The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
Cheers, Lynne

Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans

1 pound dried pinto beans
2 cups hot water
1 large onion chopped
1-1/2 cups ketchup
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat

---------------------------------
In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker. Place the brisket on
top of the beans; cut to fit into the pot if necessary. Spread the remaining
ketchup mixture over the top of the brisket Cover and cook on the low heat
setting 9 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, until the beans
and beef are tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top. To serve, slice
the meat across the grain and serve with the beans

Yield: 6 servings

On Mar 9, 1:06*pm, "King's Crown" > wrote:
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. *I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. *After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. *I simmered another 2 hours. *This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. *I don't want to give up on this recipe. *I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? *Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne
>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> 1 pound dried pinto beans
> 2 cups hot water
> 1 large onion chopped
> 1-1/2 cups ketchup
> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
> 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>
> ---------------------------------
> In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
> onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
> mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
> the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker. Place the brisket on
> top of the beans; cut to fit into the pot if necessary. Spread the remaining
> ketchup mixture over the top of the brisket Cover and cook on the low heat
> setting 9 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, until the beans
> and beef are tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top. To serve, slice
> the meat across the grain and serve with the beans
>
> Yield: 6 servings
============================

Lynne (nice name!)

You must do either the overnight soak or the 2 minute boil of the dry
beans before you put all that sugar (catsup Worcestershire etc) in
with the beans.

If you've ever cooked fruit you know that if you cook the fruit in
sugared liquid (simple syrup) the fruit will tend to stay firmer and
whole or whatever size you cut it. If you cook the same fruit in
plain water you can add the sugar when the fruit is soft.

It's like the difference between fried apples (in butter and brown
sugar) and apple butter (cook the apples then add the sugar and cook
some more).

The 2 minute boil is putting the beans im a fegular pot with water to
cover. Bring this to a boil and reduce heat to mdium. Cook the beans
for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand one hour. Drain 'em and
transfer to your crock pot. You add the rest of the ingredients and
you're good to go.

Or, you can just use canned beans.
Lynn in Fargo

"Lynn from Fargo Ografmorffig" > wrote in message
...
On Mar 9, 1:06 pm, "King's Crown" > wrote:
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put
> it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne
>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
<snip>============================

<Lynne (nice name!)>

I agree!

<You must do either the overnight soak or the 2 minute boil of the dry
beans before you put all that sugar (catsup Worcestershire etc) in
with the beans.

<snip>

Or, you can just use canned beans.
Lynn in Fargo>

I did not know that about the sugar and beans!

I seldom use canned beans. I've cooked dried beans overnight in a crockpot
without a soak many times. By just washing them adding water and plugging
them in. I then in the morning freeze in 2 cup portions for recipes. Of
course there is no sugar added to these. So, I thought cooking all day
would be fine with this recipe. I didn't know the sugars in the BBQ sauce
would be working against me! So, I'll soak these first before proceeding
with the recipe and 2nd time.

Thanks so much for explaining that to me. I was just stumped. My poor
family was standing around in the kitchen like little urchins from the
"Oliver" movie with empty bowls for hours!

Lynne

Lynn wrote on Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:32:16 -0700 (PDT):

> The 2 minute boil is putting the beans im a fegular pot with
> water to cover. Bring this to a boil and reduce heat to
> mdium. Cook the beans for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let
> stand one hour. Drain 'em and transfer to your crock pot. You
> add the rest of the ingredients and you're good to go.

Have you tried adding a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
before boiling? It really helps for lentils.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> Lynn wrote on Mon, 9 Mar 2009 12:32:16 -0700 (PDT):
>
> > The 2 minute boil is putting the beans im a fegular pot with
> > water to cover. Bring this to a boil and reduce heat to
> > mdium. Cook the beans for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let
> > stand one hour. Drain 'em and transfer to your crock pot. You
> > add the rest of the ingredients and you're good to go.
>
> Have you tried adding a tablespoon of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
> before boiling? It really helps for lentils.

A tablespoon sounds like a lot. My memory tells me 1/8 teaspoon per
quart.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

King's Crown wrote:
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just
> never got as soft as they should be.

<snipped>

How old were the beans? This makes a big difference.

Dora

"Dora" > wrote in message
...
> King's Crown wrote:
>> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just
>> never got as soft as they should be.
>
> <snipped>
>
> 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

"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.

"Dora" > wrote in message
...
> King's Crown wrote:
>> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just
>> never got as soft as they should be.
>
> <snipped>
>
> How old were the beans? This makes a big difference.
>
> Dora

The age of the beans is of so little consequence as not to be considered.
The problem with that recipe is all the salt and sugar in those ingredients
and all that vinegar... dried beans need to be first cooked with as little
salt, sugar, and acid as possible.

