Tarbais Beans for Baked Beans?

[Shel_B]

Next month I'll be making a batch of baked beans.  Checking the larder yields only Ranch Gordo Tarbais beans.  How well will they work in a baked bean recipe?  Would I be better off using some other type of bean?  What bean(s) might you suggest?

Edited November 24, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[Martin Fisher]

They'll certainly work. How well they'll work is a matter of personal preference...there are other beans that I much prefer.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

Shel,

 

FWIW Rancho Gordo's website recommends them for baked beans. "They have a thin skin but still manage to hold their shape."

 

The acid in most baked bean recipes also keeps the beans from becoming mush.

 

I had a disaster thirty or more years ago when I tried to cook kidney beans in a crock pot for chili, and added tomatoes too early. At this late date I couldn't swear that I presoaked the beans, but it is my normal practice. 

 

Because we were poor I cooked those beans for two days. They never became soft or edible.

 

Acid is critical for successful baked beans, but shouldn't be added too early.

[patrickamory]

I recommend yellow eye beans, also known as butterscotch beans or Colonel Steubens. RG has them sometimes; Purcell Farms also has an excellent version.

[Kerry Beal]

Navy beans for me. 

[andiesenji]

My favorite for baked beans done Boston style - are cranberry beans.  I have used many types and if I don't have cranberry beans, I use whatever is on hand.  I have used everything from navy beans to butter beans and they all taste good.  It's just some, to my taste, are better than others.

 

One "trick" to keep the skins intact whle allowing the interior to become creamy is to add a tablespoon of baking soda to the soaking water  and then rinse very well with lukewarm water after draining. 

[SLB]

I like small white (non-navy) beans for baked beans.  But I think any bean is gonna be pretty good when baked.  

[Tri2Cook]

I like baked beans made with pretty much any kind of bean so I imagine they'd be good with Tarbais. The main problem for me is beans dislike me every bit as much as I like them. Imagine a raucous rendition of Chopin's Prelude in G minor performed entirely on bugle. I've yet to find any bean that solves that little inconvenience...

[Ttogull]

 

One "trick" to keep the skins intact whle allowing the interior to become creamy is to add a tablespoon of baking soda to the soaking water  and then rinse very well with lukewarm water after draining.

I like Santa Maria Pinquitos for my baked beans. Love the small beans with firm texture.

I've never used the trick above, but I recently acquired some Rancho Gordo Mixteca salt.

http://www.ranchogordo.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=RG&Product_Code=4MIX&Category_Code=HASI#.VHvOZYg8KK0

This seems to be the same idea, except you don't need to rinse. Just throw in about 1 tsp per lb of dry beans at the start of cooking (I do not soak). I thought my beans were great before using the salt, but they are out of this world perfect with the salt.