I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.

I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
takes ages, until they seem soft.

What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).

I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?

My salad, by the way.....

mixed greens, snow peas, radish
diced roast chicken
CANNED Chick peas
Croutons
Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan

I eat it constantly.....yummm

Mwestport
Longtime lurker who loves this group.

Mwestport wrote:

> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
> smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
> at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
> staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>
> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?

Don't bother to soak them. Not necessary. Put a cup of beans into a
saucepan with 3 or 4 cups of water. Add a pinch of salt and bring it
to a boil. Turn it down to a slow simmer (the surface of the water
should be trembling), cover and cook for somewhere around 2 1/2 hours.
Different batches of beans will cook for different times to
tenderness. Their age will also be a factor in duration of cooking
time. To test for doneness, pick up one or two on a spoon, and blow on
them. If the skin bursts open, they're done. Drain.

The beans will have a different texture than the canned ones which are
pressure cooked. You can also pressure cook them (and it's a perfectly
valid method of cooking beans), but I don't know how long that would
take as I don't do them that way.

Another alternative is to buy bigger cans. The ones restaurants use
are called Number 10 cans, hold 96 fluid ounces and come 6 to the
case. I guarantee you that they're going to be considerably less
expensive than the small cans per unit weight. But it's a lot of
beans. Figure around $20 for the whole case, but it's going to be
maybe 40 times as much as one supermarket can, so the price falls to
about half what you're paying now. A #10 can holds (depending on
what's in it) from 6 1/2 to something a little short of 7 1/2 pounds
of food.

Compare can sizes:
<http://southernfood.about.com/library/info/blcansize.htm>

And you can use the beans in hummus, too. Soups. Pasta dishes. Mashed
in stuffing.

Pastorio


> My salad, by the way.....
>
> mixed greens, snow peas, radish
> diced roast chicken
> CANNED Chick peas
> Croutons
> Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan
>
> I eat it constantly.....yummm
>
> Mwestport
> Longtime lurker who loves this group.
>
>

"Mwestport" > wrote in message
...
> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
> smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
> at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
> staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>
> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?

My guess is that the problem is the crockpot. If I remember correctly, it
never actually boils but holds the food just below the simmer. Perhaps the
peas need boiling to cook properly.


--
Peter Aitken

Remove the crap from my email address before using.

"Mwestport" > wrote in
:

> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
> smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
> at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
> staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>
> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>
> My salad, by the way.....
>
> mixed greens, snow peas, radish
> diced roast chicken
> CANNED Chick peas
> Croutons
> Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan
>
> I eat it constantly.....yummm
>
> Mwestport
> Longtime lurker who loves this group.
>
>

take a look at:
http://www.mycustompak.com/healthNot.../Chickpeas.htm


--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"Peter Aitken" > wrote in
om:

> "Mwestport" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
>> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>>
>> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>>
>> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very
>> dark, smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very
>> mealy, not at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off
>> and some staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya
>> mostly).
>>
>> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>
> My guess is that the problem is the crockpot. If I remember correctly,
> it never actually boils but holds the food just below the simmer.
> Perhaps the peas need boiling to cook properly.
>
>
The chickpeas should be cooked in just plain water...no salt. The salt gets
added at the end of the cooking time.

Another site you can check is:

http://www.fatfree.com/archive/1997/sep/msg00362.html


Myself? I think if you eat chickpeas everyday, you should go nuts and get a
pressure cooker.

--
Once during Prohibition I was forced to live for days on nothing but food
and water.
--------
FIELDS, W. C.

"hahabogus" > wrote in message
...
> "Peter Aitken" > wrote in
> om:
>
> > "Mwestport" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
> >> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
> >> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
> >>
> >> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
> >> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
> >> takes ages, until they seem soft.
> >>
> >> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very
> >> dark, smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very
> >> mealy, not at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off
> >> and some staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya
> >> mostly).
> >>
> >> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
> >
> > My guess is that the problem is the crockpot. If I remember correctly,
> > it never actually boils but holds the food just below the simmer.
> > Perhaps the peas need boiling to cook properly.
> >
> >
> The chickpeas should be cooked in just plain water...no salt. The salt
gets
> added at the end of the cooking time.
>

Yet another kitchen myth. Please see http://www.pgacon.com/KitchenMyths.htm

Peter Aitken

In article >,
Mwestport > wrote:
>
>
>I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
>at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
>I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
>What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
>smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
>at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
>staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>
>I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?

I make chickpeas once a week for hummus or indian recipes and I use
a pressure cooker. Soak them for 8 hours, rinse, throw into the cooker
and bring to pressure on high heat. Take heat down to med-low and let
them cook for 12-13 minutes. Remove from heat, run cold water over the
cooker to release the pressure and you have fresh cooked beans.

