Adding flavor to dried beans

[Shel_B]

Now that there's an Instant Pot in my kitchen, and I've found local sources for Rancho Gordo and a couple of other heirloom and organic beans, I'll be using these dried beans instead of canned in many recipes, including several chili recipes, soups, and a few bean-centric main dishes.  So, while I have the equipment and the ingredients, my knowledge is lacking.

 

Is adding flavoring components to the soaking water a good way to go, or is adding these components to the cooking water a better option?  The few times that I've cooked beans in the IP, I've added onion, garlic, bay leaves, and some dried peppers to the cooking water.  The results were pretty good but I'd like to try getting a more intense, or deeper, flavor into the beans.

 

One idea that I have is to infuse the soaking water with some pepper paste.  I've a jar of Aji Amarillo paste that's been sitting in a cupboard for far too long, and perhaps it's time to put that puppy to work. 

I thought I'd add a bunch of paste to the soaking water by heating the water to get a good infusion, strain the solids, and then soak the beans in the cooled water.  Perhaps add some salt to the water as well.  Workable?  Good idea?

 

What do you do to add flavor to beans? 

 

 

Edited June 14 by Shel_B (log)

[blue_dolphin]

I don’t know what’s in that paste, but don’t soak or try to cook dried beans with acidic ingredients. Beyond that, go for it. 
I cook Rancho Gordo beans regularly. I don’t soak, except for Royal Coronas, nor do I use an Instant Pot as I like the concentration of flavor that comes from evaporation. I add garlic, bay leaves and arbol chiles to every pot and find the beans very flavorful.  

[haresfur]

I add a spoonful of pickled birdseye chiles to the cooking water in my stovetop pressure cooker but don't usually soak. I don't know how instant pots work, but when pressure cooking it is important to let the pot cool and release the pressure naturally, otherwise the beans boil inside and turn to mush.

 

When I make chicken and white bean chili, I add the birdseyes to the water when cooking the chook, take the chook out to shred, then cook the beans in the chicken stock.

 

Black beans turn out better cooked in my La Chamba pot on the cooktop, though. Still add the chiles 

[Shel_B]

49 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

I don’t know what’s in that paste, but don’t soak or try to cook dried beans with acidic ingredients. Beyond that, go for it. 
I cook Rancho Gordo beans regularly. I don’t soak, except for Royal Coronas, nor do I use an Instant Pot as I like the concentration of flavor that comes from evaporation. I add garlic, bay leaves and arbol chiles to every pot and find the beans very flavorful.  

The paste has citric acid as a preservative, so based on what you say, it should not be used in the soaking or cooking process.  What if I were to create my own chili pepper infusion by grinding or mincing fresh chili peppers and creating an infusion as originally described.  Nothing but pepper-infused water, maybe some salt.  Would that work?

 

When you describe the beans as flavorful, are you including the liquid in that description?  If so, what about the beans themselves, after cooking but without the liquid, i.e., drained or drained and rinsed? I want the beans themselves to have a strong flavor apart from the cooking liquid, as the liquid my not always be used in the recipes.

Edited June 14 by Shel_B (log)

[Shel_B]

19 minutes ago, haresfur said:

then cook the beans in the chicken stock.

 

So cooking in stock works well for you.  That's very good to know.  Thanks!  Do the beans themselves have a chicken-y flavor?

[blue_dolphin]

5 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

The paste has citric acid as a preservative, so based on what you say, it should not be used in the soaking or cooking process.  What if I were to create my own chili pepper infusion by grinding or mincing fresh chili peppers and creating an infusion as originally described.  Nothing but pepper-infused water, maybe some salt.  Would that work?

 

When you describe the beans as flavorful, are you including the liquid in that description?  If so, what about the beans themselves, after cooking but without the liquid, i.e., drained or drained and rinsed?

Sorry, I don’t know how much flavor infusion can be accomplished during bean soaking. 
I don’t rinse beans after cooking either but the flavor of garlic and chilies is present in drained beans. The bay flavor is more subtle, but I miss it if I leave them out. 

[haresfur]

8 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

So cooking in stock works well for you.  That's very good to know.  Thanks!  Do the beans themselves have a chicken-y flavor?

 

I think it helps the bean flavour, but by the time everything is put together it is hard to tell. I have to say I haven't noticed that dull bean flavour you sometimes get.

 

I do the black beans in water. 

 

No Rancho Gordo here.

