More beans please...

[DivaKitty]

I love beans and they seem to be a hot topic in this freakin' freezing weather. So I've been wondering...
* Fresh frozen vs. dried. Which do you use and why?
* Also, I have yet to get my dried red beans to reach that desired creamy consistency... I've tried several suggestions to no avail.
* I have read that dried beans actually offer more nutritional value. Anybody know more about this?
More about beans...

[Low-N-Slow]

* Dried, because they're easy to store.

* Once they get soft, I just mash a percentage of them against the side of the pot with the back of a wooden spoon. Are there other ways?

* Never heard, nor gave it any consideration since I always use dried. Am reading now about things like sodium, additives (thickeners), can linings, preservatives. So maybe less about nutrition, and more about undesirables.

[Panama Hat]

Fat is what makes creamy beans. I use a good amount of finely chopped fatback or salt pork. There's also a lot of fat in the smoked hock. I've never had to crush a bean and mine are very creamy. Another thing I don't do is soak the beans. I cook the vegies and fat for a time, put in the beans and then cook for a long time. This probably renders more fat for creamyness.

[ratcheese]

Awww, beans, beans, now your talking.

Creaminess may be enhanced by refrigerating fully cooked beans overnight, prior to serving.

Another bean tip is to never add spices until the beans are cooked, and that includes salt. Seasoning too early risks overpowering the natural flavor of the beans.

Soaking beans overnight, prior to cooking, allows dried beans to rehydrate and absorb seasonings better at a milder and shorter cooking time which, in the end, makes for a better finished product. Presoaking also aids in easier digestion (if you know what I mean).

I grew up eating pinto beans as a staple in my native Texas, where meatless, presoaked beans would have been a sin. But I have grown to enjoy meatless beans because you don't end up with beans that taste like something else, altogether. I have been using the Vegetable "Better than Bullion" lately, and I love it as a flavorful alternative to plain water. Also, never use tap water; you can really tell the difference.

The same cooking principles apply to all dried legumes. Fresh beans are a completely different animal. I remember enjoying an abundant variety of fresh beans in the Shreveport area, when in season, but I haven't had them in years; but fresh is best in my mind--no comparison.

[Dilfan]

My MIL always used dried beans, soaked them for a few hours, then cooked them down with "pickle meat" and sausage. When done, she always added a can of Blue Runner beans to the mix to thicken them up. Her beans were always delicious and had that home cooked taste.

[ratcheese]

My MIL always used dried beans, soaked them for a few hours, then cooked them down with "pickle meat" and sausage. When done, she always added a can of Blue Runner beans to the mix to thicken them up. Her beans were always delicious and had that home cooked taste.

If you want to thicken the consistency, you can use a stick blender to liquify part of the beans--very briefly because it doesn't take much. You can also take a cup or two out of the pot and blend them in a regular blender, then stir back in to the pot of beans.

I had another thought on "creaminess"--chicken stock used in place of water makes for a much creamier texture. It is best used in white beans imo, good for oven baked, too. I have used it in pinto beans and it got good reviews but I didn't care for it that much, maybe just because I knew what was in there.

[jodyrah]

I use Camellia dried. They are always creamy (didn't know fat was a factor). I use plenty. For 2# beans I use either a ham bone or 2 hocks plus: salt pork, 1# seasoning ham and 1# grilled, sliced smoked sausage, added last 15 minutes.

No over night soak.
I put the beans in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover, let sit one hour. Good to go. They cook up in 1 1/2- 2 hours.