FYI, before you use a pressure cooker, do some googling on how to do
so properly. They can be a bit intimidating at first, but I have been
using mine two-three times a week for the last two years and I love it.

~Deepak

--
Deepak Saxena - dsaxena at plexity dot net - http://www.plexity.net/

"Unlike me, many of you have accepted the situation of your imprisonment and
will die here like rotten cabbages." - Number 6

hahabogus wrote:

> "Peter Aitken" > wrote in
> om:
>
>
>>"Mwestport" > wrote in message
...
>>
>>>I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>>>about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
>>>at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>>>
>>>I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>>>crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>>>takes ages, until they seem soft.
>>>
>>>What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very
>>>dark, smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very
>>>mealy, not at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off
>>>and some staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya
>>>mostly).
>>>
>>>I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>>
>>My guess is that the problem is the crockpot. If I remember correctly,
>>it never actually boils but holds the food just below the simmer.
>>Perhaps the peas need boiling to cook properly.
>>
> The chickpeas should be cooked in just plain water...no salt. The salt gets
> added at the end of the cooking time.

Sorry. Not true. One of the false bits that "everyone knows" that
isn't so. Season beans as you will and cook. I have some beans cooking
even as we speak and I put my own blend of a seasoning salt I make in
the water. The beans are cooking just fine, as they always do.

Beans cooked in plain water are bland.

Pastorio

> Another site you can check is:
>
> http://www.fatfree.com/archive/1997/sep/msg00362.html
>
>
> Myself? I think if you eat chickpeas everyday, you should go nuts and get a
> pressure cooker.
>

My method is to soak dried chickpeas for a couple of days, changing
the water about 3 times. Then I just cook them in a regular pot for
about 1/2 hour or so until tender.

Washing Beans and Legumes

Before using beans and legumes, rinse them thoroughly under cool water, then
sort through them for any stones or other debris. If using lentils, mung
beans, or split peas, skip the soaking section and go right to the cooking
instructions. If using anything other kind of beans, continue to the next
step: soaking.

Soaking Beans and Legumes

All dry beans and legumes except lentils, mung beans, and split peas should
be soaked before cooking. Soaking shortens the cooking time and makes the
beans more digestible. To soak, cover the washed beans with four times their
volume of water, then choose one of these soaking techniques.

1.. Normal soak: Leave the beans to soak for 4-8 hours. This is the
traditional and healthier method of soaking beans.
2.. Quick soak: Bring the beans to a boil for one minute, cover, and let
sit for one hour.
The beans are soaked once they are uniformly soft.

After soaking, you have the choice of 1. draining the soaking water, rinsing
the beans, and cooking with fresh water, or 2. cooking with the soaking
water. The former reduces flatulence, while the latter provides more
nutrients.

Cooking Beans and Legumes

Whether reusing soaking water or adding fresh, there should be twice as much
water as beans. Boil furiously, uncovered, for ten minutes. Cover, lower
heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until tender.

Tips

1 c dry beans yields 2½-3 c cooked. Unless otherwise stated, the amounts
given in my recipes refer to the cooked volume.

a.. Salt can disrupt the cooking, so should not be added while soaking or
during the first hour of cooking.
b.. Excessive heat can make soaking beans ferment, so when it's hot out,
put soaking beans in the fridge.
Enjoy:
Chef R. W. Miller
Marriott Resorts & Hotels

"Mwestport" > wrote in message
...
> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
> smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
> at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
> staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>
> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>
> My salad, by the way.....
>
> mixed greens, snow peas, radish
> diced roast chicken
> CANNED Chick peas
> Croutons
> Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan
>
> I eat it constantly.....yummm
>
> Mwestport
> Longtime lurker who loves this group.
>
>

Thanks for all the great info. This group is the Bee's Knee's.

Ya know.....I use a pressure cooker all the time for potato, carrots
and the like and it NEVER OCCURED TO ME to use it for the beans. Not
too brite: not too good looking.

I like the idea that the crock pot is not hot enough and not the tool
for the job. I will try it after I get through Easter.

mwestport

Chef R. W. Miller wrote:

> Washing Beans and Legumes

Chef Pastorio here. Much of this is good, but a few things to disagree=20
about.

> Before using beans and legumes, rinse them thoroughly under cool water,=
then
> sort through them for any stones or other debris. If using lentils, mun=
g
> beans, or split peas, skip the soaking section and go right to the cook=
ing
> instructions. If using anything other kind of beans, continue to the ne=
xt
> step: soaking.
>=20
> Soaking Beans and Legumes
>=20
> All dry beans and legumes except lentils, mung beans, and split peas sh=
ould
> be soaked before cooking. Soaking shortens the cooking time and makes t=
he
> beans more digestible.