[haresfur]

15 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

The paste has citric acid as a preservative, so based on what you say, it should not be used in the soaking or cooking process.  What if I were to create my own chili pepper infusion by grinding or mincing fresh chili peppers and creating an infusion as originally described.  Nothing but pepper-infused water, maybe some salt.  Would that work?

 

When you describe the beans as flavorful, are you including the liquid in that description?  If so, what about the beans themselves, after cooking but without the liquid, i.e., drained or drained and rinsed?

 

The little bit of vinegar from my birdseyes doesn't seem to make much difference, for what that's worth. You could always add some baking soda.

[Shel_B]

30 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Sorry, I don’t know how much flavor infusion can be accomplished during bean soaking. 
I don’t rinse beans after cooking either but the flavor of garlic and chilies is present in drained beans. The bay flavor is more subtle, but I miss it if I leave them out. 

Well, time for more experimenting.

 

A little background might be in order, if for no other reason to know my point of reference.  Years ago I started cooking pasta in chili-infused water, and the pasta would soak up the flavor like a sponge.  I was/am hoping something like that can be done with beans.

 

Thanks for all your advice. I'll certainly consider your comments as I continue exploring bean cooking.

Edited June 14 by Shel_B (log)

[blue_dolphin]

11 minutes ago, Shel_B said:

Well, time for more experimenting.

 

A little background might be in order, if for no other reason to know my point of reference.  Years ago I would cook pasta in chili-infused water, and the pasta would soak up the flavor like a sponge.  I was/am hoping something like that can be done with beans.

 

Thanks for all your advice. I'll certainly consider your comments as I continue exploring bean cooking.

I’m sure you can accomplish something like that during cooking.  Just not sure what to expect during soaking alone. 

[Shel_B]

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

I’m sure you can accomplish something like that during cooking.  Just not sure what to expect during soaking alone. 

I don't know either, but the experiment has begun.  Mashed up some fresh Thai chilies, some dried Calabrian flakes that I cut from whole peppers (seeds are included in this mess), some salt and some garlic slices.  Added that to about 2 cups of water which I heated to just boiling, covered the pot, and will let the mess steep until the water cools. The aroma is intense!

 

When the water cools, I'll strain it and add some dark red kidney beans and soak for about 12 hours.  I'm keeping the experiment on a small scale. I'll let y'all know what happens after the beans get cooked.

[blue_dolphin]

1 hour ago, Shel_B said:

I don't know either, but the experiment has begun.  Mashed up some fresh Thai chilies, some dried Calabrian flakes that I cut from whole peppers (seeds are included in this mess), some salt and some garlic slices.  Added that to about 2 cups of water which I heated to just boiling, covered the pot, and will let the mess steep until the water cools. The aroma is intense!

 

When the water cools, I'll strain it and add some dark red kidney beans and soak for about 12 hours.  I'm keeping the experiment on a small scale. I'll let y'all know what happens after the beans get cooked.

 

Good luck!  Will you be preparing a control group of beans where you just throw the chiles and garlic into the Instant Pot while you cook them?

 

Also, if the beans don't come out as flavorful as you'd like, just stir a big spoonful of that 'ndjua in with them! Guaranteed flavor booster!

[Shel_B]

1 hour ago, blue_dolphin said:

 

Good luck!  Will you be preparing a control group of beans where you just throw the chiles and garlic into the Instant Pot while you cook them?

 

Also, if the beans don't come out as flavorful as you'd like, just stir a big spoonful of that 'ndjua in with them! Guaranteed flavor booster!

I'd not thought about a control group, but that seems to be a good idea.  Because I have some plans for the weekend, I may not make a control batch until I return. I don't think it matters much when I make the second batch.

 

After purchasing the 'nduja I started reading recipes for ideas on how to use it, and a few included beans as a good match for the spread.  However, regardless of how the test batch turns out, those beans are going into a vegetarian or turkey chili that I'm planning.  I make a big pot of such chili or stew every month or so ... vegetarian chili, turkey with various beans, black bean and sweet potato stew, versions of fagioli all’uccelletto, etc.  I keep about 1/2 for me and give the rest of what I make to residents in my apartment building. 

 

Anyway, I'm going to see about using the 'nduja in my cowboy beans recipe which is a riff on Pasta Grammar's Italian Cowboy Beans. which itself is a riff on a more traditional fagioli all’uccelletto.

Edited June 15 by Shel_B (log)

[Maison Rustique]

Since I don't cook much anymore but still like to have fun and interesting stuff to cook with, if I bought a jar of 'nduja, could I freeze it in spoonfuls so I had some to pull out to use in various things?

