Well I tried Tara’s bean recipe, only I used the crock pot per directions on the 16 bean package. I soaked overnight for 12 hours in 10 cups water, drained, and rinsed. Then I covered with water in the crock pot on low 10 hours, but the beans were not yet soft enough. I had to go to plan B for supper and I left the beans until lunch, but I’m sure that is too long. They were yummy and I plan to add this to my monthly menu. But where did I go wrong? Do they need to soak longer or in the crock pot longer or up it to high heat? Maybe I need to cook them in a pot on the stove next time? I look forward to trying some of these other recipes too.
Definitely cook them oh high in the crockpot. DON’T open the crock pot to stir or peek – you will lose way too much heat that way.
I prefer to cook mine in the oven all day long because I feel like I have better control of the temperature and the amount of water in the beans, but I know several people like to use the crock pot.
(And leave them until lunch – that’s fine. Beans are really very forgiving, in my experience.)
Don’t add salt or tomatoes until your beans are finished cooking and soft. For example, don’t throw them in a chili soup and think “oh, they’ll finish cooking in the soup”. It inhibits the softening process and the beans will stay hard no matter how much you boil them.
Another nice thing about cooked beans (maybe someone has already said this, haven’t read the whole thread) is that they freeze and reheat beautifully! So you don’t have to waste a thing.
I always soak and partially cook my dry beans before assembling the crock pot recipe.
I have also already just sorted my dry beans and out them in the crock pot w/ lots of water on low overnight or for about 10 hours. Then rinsed and used as normal.
And I have figured it out within the last three months and dry beans are still cheaper than canned – I was thinking out loud to my husband last week about canning my own dry beans, for convenience sake…..his opinion is to not do that. What are your opinions?
boil 1# cannelloni beans and 8 cups water adding in 1 head diced garlic, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2tsp salt, I large onion diced and 5 tbsp. of bacon fat. The addition of bacon fat gives them the flavor of bacon, not the expense. Cook until tender, add more water as needed throughout the boil.
How funny that this thread should pop up-we just had beans last night. 🙂
1 lb. pinto beans
1 package smoked sausage of your choice
5 cups chicken broth
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 chopped onion
3 cloves finely diced garlic
Soak the beans over night, rinse and drain and place in crockpot. Saute onion and garlic in a bit of butter, add sausage and cook a few more minutes. Add onion mixture and remaining ingredients to crockpot and cook on high for 5-6 hours. You could also cook on low all day. Salt and pepper to taste.
The recipe called for a tsp. of cumin but I didn’t have any so I made it without and it was yummy. 🙂