Dried beans - would not get soft

[rlmblm21]

I have some really old, off brand dried red beans that I bought at the Asian market (off Spring Road in Smyrna). I have tried 2 times to cook them, and both times I think the beans cooked way too long and never got completely soft.

Today was the second attempt. I had a leftover smoked pork picnic bone that I really wanted to use, so I soaked the red beans for about 36 hours, and then cooked them on the stove for over 5 hours and they never got completely soft. They were edible, but still a bit "al dente".

I googled dried bean recipes, and most state that you don't even have to soak them, or at most, soak them about 6 hours. And the recipes also state that you should only cook them for 1-2 hours to get soft.

What am I doing wrong? I will admit these beans are probably 5+ years old. Could it be that when dried beans get that old they require many more hours of cooking time? Or did I just get some bad beans?

 

[deller]

Labor is very cheap in Asia. Most likely they sold you hand painted pebbles meant to look like beans. Very creative those Asians.

 

[285Roadrunner]

Depends on the beans. Traditionally, most hard beans should be soaked for atleast 24 hours, followed by a boil or pressure cook procedure.

Secondly, deller may be right. Try and cut one or break it to make sure its not a marble...

 

[rlmblm21]

As funny as Deller's comment was, the beans did actually get soft enough to be edible after boiling for 4.5-5 hours. They just never got soft or mushy; they were still chewy with an "al dente" center. They definitely weren't rocks; we did eat them. I was in the mood for red beans (versus black) and so I wanted these to be perfect. We had Cuban In-laws up here for the week prior, and she made black beans, which got soft after soaking only about 12 hours and then cooking about 1.5-2 hours, so I'm just surprised that these took so long and still weren't soft.

 

[deller]

I had dinner in one of those high ass restaurants in Chicago not long ago. ( God, I hate Chicago ) And I suspect they bought their beans in an Asian market as well. Did I mention I HATE CHICAGO.

 

[obiwan]

Beans lose oil and resists water as they get old. You will need to soak and cook them longer. Alternatively, ground them and eat like Mexican bean paste, then invest a couple bucks and buy a new bag of beans for what you need them for.

 

[palmettomoon]

I had dinner in one of those high ass restaurants in Chicago not long ago. ( God, I hate Chicago ) And I suspect they bought their beans in an Asian market as well. Did I mention I HATE CHICAGO.

Sort of related- ordered oysters Rockefeller in a Cincinnati "Red Fish" and they made the damned things with blanched collards! It was like trying to eat a shower curtain.

 

[Appalachian American]

Wait to salt, they say that messes with the water absorbtion.

 

[rlmblm21]

Beans lose oil and resists water as they get old. You will need to soak and cook them longer. Alternatively, ground them and eat like Mexican bean paste, then invest a couple bucks and buy a new bag of beans for what you need them for.

Dang it. This is what I feared. Today they don't taste better than yesterday either. They sort of have a metallic taste. I didn't think dried beans would go bad, but these are "not good".

 

[GeauxLSU]

I've cooked a LOT of dried red beans. Something is definitely not right there. Pitch em. New ones are cheap.