Refried Beans..?

[Greg44]

I attempted to make my own refried beans yesterday. Soaked them overnight, rinsed and put them in the slow cooker, with water covering about an inch+, for about 7 hours. Also added 1/2 onion and probably 2/3's pack of taco seasoning.

After they seemed soft -- I drained them (saved the liquid add back if needed) and mashed them with a potato masher.

Hmmm, I think I drained off all the "favoring", and the skins were not a "soft" as the rest of the mashed beans...? Did I not soak or cook them long enough? Did I not mash them enough? It just seems like a lot of work when I could just go open a can of beans and be done with it. ;)

[jp1]

I make these all the time. I think your flaw was using the slow cooker instead of doing a healthy boil. After soaking and rinsing I put them in a pot with some water and vigorously boil (not so much that the foam spills over) for an hour or so until the water has boiled off enough that I can mash them with the remaining water still in. I season with garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin, a healthy dose of chili powder. (probably close to the taco seasoning...) THen I mash with the potato masher. I think you're probably right that you poured off the flavor when you drained them.

My main reasons for making them from scratch, as opposed to opening a can, are 1) cost, 2) I can leave out sodium, 3) no can had to be manufactured. I like to cook up a 2 lb bag of dried beans and then freeze them in little recycled plastic containers so that I have perfect individual servings that I can just pop in the microwave for a minute to thaw and then make a burrito or whatever.

[Acorn]

I also cook my beans in a pot so the slow cooker method isn't familiar to me. It may be they didn't cook long enough, or it may be that you needed a bit more seasoning. I agree, opening a can is easier, but once you get your recipe down, homemade is much tastier. :)

[Blackdog Lin]

We only make refried beans out of the leftovers of the pot of beans we've eaten on. After having 1 or 2 meals out of a 2 lb. batch, we freeze the leftovers. Later, when we're wanting bean dip or burritos, I thaw, mush, and add seasonings. Pretty good stuff, and it works with any type of beans.

[Rosemary]

I often cook beans in the slow cooker. Your slow cooker may not have cooked them long/hot enough. Older slow cookers have a lower heat setting on both low and high than new ones. I have a large older one and a medium-sized newer one. The older one takes at least 12 hours on low to cook pinto and similar-sized beans, and often I have to turn it to high a couple hours before dinner to finish them. The newer one cooks the same beans in about half the time.

You can speed up the slow cooker cooking by soaking/draining/placing beans in slow cooker, then adding boiling water at the start of cooking.

Note that for kidney beans and other beans in that family, it is recommended that beans be cooked at a boil for 10 minutes to prevent food poisoning:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FoodborneIllness/FoodborneIllnessFoodbornePathogensNaturalToxins/BadBugBook/ucm071092.htm

[treehugger]

I always cook my dried beans in a slow cooker, and it takes about 8 hours on low, after an overnight soak, so I really don't think that was the problem. The culprit might be that taco seasoning. Does it contain salt? Theories differ, but I have found through my own experience that adding salt too soon makes the skins stay tough.

I cook my soaked beans with some chopped raw onion and garlic overnight or all day (while I am at work) and then add salt during the last hour, if me schedule permits, or, just salt at the end if necessary.

Cooked beans will taste pretty bland on their own (especially compared to salty canned whole and refried beans), but seasoning is easily added when cooking/preparing further or when serving. Oh, oh the taste and texture is so much better than canned! And this is from someone who was raised on canned whole and refried beans and always loved them. Then I tried cooking from dry, and I will never go back!

Kara

[kally]

you didn't put any salt into the cooking pot did you?

[Gregg]

We put beans, water, salt, lard (yes, real lard) and finely chopped onion and jalapenos in the pressure cooker. 15# of pressure for about 10 minutes and they are done. We usually soak the beans the night before. It's not necessary because of the pressure, but any dirt and grit gets washed away with the soaking. Unsoaked beans would probably take closer to 25 or 30 minutes to fully cook. We're obviously not going for fat free or sodium free beans, just the flavor and texture we like and this is it.

[Greg44]

I added the commerical "Taco Seasoning" packet and I am sure it is loaded with salt. I combined the rinsed beans, water, chopped onion and seasoning to the slow cooker and turned it on!

[pinkytoe]

Once a month, I cook up a pot of beans and jar up for the freezer. I do the quick boil method - pour dried beans into a large pot, cover by one inch of water, bring to a boil and shut off for an hour. Then I add - one onion diced, 4-6 garlic cloves, a tsp of ground cumin and a tsp of chili powder. They simmer usually about 3 hours to get soft. I add salt towards the end. We never refry the freshly cooked beans - only when they have been cooked once and sat. To refry, I don't use oil of any kind - just throw the cooked beans in the cast iron skillet with some liquid and mash.

[puglogic]

Another refried bean aficionado here. I use a slow cooker too, and have noticed that I have similar problems with skins not breaking down if one or both of these is true:

I added salt too early in the cooking process. I always add my spices and salt AFTER the beans are mostly tender and maybe have an hour to go.

The beans are old and tough.