Soaking shortens cooking time. Doesn't have any significant effect on=20
digestibility.

> To soak, cover the washed beans with four times their
> volume of water, then choose one of these soaking techniques.
>=20
> 1.. Normal soak: Leave the beans to soak for 4-8 hours. This is the
> traditional and healthier method of soaking beans.
> 2.. Quick soak: Bring the beans to a boil for one minute, cover, and =
let
> sit for one hour.
> The beans are soaked once they are uniformly soft.

Beans don't get "soft" when soaked. They got somewhat softer than the=20
bullet-hard state they're in when dehydrated. They do, however absorb=20
enough water to increase their weight up to 2 1/2 times.

I tested this just today. A cup of soybeans weighed right at 6 ounces.=20
I soaked a cup overnight and cooked another cup from dry to see the=20
differences. The soaked beans weighed 14.25 ounces before cooking and=20
16.75 ounces after cooking. The beans cooked directly from dry weighed=20
16.75 ounces when cooked. The soaked ones took 1 hour 55 minutes. The=20
dry ones took 2 hours 25 minutes. A half hour difference in cooking=20
time. Different beans will give different but reasonably proportional=20
results.

> After soaking, you have the choice of 1. draining the soaking water, ri=
nsing
> the beans, and cooking with fresh water, or 2. cooking with the soaking=

> water. The former reduces flatulence, while the latter provides more
> nutrients.

Sorta true. Soaking and changing water will *very slightly* reduce=20
flatulence. Nutrients won't much be leached in soaking and rinsing. If=20
you look at the USDA database at raw beans and the same beans cooked,=20
the nutrient profile will hold to that approximately 2.4 multiple. So=20
100 grams of raw beans will closely approximate 240 grams cooked.=20
Nutrient quantity is the same if you subtract water.

> Cooking Beans and Legumes
>=20
> Whether reusing soaking water or adding fresh, there should be twice as=
much
> water as beans. Boil furiously, uncovered, for ten minutes. Cover, lowe=
r
> heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours, until tender.

Different beans take different times. The golden lentils I did this=20
week took 45 minutes. Today's soybeans took 2 1/2 hours. Both from=20
dry. Test for doneness: pick up a few on a spoon and drain the liquid.=20
Blow on them. If the skin splits, they're done.

> Tips
>=20
> 1 c dry beans yields 2=BD-3 c cooked. Unless otherwise stated, the amou=
nts
> given in my recipes refer to the cooked volume.
>=20
> a.. Salt can disrupt the cooking, so should not be added while soakin=
g or
> during the first hour of cooking.

Not so. There was a cooking myths web site posted about this within=20
the past couple days. Russ Parsons of the LATimes has pretty much=20
disproved this one with his tests. I did the some of the same ones and=20
found that salt didn't affect the beans. What did was hard water,=20
particularly if alkaline.

Harold McGee has some good information about beans in his books.=20
Likewise Shirley Corriher.

> b.. Excessive heat can make soaking beans ferment, so when it's hot o=
ut,
> put soaking beans in the fridge.

Except soaking beans is unnecessary. They can be cooked from dry very=20
effectively. It also means that they only need to be handled once.

And, in any event, for the amount of time they're soaking, any=20
fermentation that might occur wouldn't materially affect the nutrient=20
profile or the flavor. It's less than 24 hours, after all. Any=20
products of fermentation would be cooked out.

Actually, pressure cooking beans is one of the better ways to do it.=20
Fast (like less than 15 minutes at pressure), no soaking needed, put=20
all seasonings in right up front.

Pastorio

> Enjoy:
> Chef R. W. Miller
> Marriott Resorts & Hotels
>=20
> "Mwestport" > wrote in message
> ...
>=20
>>I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>>about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
>>at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>>
>>I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>>crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>>takes ages, until they seem soft.
>>
>>What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
>>smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
>>at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
>>staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>>
>>I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>>
>>My salad, by the way.....
>>
>>mixed greens, snow peas, radish
>>diced roast chicken
>>CANNED Chick peas
>>Croutons
>>Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan
>>
>>I eat it constantly.....yummm
>>
>>Mwestport
>>Longtime lurker who loves this group.

Bob (this one) wrote:
> Chef R. W. Miller wrote:
>
>> Washing Beans and Legumes
>
> Chef Pastorio here. Much of this is good, but a few things to disagree
> about.
>
(snip great info, despite the fact that I've never had problems with
beans/legumes)
>
> Pastorio
>
Oooh! Professional Chef Wars! Gotta love it! Where's Barb and her
trusty popcorn when you need it?

