simply beans that can be added to another dish, but that's all right in this case. I haven't felt much like eating lately anyway, and in a desperate moment a cup of this stuff is an adequate lunch.

 

Here it is: top view, and side view so you can see just how stiff it is out of the refrigerator.

 

 

But. Those spices are hot! I only put a tablespoon's worth into the pot with a pound of beans. I still need sour cream to tone it down so I can taste the other flavors. So buyer beware on this particular spice blend!