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complete disaster

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Debby Kudalis said #1 May 31, 2010 at 8:25pm

Okay so I tried to make dried beans for the first time. I soaked the beans overnight and then put them in the crock pot. The recipe I had said cook on low for 8 hours. I should have known to try them out every so often but I figured it would take a long time for them to get done. After about 5 hours I decide to taste them. Complete mush. Someone told me later I could have used them for refried beans but that is not what I wanted them for.
I was so mad at myself. I guess becoming vegetarian I just have to learn from my mistakes cooking some new things. So I started by doing the quick soak method on the package of beans. Although the package said about 1 1/2 hours on the stove top it took a lot longer for them to be 'al dente'.
Anyone else have any pointers for cooking dried beans. Maybe I shouldn't have soaked overnight but they were still hard this morning. Oh well. Can out okay in the end.

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Marybeth Lemrick said #2 Jun 1, 2010 at 8:45pm

I soak mine and then cook in a pot on the stove. I simmer them and just check them every once in a while. they are done when you like the consistency and the taste.

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Tina Weiss said #3 Jun 1, 2010 at 10:36pm

You definitely want to soak them overnight; that is what 'degasses' them. My crock pot runs hot, even on low, so they always cook faster than they should. Also, some beans cook faster than others. What type did you use?

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Debby Kudalis said #4 Jun 4, 2010 at 10:39am

I used red beans, Black Turtle beans, and great northern white. I think what I will do next time is soak overnight and then put in the crock pot when I will be at home to watch them. I will taste every so often and then I will know how long they take in my crock pot for days when I will be away from home for that many hours. Thanks for the tips.

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Meredith Bessey said #5 Jun 4, 2010 at 8:38pm

I cooked dry kidney beans yesterday for the first time and I just soaked them overnight and then simmered them in a pot on the stove for a little over an hour, I then used them in a baked beans dish! Yummy!

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