Now this is making me want to prepare some lentil soup. I definitely don't
soak lentils. For the record, I also don't soak chick peas (dried
garbanzos). But I definitely add seasonings right from the start. I cook
them in a large pot on the stove; don't own a pressure cooker but one of
these days just might get one

Jill

>> Enjoy:
>> Chef R. W. Miller
>> Marriott Resorts & Hotels
>>
>> "Mwestport" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>>> about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful
>>> attempts
>>> at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>>>
>>> I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>>> crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>>> takes ages, until they seem soft.
>>>
>>> What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very
>>> dark, smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very
>>> mealy, not
>>> at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
>>> staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).
>>>
>>> I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?
>>>
>>> My salad, by the way.....
>>>
>>> mixed greens, snow peas, radish
>>> diced roast chicken
>>> CANNED Chick peas
>>> Croutons
>>> Fresh salsa for dressing with a grate of parmesan
>>>
>>> I eat it constantly.....yummm
>>>
>>> Mwestport
>>> Longtime lurker who loves this group.

"Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
...
Chef R. W. Miller wrote:

> Washing Beans and Legumes

Chef Pastorio here. Much of this is good, but a few things to disagree
about.

> Before using beans and legumes, rinse them thoroughly under cool water,
then
> sort through them for any stones or other debris. If using lentils, mung
> beans, or split peas, skip the soaking section and go right to the cooking
> instructions. If using anything other kind of beans, continue to the next
> step: soaking.
>
> Soaking Beans and Legumes
>
> All dry beans and legumes except lentils, mung beans, and split peas
should
> be soaked before cooking. Soaking shortens the cooking time and makes the
> beans more digestible.

Soaking shortens cooking time. Doesn't have any significant effect on
digestibility.

It does if you use the boil then soak method (if reduced gas is considered
an improvement in digestibility). When you boil, soak, and discard the
soaking water, some of the compounds that cause gas - polysaccharides I
believe - are leached out of the beans and discarded, hence less gas.

Peter Aitken

On Fri, 9 Apr 2004 02:23:02 -0400, "Mwestport" >
wrote:

>I practically live on chick peas in salads and I am sick of paying
>about a buck a can for 'em. Well after several unsuccessful attempts
>at cooking dried ones I come to you all for help.
>
>I soak the beans usually overnight then put them in fresh water in a
>crock pot with salt start on high moving to low. I cook them, it
>takes ages, until they seem soft.
>
>What I get are dark nasty sort of "burned" tasting peas in very dark,
>smelly, dingy water that I drain. They are soft but very mealy, not
>at all plump, and have those nasty skins; some coming off and some
>staying on all. Not at all like the canned jobs (Goya mostly).

Ewwww...

>I would have thought this would be easy. What can I do?

It sounds like you're cooking them too long. The crockpot does a good
job for long, slow cooking but (soaked) chickpeas don't need anywhere
near that long.

What I do is soak them overnight, change the water in the AM, then
simmer for about an hour - if that- in a saucepan on the range until
tender. They come out perfect. I don't use salt, never thought they
needed it.

You might also consider a different brand of dried chickpeas if you
still have trouble.

Sue(tm)
Lead me not into temptation... I can find it myself!

Peter Aitken wrote:

> "Bob (this one)" > wrote in message
> ...
> Chef R. W. Miller wrote:
>
>
>>Washing Beans and Legumes
>
>
> Chef Pastorio here. Much of this is good, but a few things to disagree
> about.
>
>
>>Before using beans and legumes, rinse them thoroughly under cool water,
>
> then
>
>>sort through them for any stones or other debris. If using lentils, mung
>>beans, or split peas, skip the soaking section and go right to the cooking
>>instructions. If using anything other kind of beans, continue to the next
>>step: soaking.
>>
>>Soaking Beans and Legumes
>>
>>All dry beans and legumes except lentils, mung beans, and split peas
>
> should
>
>>be soaked before cooking. Soaking shortens the cooking time and makes the
>>beans more digestible.
>
> Soaking shortens cooking time. Doesn't have any significant effect on
> digestibility.
>
> It does if you use the boil then soak method (if reduced gas is considered
> an improvement in digestibility). When you boil, soak, and discard the
> soaking water, some of the compounds that cause gas - polysaccharides I
> believe - are leached out of the beans and discarded, hence less gas.

Oligosaccharides. The amounts leached are very small, so, technically,
it will improve digestibility by removing some of the indigestible
fractions. But the actual amounts removed are small.

Soaking and changing the water three or four times will also reduce
the oligosaccharides. But, again, not all that much. If gas is a
source of distress, just make sure that everybody in the house has
some of the beans. Sing harmonies.

Pastorio