We do this for the same reasons as jp. We freeze them in 2c containers when they're done and mashed. Also, we buy our beans in bulk from our local organic bulk grocer, and it comes out to pennies a serving for wonderful, organic protein that you can quickly reheat and wrap up in a ww tortilla with some cheese and veggies....yum. Now I'm hungry.

Give it another try, Greg, it's worth it!

[Rosemary]

The Cooks Illustrated people concluded that salt can be added when cooking beans. I've done it both ways and have not had issues with salt.

[jp1]

Once a month, I cook up a pot of beans and jar up for the freezer. I do the quick boil method - pour dried beans into a large pot, cover by one inch of water, bring to a boil and shut off for an hour. Then I add - one onion diced, 4-6 garlic cloves, a tsp of ground cumin and a tsp of chili powder. They simmer usually about 3 hours to get soft. I add salt towards the end. We never refry the freshly cooked beans - only when they have been cooked once and sat. To refry, I don't use oil of any kind - just throw the cooked beans in the cast iron skillet with some liquid and mash.

I've always read that you should dump the soaking water, rinse the beans and use fresh water for cooking. Supposedly this cuts down on the enzyme that causes flatulence.

[Bastelmutti]

Salt is fine, but acid is not and will make the beans tough (so don't add tomatoes or lime juice before the beans are soft). I think it was probably the heat setting. I soak, rinse, cover with fresh water, and cook for about 4 hrs. on high. Works fine.

[Greg44]

I am up to trying the whole refried bean thing again - I will keep you posted. Thanks for all the suggestions! Greg44

[Anne Lee]

I cook my beans in a slow cooker. I cook on high and add fat, usually olive oil but sometimes bacon or butter depending. I don't drain the beans but use that bean juice as the base of the gravy and seasoning.

[Tiam]

I like slow cooker beans. I cook stove top too. I do or do not soak depending on how much time I have. I season with salt about half through the cooking process. I always put in garlic to cook along with it. I don't actually do the 're fry' part, but I do drain the liquid (but don't toss it!) I mash and add liquid as necessary. I like them simple, with garlic and salt. There usually is a bit of toughness to the skins, but not much. The more you mash, the smoother they are, but I don't care about that either. A bit of roughness is appreciated. I love, love, love pintos. They are comfort food to me.

[pinkytoe]

you should dump the soaking water, rinse the beans and use fresh water for cookingDown here in pinto bean country, the natives add an herb called epazote which supposedly eliminates the gaseous effect beans can have.

[Tiam]

Down here in pinto bean country, the natives add an herb called epazote which supposedly eliminates the gaseous effect beans can have.


Yay! I've been seeing more and more epazote being sold along side potted cilantro and couldn't figure out what it is for, as it has little flavor.

[Tiam]

Don't know the perfect answer, but went to my favorite Mexican groceria and they have the most delicious beans and rice. I could live off them...true comfort food.

[Mrs. Hermit]

I cook my UNSOAKED dry beans in a crockpot for 9+ hours. (2 inches of washed beans at the bottom of the crock, then fill the crock with water). Then I drain, mash, and season the beans. I've experimented with adding salt during the cooking time, and I don't find it makes the beans tough. But if the beans are old, they can take longer to cook. I fish a few out and test them before I start mashing.

[Tiam]

Or.....Gregg, you could just do the stovetop.

[Greg44]

Trying another batch - have a simple question - I am cooking them on the stove top, should they be covered?

[Amaranth]

I am cooking them on the stove top, should they be covered?

Yes. It helps if the pot is larger than you think you'd need and that you watch it for awhile so it just simmers rather than boiling over--messy to clean.

Check it periodically and add hot water if needed to keep it from sticking/burning.

[Tiam]

Trying another batch - have a simple question - I am cooking them on the stove top, should they be covered?

I would. Leaving them uncovered discolors them and makes them dark.

Now, can someone tell me what contribution epazote makes? Unlike Cilantro, I really can't taste the flavor of it.

[Rogar]

I grew some epazote in my garden last summer. It grew like a weed without much attention and I trimmed fresh spears of it to use in Mexican dishes like beans and chilies. I thought it added a subtle and pleasant flavor that is pungent and maybe savory or almost creosote like. I don't know that it made a big difference, but was fun to experiment with and contributed to some flavor complexity. I'll probably grow it again if my local nursery has some starts this spring.

[Tiam]

I grew some epazote in my garden last summer. It grew like a weed without much attention and I trimmed fresh spears of it to use in Mexican dishes like beans and chilies. I thought it added a subtle and pleasant flavor that is pungent and maybe savory or almost creosote like. I don't know that it made a big difference, but was fun to experiment with and contributed to some flavor complexity. I'll probably grow it again if my local nursery has some starts this spring.


Creasote...not sure what that tastes like?

[SteveinMN]

Epazote is supposed to ease the -- umm -- percussive after-effects of eating lots of beans. I'm sure I've tasted it in Mexican restaurants, but I've never used it myself. I find the characterization of the flavor as "creosote-like" a little disturbing, though, since I usually associate creosote not with smoking foods but with treating telephone poles, etc. to be more weather-resistant. Not a scent I find attractive....