On Mar 9, 2:06 pm, "King's Crown" > wrote:
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne
>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> 1 pound dried pinto beans
> 2 cups hot water
> 1 large onion chopped
> 1-1/2 cups ketchup
> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
> 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>
> ---------------------------------
> In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
> onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
> mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
> the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker. Place the brisket on
> top of the beans; cut to fit into the pot if necessary. Spread the remaining
> ketchup mixture over the top of the brisket Cover and cook on the low heat
> setting 9 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, until the beans
> and beef are tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top. To serve, slice
> the meat across the grain and serve with the beans
>
> Yield: 6 servings

I don't know about the other ingredients, but I do know that if you
put salt (or salty products) in with the beans at the beginning of
their cook time, the beans stay hard. Add the salt after the beans
are soft.

N.

On Mar 9, 3:36*pm, Nancy2 > wrote:
> On Mar 9, 2:06 pm, "King's Crown" > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> > got as soft as they should be. *I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> > hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. *After 9 hours I was
> > home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> > on the stove. *I simmered another 2 hours. *This thicken the sauce to a
> > really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> > they should be. *I don't want to give up on this recipe. *I just wondered
> > what was going on with my beans? *Anyone else ever have this problem?
> > Cheers, Lynne
>
> > Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> > 1 pound dried pinto beans
> > 2 cups hot water
> > 1 large onion chopped
> > 1-1/2 cups ketchup
> > 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> > 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
> > 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> > 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
> > 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
> > 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> > 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>
> > ---------------------------------
> > In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
> > onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
> > mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
> > the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker. Place the brisket on
> > top of the beans; cut to fit into the pot if necessary. Spread the remaining
> > ketchup mixture over the top of the brisket Cover and cook on the low heat
> > setting 9 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, until the beans
> > and beef are tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top. To serve, slice
> > the meat across the grain and serve with the beans
>
> > Yield: 6 servings
>
> I don't know about the other ingredients, but I do know that if you
> put salt (or salty products) in with the beans at the beginning of
> their cook time, the beans stay hard. *Add the salt after the beans
> are soft.
>
> N.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

It must be one of those old stories - I don't recall where/when I read
it, but it was a l-o-n-g ago. Live long enough, and everything
changes. LOL.

N.

On 2009-03-09, King's Crown > wrote:
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2

> 1 pound dried pinto beans

Pinto beans come out perfect if your boil them --WITHOUT SOAKING!-- at a
slow rolling boil, so the beans are circulated off the bottom by the boil.
At sea-level, they should cook in under two hours. At 7000+ ft, approx 4
hrs. The skins will be soft, as will the center.

nb

On Mar 9, 3:46*pm, notbob > wrote:
> On 2009-03-09, King's Crown > wrote:
>
> > The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> > got as soft as they should be. *I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> > 1 pound dried pinto beans
>
> Pinto beans come out perfect if your boil them --WITHOUT SOAKING!-- at a
> slow rolling boil, so the beans are circulated off the bottom by the boil..
> At sea-level, they should cook in under two hours. *At 7000+ ft, approx 4
> hrs. *The skins will be soft, as will the center.

Very true. Boil them in plenty of water. You can reduce it after
they get tender. I learned that the hard way (pun), by lots of trial
and error. Lots of water from the very beginning of the process.
>
> nb

--Bryan

In article >,
"King's Crown" > wrote:

> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne
>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans

<snipped yummy recipe>

This question does get asked here from time to time. Three factors can
come into play for this.

Age of the beans
Hardness of the water
Altitude

The higher the altitude, the lower the water temperature is when it
boils.

I use a pressure cooker. 20 to 30 minutes pressured on full heat (once
it comes up to pressure) and I've yet to ever have a problem with hard
beans.
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

"Omelet" > wrote in message
news
> In article >,
> "King's Crown" > wrote:
>
>> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
>> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then
>> 2
>> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
>> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put
>> it
>> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
>> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft
>> as
>> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
>> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
>> Cheers, Lynne
>>
>> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> <snipped yummy recipe>
>
> This question does get asked here from time to time. Three factors can
> come into play for this.
>
> Age of the beans
> Hardness of the water
> Altitude
>
> The higher the altitude, the lower the water temperature is when it
> boils.
>
> I use a pressure cooker. 20 to 30 minutes pressured on full heat (once
> it comes up to pressure) and I've yet to ever have a problem with hard
> beans.
> --
> Peace! Om
>
Beans not old, no hard water and I'm about 20 feet above sea level, so no
altitude with which to contend.

I tried the recipe because it was a slow cooker (crockpot) recipe. My mom
had surgery last week and is about an hour away. Going back and forth makes
it hard to have a home cooked meal. Decided to try the crockpot and ended
up with hard beans. I've cooked beans from their dried state plus only
water in the crock pot with no soaking and been very successful on many
occasions.

So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated above
the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I was trying
to cook them.

