Freeper "Government Shrinker" brought this info to everybody's attention in another messagethread:
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>>> "It seems baking soda is the key to softening old dried beans.
"The longer dry beans are stored, the longer they may take to cook. First, sort and rinse the beans. For each cup of beans, bring 3 cups of water to boil, add the beans to the boiling water, and boil for two minutes. Next, add 3/8 teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) for each cup of beans, cover, and soak for 1 hour or more. More baking soda may be required for older beans. Next, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly, cover with water, bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1-2 hours or until tender. Do not add salt or other ingredients until the beans have softened adequately." <<<
http://www.providentliving.org/content/display/0,11666,7636-1-4104-1,00.html#question_8
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FROM A FREEPER THREAD ENTITLED
"EMERGENCY FOOD STORAGE"
Well, I tested the baking soda today on pinto beans and garbanzo beans - I can’t believe how quickly they softed up! I just soaked them in water with 1/2 tsp baking soda for about 3 hours - and it was similar to my soaking them overnight without the baking soda. They also cooked up quickly, simmering them really slowly for about an hour.
thanks, Government Shrinker, for the old beans tip. I am storing SuperPails of beans and if TS doesn’t HTF, then I might have some old ones in a decade or so!