is there a secret to cooking beans?

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Dune

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Rinse for 24 hours, rinse and bring to the boil and then simmer gently for about an hour.
 
twice now when cooking beans they been hard and didn't cook at all.
is there a secret to cooking good beans.
i presoak them both times.
 
Some beans have to be soaked much longer than others. I found that what works for me is soaking overnight and then cooking them in the crockpot. Sometimes they'll be done in half a day. Other times I've had them cooking almost two days before they get soft enough. Again, it depends on the bean and there are so many types.
 
yepp.
you need to soak it for at least 8-10 hours before you cook it.
and
i suggest what ever your doing to your beans you add a jalopeno to it it just adds a little kick to it.
and
dont try to cook it to fast let them cook on a very low heat.
it will take almost all day to cook them. if you dont have time to stand around put them in a crock pot.
 
There are different soaking times and cooking times for each kind of bean. If I knew what kind of beans you are using, I could be of more help. But since I don't, I will give you some information. Here are the approximate soaking and cooking times for some widely used Legumes:

Adzuki Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Black Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 1/2 hours

Black Eyed Peas:
Soaking Time: None
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Chickpeas:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours

Fava Beans:
Soaking Time: 12 hours
Cooking Time: 3 hours

Great Northern Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Kidney Beans (Red or White):
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Lentils:
Soaking Time: None
Cooking Time: 30 to 40 minutes

Lima Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Mung Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Navy Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 2 hours

Peas, Split:
Soaking Time: None
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Peas, Whole:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Pigeon Peas:
Soaking Time: None
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Pink Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 hour

Pinto Beans:
Soaking Time: 4 hours
Cooking Time: 1 to 1 1/2 hours

Soybeans:
Soaking Time: 12 hours
Cooking Time: 3 to 3 1/2 hours

The reason for soaking beans is that soaking the beans softens their skin, making them less likely to burst while cooking. It also causes most of the simple sugars (the bad kind) to leach into the water, thus making them healthier.

Hopefully you will find your beans listed on the listed I have provided for you.

Good luck.
 
Do not add salt until after they're tender, just before serving. I have had this same problem, and when I found out about this they have come out tender every time.

I have used both the quick soak and overnight soak, and only after I stopped adding the salt did they turn out. Good luck!
 
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