Dried Beans

[lindag]

I read a comment recently from a poster on the ATK website mentioning that dried beans are more and more difficult to find causing me to do a search at my nearby grocer.

The stock only navy and kidney beans.

I have read also that many sources now recommend using canned beans since there's no way to determine just how old the dried varieties are.

A couple days ago I made US Senate Bean Soup using the dried navy beams and the result was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing.

What's your take?

[Tropicalsenior]

I'm glad you started this topic. I was reading several threads just yesterday and sitting here Green With Envy at all the varieties that you can get up there. I would love to have a source like Rancho Gordo but unfortunately I don't. All I can get down here are little white ones, medium sized black ones and pretty big red ones. And yes you are right. Old beans just do not cook up well. I have cooked some of these suckers for over 5 hours and still wound up with hard little bullets. I do believe that cooking them on the stove results in a better flavored Bean but I have finally resorted to cooking them only in the instant pot. And even then, the different types that I get here all seem to soften at a different time so I'm constantly opening the pot and adding more time.

I can buy something called Frijoles tiernos which are just tender or fresh beans. These cook up in just a matter of minutes in the instant pot.

I got these yesterday and they are awaiting the ham bone from the ham that I scored yesterday.

[Tropicalsenior]

I did get a little off topic. Your original question was what do you think of canned beans. If I just need a few beans for something I do use the canned beans. We have a choice down here of black beans or white beans and one brand of Mexican pinto beans that I get for refried beans. The brand that I buy is Goya.

There is one specialty store down here that sells about 10 varieties of Goya beans that are all excellent but it takes me about an hour to get there so I'm not going just for beans. However when I do go there I stock up.

[Alex]

6 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I did get a little off topic. Your original question was what do you think of canned beans. If I just need a few beans for something I do use the canned beans. We have a choice down here of black beans or white beans and one brand of Mexican pinto beans that I get for refried beans. The brand that I buy is Goya.

There is one specialty store down here that sells about 10 varieties of Goya beans that are all excellent but it takes me about an hour to get there so I'm not going just for beans. However when I do go there I stock up.

 

When I do use canned beans here, usually when I'm short on time or they're part of a stronger-flavored dish like chili (i.e., where RG would be overkill, so to speak) it's also Goya -- except I buy Progresso for garbanzos. 

 

@lindag, I'd say just keep on doing what you're doing unless there's a compelling reason to change.

[lindag]

24 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

I did get a little off topic. Your original question was what do you think of canned beans. If I just need a few beans for something I do use the canned beans. We have a choice down here of black beans or white beans and one brand of Mexican pinto beans that I get for refried beans. The brand that I buy is Goya.

There is one specialty store down here that sells about 10 varieties of Goya beans that are all excellent but it takes me about an hour to get there so I'm not going just for beans. However when I do go there I stock up.

Thanks, I appreciate hearing your POV.

[weinoo]

4 hours ago, lindag said:

from a poster on the ATK website mentioning that dried beans are more and more difficult to find

 

Every store I go to, if they stock beans, has tons of beans. That's just bull.

[SLB]

Yeah.  I live in a serious bean-eatin', price-sensitive neighborhood.  There is no evidence of a shortage here.  

[SLB]

Also.  If the beans seem like they might be old, just add a five-finger pinch of baking soda and put 'em in the oven on way-low overnight.  Yes old beans take longer to cook.  And yes their subtle taste notes will evaporate.  But people?  Sigh.  Emphasis on "subtle".  Beans are food for people to stay alive.  Old beans fulfill this purpose.  And if you add some pork fat, they fulfill this purpose really very well.  

 

As do canned beans.

Edited yesterday at 12:01 AM by SLB (log)

[weinoo]

Just a quick check of Rancho Gordo…he’s not out of a single bean he offers:

 

https://www.ranchogordo.com/collections/heirloom-beans?page=1

[Maison Rustique]

Plenty of dried beans here. Including in my pantry.

[Shel_B]

I'm just starting (over the last year or so) to explore cooking with dried beans. Around here, there is no shortage of good quality beans.RG is everywhere as are some other brands, and many markets have reasonably fresh bulk beans available. There's a diverse ethnic population in the area, and I'm sure that helps to some extent. Also, the San Francisco Bay Area has a good income, so high quality or premium ingredients are available because the demand is here.  

 

As for canned beans, they'll always be in my cupboard. They're great for a variety of weeknight meals, salads, stews and chili, etc.  For me, there's a place for both canned and dry, and the always will be.  Generally, there's always at least one variety of frozen rice in the freezer. Break off a chunk, thaw that, add some canned beans and veggies (frozen or fresh), and there's always a quick, nutritious, and inexpensive meal available.

 

 

 

Edited 19 hours ago by Shel_B
clarity (log)

[TdeV]

These are the beans of which Rancho Gordo is sold out. (I am planning to make Cassoulet. Grrr.)

 

https://www.ranchogordo.com/collections/out-of-stock-beans

[weinoo]

3 hours ago, TdeV said:

These are the beans of which Rancho Gordo is sold out. (I am planning to make Cassoulet. Grrr.)

 

https://www.ranchogordo.com/collections/out-of-stock-beans

 

Wow - I didn't see "waitlist" beans...but that's always been a part of Rancho Gordo's supply issue.  I don't believe it has to do with a shortage of beans.

 

In any event, here's what Steve has to say about that...

 

 

 

 

Edited 9 hours ago by weinoo
So that my sentence makes sense. (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

FWIW,

[AlaMoi]

my market has a very decent selection of Goya dry beans.

Goya is without question a nadda' question brand for quality.

got piles and bags and heaps of their beans.

 

none which survive more than ~year in my pantry/menu rotation / sked.

[Smithy]

I unearthed this package from storage some time ago, and decided today was the cold slow day to do something with it...and with the ham bone that's been lurking in the refrigerator. Let's see...how old are these?

 

 

Well, they have to date back to a visit to Tucson, pre-pandemic. Hmm. yes, old.

 

 

Old enough that the web address is now bad. But heirloom bean varieties. Pretty, aren't they?

 

 

They really didn't take long to cook. I simmered them in water with a bit of bullion along with the ham bone, some chopped onion and garlic, and canned tomato chunks. I kept adding water as they slurped it up. I think the total project was about 3 hours atop the stove.

 

 

Admittedly, this is closer to stew than soup, but it's my preference. The flavors and textures are pretty darned good. If I could have found one of the packages of cornbread mix also squirreled away, I'd have baked some. Of course I can't find any now!

[Tropicalsenior]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

I simmered them in water with a bit of bullion along with the ham bone, some chopped onion and garlic, and canned tomato chunks.

Your darn lucky that they cooked it all. They recommend adding anything acidic after the beans have softened. That's one reason that you can cook beans forever after you've added tomatoes. They just do not fall apart after that point because of the acid.

[Smithy]

57 minutes ago, Tropicalsenior said:

Your darn lucky that they cooked it all. They recommend adding anything acidic after the beans have softened. That's one reason that you can cook beans forever after you've added tomatoes. They just do not fall apart after that point because of the acid.

 

I've read that many times, but figured the package writers knew their stuff, and risked following their directions. They did say to hold off on adding salt until the beans were cooked. As it happened, I didn't need salt so I'm glad I hadn't added it.

 

(It may have to do with relative quantity, too: this was one 14-oz can of diced tomatoes vs. about 3 cups of beans and more than a quart of water.)

[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. 🤷‍♀️