Lynne

On Mon, 9 Mar 2009 16:23:13 -0700, "King's Crown" >
wrote:

>Beans not old, no hard water and I'm about 20 feet above sea level, so no
>altitude with which to contend.
>
>I tried the recipe because it was a slow cooker (crockpot) recipe. My mom
>had surgery last week and is about an hour away. Going back and forth makes
>it hard to have a home cooked meal. Decided to try the crockpot and ended
>up with hard beans. I've cooked beans from their dried state plus only
>water in the crock pot with no soaking and been very successful on many
>occasions.
>
>So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated above
>the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I was trying
>to cook them.

I had the same thing happen to me the one time I cooked beans in a
slow cooker. I cooked them for an eternity, then another eternity,
then in a pan for quite awhile. Eventually, like yours, they became
edible, but they were still al dente. No more beans in slow cookers
here.

Carol

--
Change "invalid" to JamesBond's agent number to reply.

In article >,
"King's Crown" > wrote:

> > I use a pressure cooker. 20 to 30 minutes pressured on full heat (once
> > it comes up to pressure) and I've yet to ever have a problem with hard
> > beans.
> > --
> > Peace! Om
> >
> Beans not old, no hard water and I'm about 20 feet above sea level, so no
> altitude with which to contend.
>
> I tried the recipe because it was a slow cooker (crockpot) recipe. My mom
> had surgery last week and is about an hour away. Going back and forth makes
> it hard to have a home cooked meal. Decided to try the crockpot and ended
> up with hard beans. I've cooked beans from their dried state plus only
> water in the crock pot with no soaking and been very successful on many
> occasions.
>
> So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated above
> the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I was trying
> to cook them.
>
> Lynne

After reading the rest of the thread, I'll go with the consensus. :-)
I've never cooked beans in an acidic mixture, so I'm betting that was it.
--
Peace! Om

I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe. -- Dalai Lama

Lynne wrote:

> Beans not old, no hard water and I'm about 20 feet above sea level, so no
> altitude with which to contend.
>
> I tried the recipe because it was a slow cooker (crockpot) recipe. My mom
> had surgery last week and is about an hour away. Going back and forth
> makes it hard to have a home cooked meal. Decided to try the crockpot and
> ended up with hard beans. I've cooked beans from their dried state plus
> only water in the crock pot with no soaking and been very successful on
> many occasions.
>
> So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated
> above the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I was
> trying to cook them.

Oh! You hadn't mentioned before that it was a crockpot recipe. I've had
similar failures trying to cook beans in a crockpot, so anymore I'll only
cook them on the stovetop or in the oven. I'm guessing that the crockpot
doesn't get hot enough. (I know, boiling water is 212°F regardless of how
fast the water is boiling. But I also know that cooking beans in the
crockpot doesn't seem to work.)

Bob

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote in message
...
> Lynne wrote:
>
>> Beans not old, no hard water and I'm about 20 feet above sea level, so no
>> altitude with which to contend.
>>
>> I tried the recipe because it was a slow cooker (crockpot) recipe. My
>> mom
>> had surgery last week and is about an hour away. Going back and forth
>> makes it hard to have a home cooked meal. Decided to try the crockpot
>> and
>> ended up with hard beans. I've cooked beans from their dried state plus
>> only water in the crock pot with no soaking and been very successful on
>> many occasions.
>>
>> So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated
>> above the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I
>> was
>> trying to cook them.
>
> Oh! You hadn't mentioned before that it was a crockpot recipe. I've had
> similar failures trying to cook beans in a crockpot, so anymore I'll only
> cook them on the stovetop or in the oven. I'm guessing that the crockpot
> doesn't get hot enough. (I know, boiling water is 212°F regardless of how
> fast the water is boiling. But I also know that cooking beans in the
> crockpot doesn't seem to work.)
>
> Bob
The recipe title said "Slow cooker" which is another word for "Crockpot."
My crockpot does get hot enough as it's cooked beans many times. I just
have never added any flavorings in the past just water. I'm thinking as in
the above posts it had something to do with the sugar and or vinegar.

Lynne

"King's Crown" > wrote in message
...


> So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated
> above the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I was
> trying to cook them.
>

This site seems to agree with the addition of salt or acid during the
softening process. It's also helpful for some other prep and cooking
methods. I looked it up because I have some dried baby limas to use up and
want to do something simple like succotash.

