"King's Crown" > wrote in message news:gp3t36$6t4
> >
> > How old were the beans? This makes a big difference.
> >
> > Dora
>
> Brand new bag from the store. Don't know how old it was before it got
> there.
>
> Lynne

We had the same problem a while back, turns out the bag o' beans we bought
at Costco weren't fresh.

For Pinto Beans an overnight soak is mandatory.

Another suggestion would be more vigorous boiling; try cooking the beans in
a copper bottom pot over medium heat with a lid without stirring till a
noticeable amount of water boils away. Then replace that same volume of
boiling water from a kettle, give it a stir, and reduce the temperature to
low and continue cooking. Figure at least 5 hours to get the job done.