Old Beans

[miss becky]

dry beans not good for chickens
can't remember where i read but considered it reliable source......

[Vipper]

I found some old beans and made bean flour. I added a cup of it to the two loaf bread recipe for extra protein and to use some of it up. Didn't really effect the flavor or texture of the bread either. I also used it as a thickner for soup, stews and chili.

Kath

[packyderms_wife]

PW- you haven't ever cooked really old beans, have you? Or beans which were stored some place hot?

Believe me, there ARE beans which won't cook to softness no matter how long you cook them, even in a pressure cooker... even if left in a lot longer than 15 minutes.

Summerthyme

I have successfully soften, using my pressure cooker, some tough ole garbonzo beans I purchased back in 1991 - this was about a year ago because I wanted to make some hummus and the store was out of garbonzo beans. These beans had the priviledge of living in a storage unit one summer while I was out of state.

I have never met any beans that couldn't be softened, but then maybe I' haven't met the right beans yet?

K-

[packyderms_wife]

I can vouch for the fact that OLD beans, not stored well, will NEVER E V E R soften. Last week I found some dried pintos in a box packed up 2 years ago when tree hit house. The were vacumed sealed and labeled 1999. I took about half the packet (about 1#), soaked them over night, rinsed and several of the skins came off. Put them on to boil, then simmer for 4 hours first...then gave them another hour, and then another hour...ended up simmering 8 hours total. They were still crunchy and not edible. Tried the immersion blender to maybe make bean cakes...nope, they were still crunchy (tho smaller crunches..) :(

OC has accused me of liking my beans al dente, maybe that's the difference?

I soak my beans in salt water, salty like the sea, overnight and then put them in the pressure cooker to cook the next day, I don't even drain them.

K-

[Gercarson]

OC has accused me of liking my beans al dente, maybe that's the difference?

I soak my beans in salt water, salty like the sea, overnight and then put them in the pressure cooker to cook the next day, I don't even drain them.

K-

Are they edible with that much salt? I say . . . if it works . . .

[packyderms_wife]

Are they edible with that much salt? I say . . . if it works . . .

Yes they are edible, rinse them well after pressure cooking. I've been doing some reading on the internet, simply because I could never understand why my indian roommates (college years) told me not to put tomatoes or onions in with the beans while they are still in the softening stage... it turns out the acid actually hardens the beans.

I'm a little hesitant to use the baking soda method, I learned the salt method from my indian roomies back in 1990.

Grinding them for flour is also a great way to use them, my grinder doesn't grind beans well.

Kimberly

[packyderms_wife]

Wanted to add that Jackie Clay has an article on softening beans in one of the back issues of BackWoods Home Magazine.

K-

[Charlene]

Thanks folks for all the good information. Things have gotten really busy around the homestead and I haven't had a chance to follow this up yet. Lots of good ideas to try. Much thanks.

[Disastercat]

I have not tried this, but I have heard that you can sometimes grind old beans and then use them for a sort of "re-fried" beans (cook the powder of course) as well as using them for flour.

I'm still using some beans from 1999 and I only had one batch that would not soften at all (they do exist); but the pressure canner really helps with the harder ones.

[packyderms_wife]

I have not tried this, but I have heard that you can sometimes grind old beans and then use them for a sort of "re-fried" beans (cook the powder of course) as well as using them for flour.

I'm still using some beans from 1999 and I only had one batch that would not soften at all (they do exist); but the pressure canner really helps with the harder ones.

Maybe it helps to know what kind of beans don't soften??? In a search I did earlier I found that most folks were complaining about pinto's and black beans refusing to soften, period. Makes me wonder if protien or starch content has anything to do with this? Like I said I haven't ran into any that refused to soften when a pressure cooker, but then I don't mind al dente so it all could come down to personal preference.

K-