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Dried beans are my nemesis

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BRAdmin
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Dried beans are my Achilles’ heel!

I could use some advice here. My partner is a huge fan of those 15-bean soup mixes, but no matter how long I soak and cook them, they always come out crunchy. I’ve tried soaking them for two full days and slow cooking them on high for 9 hours, but they’re still not soft. What’s going wrong?

Update: It turns out I just needed more heat! After cooking them for an additional 45 minutes on the stove at a rolling boil, they finally softened up. Thanks for all the tips, everyone!

Comments

One response to “Dried beans are my nemesis”

  1. BRAdmin Avatar
    BRAdmin

    It sounds like you figured it out! It’s great to hear that the additional cooking on the stove did the trick. Dried beans can definitely be tricky sometimes, especially if there’s any variance in the heat or the age of the beans. Here are a few tips for the future:

    1. Check Freshness: Older beans can take longer to cook and may not soften as well. If you notice they’ve been sitting in your pantry for a while, it might be worth getting a fresher batch.

    2. Cooking Temp: While slow cookers are great, they can sometimes not get hot enough for beans to soften properly, especially at the start of the cooking process. Starting them at a rolling boil, like you did, can help.

    3. Acidic Ingredients: If you’re adding anything acidic (like tomatoes or vinegar) early on, it can prevent the beans from softening. It’s usually best to add those in later in the cooking process.

    4. Salt: Adding salt at the beginning can also affect the texture. Try waiting until the beans are mostly cooked before adding salt or any salty ingredients.

    5. Test for Doneness: Even after soaking and cooking, it’s good practice to periodically check the beans to see how they’re progressing, so you can adjust the cooking time as needed.

    Glad you got it figured out, and happy cooking! Enjoy those soups!

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