Blending cooked beans?

[imoldernu]

Here's how it started. Looking in the back of our pantry, I found two bangs of beans. One 2 lb. bag of dry brown beans, and a 1 lb. bag of dry white beans... probably 5 years old. We don't have beans very often, but even then, out of a can.

So I cooked them all in water for a very long time, thinking they'd become soft and like the canned beans. NO. Hard and tasteless. Hmm... how about trying some bullion?... so back into the pot, and another 40 minutes of cooking. Some taste, but still kinda hard .

So here's the question... I thought that putting the beans into the blender, and maybe adding something else after, to make some kind of a moosh... the way my mom made hamburger hash, with mashed potatoes and hamburg.

Nah... best thing is to look on line, for a mashed bean recipe.

Everything I found said grind dry beans into flour, or some refried bean Mexican recipe.

Is the idea so strange that there are no recipes?

 

[braumeister]

You probably overlooked the cooking directions on the bag.
They would usually tell you to start by soaking them overnight in a pot of water.

 

[bizlady]

Older beans will take longer to cook. A 2-3 hour simmer, or pressure cooking may be in order

 

[audreyh1]

Here's how it started. Looking in the back of our pantry, I found two bangs of beans. One 2 lb. bag of dry brown beans, and a 1 lb. bag of dry white beans... probably 5 years old. We don't have beans very often, but even then, out of a can.

So I cooked them all in water for a very long time, thinking they'd become soft and like the canned beans. NO. Hard and tasteless. Hmm... how about trying some bullion?... so back into the pot, and another 40 minutes of cooking. Some taste, but still kinda hard .

So here's the question... I thought that putting the beans into the blender, and maybe adding something else after, to make some kind of a moosh... the way my mom made hamburger hash, with mashed potatoes and hamburg.

Nah... best thing is to look on line, for a mashed bean recipe.

Everything I found said grind dry beans into flour, or some refried bean Mexican recipe.

Is the idea so strange that there are no recipes?

5 years old that is too old for dried beans believe it or not.....

Mashed beans are done in the fry pan, while sautéing them and adding a lot of other yummy things like sautéed onions, garlic, spices,.... stir, mash, stir mash.. let liquid evaporate.

These are usually known as refried beans.....

Bean purée would be another worthy search.

 

[jazz4cash]

You probably overlooked the cooking directions on the bag.

They would usually tell you to start by soaking them overnight in a pot of water.

!

 

[MissMolly]

For flavoring to dried beans (I make bean soup) I add:

Chicken broth
carrots
lots of onion
sliced smoked sausage
diced potatoes
salt
pepper

YUM!

 

[GravitySucks]

I found a bag of navy beans well over 5 years old. Soaked them for 20 hours then simmered four hours with a ham bone, onions, salt and whatever spices I thought would go well to make a tastey soup.
Between the soak and the simmer the beans were nice and mooshey .

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

I have 4 pounds of pinto beans in the slow cooker, with onions and garlic, at the moment. Should be done in an hour.

 

[bloom2708]

Rinse and let sit overnight before cooking.

Dried beans do not go bad after 5 years unless they got wet at some point.

They do take a long (long!) time to cook. Keep cooking/simmering until they are the desired softness when sampled.

Good for soups. Combine some of the beans with a baked potato (cooked). Mix and form into patties, then fry with a little olive oil. Serve on a bun. Bean burger!

 

[audreyh1]

I prefer dried beans that are not too old. Otherwise they take a much longer time to rehydrate/cook and the skins often remain tough.

 

[pb4uski]

Put them in a crockpot on low for about 8 hours and they should be fine.

 

[jazz4cash]

This thread has me craving....

 

[Chuckanut]

My friend who is a professional chef will not use any beans over 1 year old. He says they they often will not reconstitute themselves very well. They might get soft but they simply are not the same as fresh beans of newly dried beans. So, test a cup of two and see how they come out. Crockpot and/or pressure cooker is the ultimate test. If they don't work toss 'em.

 

[Mr. Tightwad]

This thread has me craving....

Me and my daughter are having them as I type this. Turned out great. $5 for beans and $4 for onions/garlic. Should last 5 or 6 days.