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Isaac Wingfield
 
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Default Help: Beans in Chili Not Soft

In article >,
travis > wrote:

> On 28 Sep 2003 15:40:43 -0700, (dr owl)
> began spewing the following from their cake-hole:
>
> >We made a large pot of chili con carne (Gazzaniga's low salt, lowest
> >sodium cookbook) Soaked red kidney beans overnight. Cooked 1 and a
> >half hrs per package instructions. Added to ingredients and simmered
> >1/2 hr per cookbook. The beans are not cooked well and are crunchy. Is
> >there anything we can do at this point to rescue the beans and save
> >this?
> >
> >dr owl<---- clearly not a wise owl :<)

>
> I'd say to just keep cooking them longer. Seriously. They'll soften
> up.


If the liquid the beans are cooked in is acid, they will NOT become
tender. Ever. In many locales, water right out of the tap is acid.

See "On Food And Cooking" by Harold McGee.

Toss a little baking soda in the water while the beans are cooking. If
it fizzes, the water is acid. Toss in a little more.

Isaac