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=59

"Cheryl" > wrote in message
...
>
> "King's Crown" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>> So, either I bought some freaky dried beans at the store or as stated
>> above the sugar and vinegar were preserving the beans hardness while I
>> was trying to cook them.
>>
>
> This site seems to agree with the addition of salt or acid during the
> softening process. It's also helpful for some other prep and cooking
> methods. I looked it up because I have some dried baby limas to use up
> and want to do something simple like succotash.
>
> http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?t...dspice&dbid=59
>
>

Cheryl, that is a very useful site! I have subscribed to it.
Thank you very much! Just the kind of info I was looking
for. :-)
Elly

King's Crown wrote:
>
> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne


Beans could be old. Then they won't soften properly.
Soak the beans overnight, rinse and drain before cooking.
Boil the beans for an hour first before adding seasonings. Salt and
sugar can toughen beans and there is a lot of both in that recipe.


>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> 1 pound dried pinto beans
> 2 cups hot water
> 1 large onion chopped
> 1-1/2 cups ketchup
> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
> 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>
> ---------------------------------
> In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
> onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
> mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
> the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker. Place the brisket on
> top of the beans; cut to fit into the pot if necessary. Spread the remaining
> ketchup mixture over the top of the brisket Cover and cook on the low heat
> setting 9 to 10 hours, stirring once or twice, if possible, until the beans
> and beef are tender. Skim off any excess fat from the top. To serve, slice
> the meat across the grain and serve with the beans
>
> Yield: 6 servings

In article >,
"King's Crown" > wrote:

> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
> Cheers, Lynne
>
> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>
> 1 pound dried pinto beans
> 2 cups hot water
> 1 large onion chopped
> 1-1/2 cups ketchup
> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
> 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
> 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
> 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
> 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
> 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>
> ---------------------------------
> In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water, and
> onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
> mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half of
> the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker.

Because of the ketchup and vinegar, the water would have been somewhat
acid; that's all it takes to keep beans from *ever* getting soft (at
least, that's what McGee says).

I'd cook them alone, in water (possibly with a bit of baking soda) until
they were close to the way I wanted them, and only then dump everything
together.

Isaac

"isw" > wrote in message
]...
> In article >,
> "King's Crown" > wrote:
>
>> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
>> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then
>> 2
>> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
>> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put
>> it
>> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
>> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft
>> as
>> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
>> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
>> Cheers, Lynne
>>
>> Slow Cooked Ranch-Style Brisket And Beans
>>
>> 1 pound dried pinto beans
>> 2 cups hot water
>> 1 large onion chopped
>> 1-1/2 cups ketchup
>> 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
>> 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
>> 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
>> 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
>> 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
>> 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
>> 3 pounds beef brisket -- boned, trimmed of fat
>>
>> ---------------------------------
>> In a 4 or 5-quart electric slow cooker, combine the pinto beans, water,
>> and
>> onion. In a medium bowl, mix together the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce,
>> mustard, vinegar, brown sugar, seasoned salt, and liquid smoke. Stir half
>> of
>> the ketchup mixture into the beans in the slow cooker.
>
> Because of the ketchup and vinegar, the water would have been somewhat
> acid; that's all it takes to keep beans from *ever* getting soft (at
> least, that's what McGee says).
>

Over soft would have been nice at 9pm, but crunchy just wasn't good.

Lynne

> I'd cook them alone, in water (possibly with a bit of baking soda) until
> they were close to the way I wanted them, and only then dump everything
> together.
>
> Isaac

On Mon, 09 Mar 2009 21:50:12 -0700, isw wroteker.
>
> Because of the ketchup and vinegar, the water would have been somewhat
> acid; that's all it takes to keep beans from *ever* getting soft (at
> least, that's what McGee says).
>

ooh, ooh! i knew i had heard the acid thing from some authoritative
source. mcgee usually knows what he is talking about.

your pal,
blake

In article >,
"King's Crown" > wrote:

> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then 2
> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put it
> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft as
> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?

The beans were probably old. Buy new ones and you should be fine.

(BTW, I am aware this sounds like a joke answer. It isn't. Beans keep
a long time, but after a while they stop softening up upon cooking the
way more recently-acquired ones do.)

Miche

--
Electricians do it in three phases

"Miche" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "King's Crown" > wrote:
>
>> The below recipe actually turned out quite good, but the beans just never
>> got as soft as they should be. I cooked them for 7 hours on low and then
>> 2
>> hours on high when I saw the beans were still hard. After 9 hours I was
>> home for the day and dumped the whole thing out into a large pan and put
>> it
>> on the stove. I simmered another 2 hours. This thicken the sauce to a
>> really tasty BBQ sauce and the beans were edible, but still not as soft
>> as
>> they should be. I don't want to give up on this recipe. I just wondered
>> what was going on with my beans? Anyone else ever have this problem?
>
> The beans were probably old. Buy new ones and you should be fine.
>
> (BTW, I am aware this sounds like a joke answer. It isn't. Beans keep
> a long time, but after a while they stop softening up upon cooking the
> way more recently-acquired ones do.)
>
> Miche
>
> --
I"ve been cooking beans for 30 years and have never encountered "old beans."
I'll have to experiment with what I have left and find out.

Lynne