Dried kidney beans

miss_thenorth

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I have cooked these two different times. I do the usual long soak, (and then next time an eve longer soak) After cooking--they are still a bit crunchy. Any tips? I want to can some instead of using storebought, but I'm leary this time.
 

me&thegals

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Did you follow the directions on the package? I don't want that to sound snippy, but that's all I've ever done and it works every time.

Per memory, either soak all night long or bring to a boil for 2 min, then let set 90 min. Drain and rinse, either way, and bring to a boil again. Boil 90 min. Drain and eat.

Good luck! If they're still tough, I'd get them boiling again, long and slow, until they are tender.

me&thegals
 

farmerlor

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The last time I canned them I just soaked them and then canned them-they were still a little undone which surprised me because that's how I've always done it for pinto beans and black beans and they turn out perfectly. So the next time I soaked overnight, boiled for about a half hour and then canned them. Perfect.
 

miss_thenorth

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me&thegals said:
Did you follow the directions on the package? I don't want that to sound snippy, but that's all I've ever done and it works every time.

Per memory, either soak all night long or bring to a boil for 2 min, then let set 90 min. Drain and rinse, either way, and bring to a boil again. Boil 90 min. Drain and eat.

Good luck! If they're still tough, I'd get them boiling again, long and slow, until they are tender.

me&thegals
Lol, Yea, I followed the directions on the bag--it's been a while that I did them, so don;t remember exactly, but after the recommended time--they were still crunchy. I used them though. I just finished my last batch, and want to do it again, but I don't want them to be crunchy this time. They were ok, but not soft like they should be.
 

me&thegals

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You know, I HAVE had this happen, directions or not :) I wonder if it has anything to do with how dried down the beans were at processing time... I can't think of why it would happen sometimes but not others. I hope you get it figured out, though! Beans are so incredibly cheap, nutritious, delicious and easy!
 

miss_thenorth

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Maybe it was just the batch I bought. I will try it again, hopefully it turns out better this time. but if not--they wren't 'that' bad.
 

k0xxx

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You may have gotten a bag that had been setting on the shelf too long. In the NOLA area, where Kidney (aka Red Beans) are religiously cooked every Monday, we never got a bag that was old. However in other parts of the country, including here in AR, an older bag is much more common.

As a matter of fact, I am having left over Kidney beans tonight. We boiled crawfish over the weekend and threw smoked cajun sausage in the boil. We added the left over sausage to the beans, when we cooked them Monday. Whoohoo!, they are good.

BTW, we get our Kidney beans (Camellia Brand) shipped to us by family from New Orleans, or we purchase them when we visit.
 

miss_thenorth

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k0xxx said:
You may have gotten a bag that had been setting on the shelf too long. In the NOLA area, where Kidney (aka Red Beans) are religiously cooked every Monday, we never got a bag that was old. However in other parts of the country, including here in AR, an older bag is much more common.

As a matter of fact, I am having left over Kidney beans tonight. We boiled crawfish over the weekend and threw smoked cajun sausage in the boil. We added the left over sausage to the beans, when we cooked them Monday. Whoohoo!, they are good.

BTW, we get our Kidney beans (Camellia Brand) shipped to us by family from New Orleans, or we purchase them when we visit.
Ok, educate me on recipes then please, since it sounds like it's in your blood :) I usually only use them in chili.
 

TanksHill

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I am acutally I am cooking some right now. Going to take my pressure cooker for its maiden voyage. Using beans as sugested to me, so I don't waste any veggies. I did the quick soak, bring to a boil, cook two min and cover for an hour. Now I am cooking in fresh waster for an additional 30 min as per pressure cooker recipie. I imagine as stated above all beans are not created equally. Should I just make sure they are "done" before processing???

Wish me luck. :)
 

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TanksHill said:
I am acutally I am cooking some right now. Going to take my pressure cooker for its maiden voyage. Using beans as sugested to me, so I don't waste any veggies. I did the quick soak, bring to a boil, cook two min and cover for an hour. Now I am cooking in fresh waster for an additional 30 min as per pressure cooker recipie. I imagine as stated above all beans are not created equally. Should I just make sure they are "done" before processing???

Wish me luck. :)
I my experience if pressure can beans that are already fully cooked you get something pretty mushy when you open it. It's almost the consistency of refried beans which I personally do not like. So my beans are not quite done when I can them. The cooking under pressure usually finishes them quite nicely.
 

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