[blue_dolphin]

2 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

Since I don't cook much anymore but still like to have fun and interesting stuff to cook with, if I bought a jar of 'nduja, could I freeze it in spoonfuls so I had some to pull out to use in various things?

 

I've never bought 'nduja in a jar, but I have frozen portions of it successfully. Here's what a Serious Eats article had to say about storing it:

Quote

We keep quite a lot of 'nduja at the ready in our test kitchen fridges because it pairs perfectly with so many dishes and because it virtually never goes bad. We can freeze it in pre-portioned slices for long-term storage (more for space-saving reasons than for spoilage concerns—fridge space is always in high demand for dry-aging ducks and whatnot) and defrost it as needed. Though this might be seen as sacrilegious, 'nduja’s extremely high fat content means it stands up quite well to this treatment. “Most people would be fine with freezing it,” Reilly says. “I'd just be a little more hesitant if I knew I was just going to be eating it as it is.” If you do plan to spread it on toast or eat it with a spoon (I’m not judging you), you might prefer to leave your 'nduja in the refrigerator, where it will continue to taste fresh for months. If you do go this route, just make sure to wrap the exposed side of the 'nduja tightly. Fat is more prone to absorbing surrounding flavor than lean protein, so don’t store your 'nduja next to a half-used onion unless you’re looking to infuse it with the flavors of your produce drawer.

 

Also, I have to say that the 'nduja that the Pasta Grammar folks recommended, made in Seattle by a company from Calabria, is better than the Tempesta brand that I'd gotten previously.  The Tempesta wasn't bad by any means, I quite liked it,  but this stuff has more of the fermented tang you find in the stuff made in Calabria.

 

 

Edited June 15 by blue_dolphin
to add link (log)

[Shel_B]

I agree with blue_dolphin based on my experience with somewhat similar pork products that I've frozen, specifically pancetta in chubs, thick slices, diced, and ground in a food processor.

[Shel_B]

I just took the cooked beans (Dark red kidneys from Zursan) from the IP.  The beans were a little overcooked but still quite useable.

 

I drained but did not rinse the beans when removing them from the soaking liquid.  I added about a quart of filtered water to the beans in the IP and cooked for 12 minutes on high.  I let pressure release for about 17 minutes.

 

The cooking liquid was quite picante and would make a nice addition to many dishes.  The beans were not as picante as I expected based on a taste made after soaking and before cooking them.  However, they still had a fairly strong flavor from the peppers.  Overall, I'd consider the experiment a success.  

 

I believe that if the beans were cooked less, more of the peppery taste would have remained in the beans rather than leaching into the cooking water.  Does that seem like a reasonable conclusion?

 

Using this experiment as a base, I'll continue experimenting with infusing flavor into my beans in this manner.  I believe the technique has possibilities.  Better quality beans and a more precise cooking time may be helpful ... ?

Edited June 15 by Shel_B (log)

[AlaMoi]

. . . and here comes the luddite . . .

beans classically are not fast food.

flavors, in oh so many circumstances,,,, take time to develop.  InstaPot/pressure cooking/etc make things go faster but . . . . maybe not so tasty.

 

I do (most) bean dishes from dry - soaked overnight - cooked in an open pot.  it takes longer - but the flavors added in the cook-phase have time and opportunity to have the desired effect on the beans proper.

 

all manner of chili - all manner of stuff peppers - all manner of casseroles . . . .

now - not everyone has the "time" possibility - or the "desire" - to do 'long preps' - but if you're looking for flavor, I'd recommend the low&slow approach vs: "instant beans"

[Tropicalsenior]

22 minutes ago, AlaMoi said:

I'd recommend the low&slow approach vs: "instant beans"

I definitely second that approach. Living here in Costa Rica I don't have the luxury of being able to select premium beans and it seems like every bag cooks differently. There's no way that I can put them in my instant pot and estimate the time that they will take. One time they're mush and the next time they are hard as a rock using exactly the same time. The only way to accurately reach the proper point is to cook them in a pot and test them.

Another thing about using the instant pot or any pressure cooker, for that matter is that you always want to use natural release. Releasing the steam lets the gunk from the beans escape through the pressure valve and it could clog it causing an explosion the next time you use your pressure cooker.

I don't soak my beans, I use the boil for 1 minute and let's set for 1 hour method.

A while back @weinoo mentioned using this method and I have followed his directions ever since. The beans have more flavor and I can always cook them just the way I want them no matter how long it may take. And yes I do salt the beans when I cook them.  I don't add any other flavors because I may use them in four or five different dishes and they can pick up the flavor of the particular dish that I am making.