Hi, All!
I bought a 5 lb. package of pinto beans at Wally World about a month ago, and a few days ago I finally tried using some, starting off with the usual overnight pre-soak, then cooking them. They never got soft, even with 2 hours cooking time. I don’t mean “mushy”, I mean soft such as you’d get out of a normal can of beans — they only got half way “there”.
I tried the “quick boil” method too. (Boil them 4 minutes and then let set over 5 hours. Same result.
What the heck?? Could they have been too old / expired? I never checked the expiration date, and had transferred them into a solid container when I brought them home.
Here’s what I found. And it has ways to correct the problem at this link, too. :)
https://answerpantry.com/beans-wont-soften/
You Didn’t Soak Your Beans Long Enough
Beans need to be soaked for a minimum of four and up to 12 hours. Some people soak their beans overnight and then cook them in the morning. You can soak most dried beans overnight with no harm. The softer the beans are when you start cooking them, the shorter your cooking time will be.
How Long To Soak Beans
Some beans may take longer to soften than others, but whether you’re soaking PINTO beans, black beans, or kidney beans, four hours is usually the minimum soaking time. When they start to ‘peel’ and get lighter in color, they are usually ready to be cooked.
Diana here: I once had this problem with a bag of carrots, or all things! Those suckers would NOT get soft no matter how long I nuked or boiled them. To this DAY I have no idea what caused that, but it’s never happened since. ;)
See Post 181 - more help from Pete on your, ‘bean situation.’