Am I buying ancient beans or is it the water?

Help! Since moving to Louisville, I've cooked two pots of black beans, a pot of flageolets, and a pot of red beans. I bought the beans at Kroger, Valu Mkt and Fresh Mkt. All four times half the beans never got tender, not even after the other half had totally fallen apart. I soaked them overnight first, didn't add salt until just before serving, used plenty of water, heavy pot, basically did everything the same way I always have butcept on an electric stove and in Kentucky (prior to now, I've pretty much cooked on the Atlantic side). I thought about buying water to cook them in, but water bottles don't say whether the water is hard or soft. Where do you guys buy your dried beans (or do you?) and do they get tender? (please don't say Pressure Cooker b/c one shrieked at me when I was little: emotionally scarred, can't deal)

Help! Since moving to Louisville, I've cooked two pots of black beans, a pot of flageolets, and a pot of red beans. I bought the beans at Kroger, Valu Mkt and Fresh Mkt. All four times half the beans never got tender, not even after the other half had totally fallen apart. I soaked them overnight first, didn't add salt until just before serving, used plenty of water, heavy pot, basically did everything the same way I always have butcept on an electric stove and in Kentucky (prior to now, I've pretty much cooked on the Atlantic side). I thought about buying water to cook them in, but water bottles don't say whether the water is hard or soft. Where do you guys buy your dried beans (or do you?) and do they get tender? (please don't say Pressure Cooker b/c one shrieked at me when I was little: emotionally scarred, can't deal)

Bethy, I wish I could help you here. I am a life long Louisvillian and have never had a problem soaking beans. And I do mean ANY bean, as I use all I can get my hands on. I use the good ol' Louisville tap. I assume you are soaking overnight, rinsing, then adding them to the recipe? This as actually befuddling as you bought your beans from 3 different locales. I'm at a loss. Sorry.

[Robin Garr]

Where do you guys buy your dried beans (or do you?) and do they get tender?

Bethy, I buy heirloom beans from http://www.ranchogordo.com which is a great artisan firm located out in Napa with sales in the Bay Area. They have an excellent web presence (click the link), and their prices, while higher than Kroger, aren't really out of line. Typically $5 a pound plus shipping, as I recall, and we'll generally put together a big order to minimize the shipping.

They have lots of recipes and cooking instructions on their site, and I've used them with Louisville tap water with great success. Basically, cover the beans with cold water plus 1 inch and let them soak at least four hours, then pour into a pot with the same water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook covered at very, very low temperature, stirring occasionally, until they're done, a process that may take 2 or 3 hours.

I don't think the water is the problem, but a couple of thoughts:

(1) DO NOT SALT UNTIL AFTER COOKING. Conventional wisdom is that salt toughens beans if used during cooking. (You can cook white cannellini beans with some fresh sage to get a great Tuscan white bean dish, though ... salt and pour in some fruity olive oil after they're done.)

(2) Use the freshest beans you can get. That's why I like Rancho Gordo: They'll only sell the previous season's beans. Cheap grocery beans may be years old, and they get tough as they dry out with age.

Visit the Rancho Gordo website, read their tips, and try them ... extra credit if you buy some of their beans.

A lot of people like me are looking for the 79 cents per pound beans. I am happy for you that you can afford 5 dollars a pound. Anyhow, all advice is welcome.

I'm grateful, guys, for all the fast and thoughtful replies. I think I'm going to try the "hot" pre-soaking method- bring them to a boil and then let them sit a while instead of just soaking in tap water. Maybe try another local source. And, Robin, love to read all your posts and appreciate your helpfulness and love for good food. But Dude. Five dollar beans? Do they come with their own pork chop? (I'm teasing you, I've done my share of damage at gourmet sites too, just not lately.) Thanks, all.

Bethy,

I cook a lot of beans, and old ones too ( the flageolets I made last week were at least 1 1/2 years old), and I'm puzzled by your problem. I always use Louisville Tap water. I do regularly use this fast soak method- bring beans plus one inch water to cover to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes ( reduces gas) then let it for at least 1 hour in hot water. Drain and recover with water for final cooking. I don't salt until the second cooking. I do know that you never cook your beans in tomato- based products ( always add them after they are tender) as the tomatoes will stop the beans from getting tender- I think it's due to the acid content.

Any chance you've changed pots?

Deb

Inconsistency like you are experiencing almost always means stale beans. Where are you getting them?

I have never had a problem with any dried beans that I have bought. I have bought locally at Fresh Market, Whole Foods and Kroger.

Last night I watched a "Good Eats" on red beans and rice. Alton said not to bother soaking the beans, just cook them a bit longer.

While I'm not Alton's biggest fan, I must admit that probably about one/third of the time, I don't bother to soak my beans either, but it is because I haven't planned ahead.

[Robin Garr]

But Dude. Five dollar beans? Do they come with their own pork chop? (I'm teasing you, I've done my share of damage at gourmet sites too, just not lately.) Thanks, all.

HAHAHAHA!!

Good point, Bethy, but to be serious for a minute, these are high-quality, fresh dried beans, heirloom varieties grown by artisan farmers. We pay a premium for the goodies at the Bardstown and Beargrass farmers' markets, too, and we do it for a reason: We're willing to pay for quality, and we're willing to support small-farm operators who do it the old-fashioned way.

Put another way, $5 worth of Rancho Gordo beans makes about three or four meals. Try making a steak or even a chicken pay off like that. Sure, you can get Kroger beans for 79 cents, but where's the fun in that?

Click to the Rancho Gordo site - http://www.ranchogordo.com - you'll be lured over to the Dark Side. Bwahahahaaaaa ...

I rinse them off and put them in the crock pot with water about an inch above the beans. Basically I just watch them to see when they are done. Then I add seasoning.