Help!! Baked bean question

[skygazer]

I used to make baked beans years ago when my kids were little and I don't recall having any problems with them. The last three times I've made them, it seems like no matter how long I cook them, there are crunchy beans in there. Most of them are fine, though not as tender as I'd like them but there are always a few that are... well, crunchy.

I soak the beans for at least 8 hours before I prepare them. I cook them in a crock pot which is how I've always cooked them. This time, I let them cook for something like 16 hours, overnight, because 12 hours didn't do it last time. I stirred them a few times and added a little water once to be sure no beans were just sitting on top drying out. Still there are crunchies.

What the heck am I doing wrong? They taste great, but are not the nice tender beans that I want. Oh, I'm using Great Northerns, btw - I used to use Navies but I can't find them anywhere.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[bearfan454]

1. I always use canned beans when making baked beans.

I've never tried it your way. I would like to try them. What's the recipe ?

[skygazer]

2. Well, I'm not sure

In that I don't really measure. I use 2 pounds of dried beans, sorted and soaked. I drain them and retain the water. Mix about 1 cup pure maple syrup, 1/2 cup molasses, some salt, some dry mustard, a squirt of yellow mustard, some white pepper, an onion cut up, about 1/2 pound of salt pork cut up - what else? I think that's mostly it.

Toss in pot - cover with retained water. Cook slow until done which is the part I seem to be having difficulty with! :shrug:

[bleedingheart]

3. I am not sure about the cooking part...as I buy pre-cooked

but I put them in a crock pot with some pineapple slices, brown sugar and a bit of ketchup...

yum...

[kayell]

4. Your beans might be old. Old beans look the same, but just

never get tender. Also make sure you don't salt or add any acid like mollases or tomatoes until the beans are already soft.

[Love Bug]

5. Salt them after they are cooked

Salt makes the skins tough, so that might be the problem. Using old beans can do it, too. Try cooking them next time unseasoned, then once they are tender, add your seasonings and cook on low a few hours longer.

[denverbill]

6. I'm pretty sure tomatoes do prevent them from getting soft too.

Cook them fully before adding any other ingredients.

[SOteric]

9. Salt, tomatoes, vinegar or any acid

will prevent the beans from softening while they cook. Most recipes for bean dishes call for cooking the beans to the point of softness, then adding in the tomato, vinegar or wine, salt, etc.

Don't leave out all the seasonings. Beans absorb a certain amount of flavour while they're cooking and softening. That bay leaf is essential, and a little bit of bacon and onion does wonders for the finished dish.

[merci_me]

7. Could it be the water

you use to soak them? Have you moved to a different home and had a change in the water supply? I'm thinking if you have a water softner now, but didn't before it could be the salt or maybe the city has added something. If you can't come up with another idea, maybe try bottled water and see if that helps.

Mary

[skygazer]

8. That's a thought

I used to live in vermont and had spring water. Now I'm in California and I still have spring water but the quality is much different. There are a lot of minerals and stuff in this water where the vermont water was very clear.

I'll try bottled next time as well as the suggestions regarding salt. Thanks!

[politicat]

10. old beans, check altitude, change water.

Altitude affects the way beans cook considerably. If you're at a different altitude than you used to be, you may have to adjust your cooking time or temperature. High altitude means water boils at a lower temperature, so it takes beans a lot longer to cook.

Mom's beans are generally bullets, and she does not change the water she uses to soak the beans. (This also leads to all sorts of gastro problems in her house.... *sigh*). I do change the water, and put a teaspoon of baking soda in my soaking water. Our beans are usually pretty soft, though we make bean soup and white chili and black bean soup rather than baked beans. (Though you have me thinking....)

And old beans are old beans. They really are best within 6 months of purchase, and only if kept in air-tight containers in the dark. There's not much that can be done with old beans but save them to use as pie weights.

Also, make sure you haven't inadvertently used your beans as pie weights. If they have been baked, you might as well use them as shot or put them out for the birds/rodents/deer. Test this by trying to sprout a few. If they'll sprout after about 6 days, they're still marginal. If they sprout within 3-4 days, they're pretty fresh; if they don't, don't bother.

Pcat