Storage Beans Won’t Cook :(

[EmeraldCat]

I have beans that have been in buckets since 2020. I guess I’m bad at prepping because I didn’t put them in Mylar or anything — they’ve just been in the buckets. I’ve been trying to cook them up to rotate through them, and I had wanted to can up one of the buckets, but they are HARD! I soak them, I boil them, I put them in the Instant Pot — nothing cooks these beans. And they’re bitter. So…do I have to toss them? When I replace them, is there anything I can do to make them last longer? 
 

I’m trying to figure out what could have caused this, and the only thing I can think of is that when we moved cross country, those beans were sitting in a VERY hot moving truck trailer for about three weeks total. Could the heat have toughened the beans? 

[euphrasyne]

Sometimes older beans need more soaking.   I've had to soak some for a few days then pressure cook to get them right.  Change the water every 8 hours or so to prevent them from getting moldy.  

[Littlesister]

I have canned beans that I put in canning jars with O2 absorbers. Some I have had for a few years like that. They do take longer to cook, and I soak them overnight.  They stay in a cool, dark area.  It is possible that being in a hot moving truck for 3 weeks may have affected the beans. All food that is kept for long term if stored properly should last a long time. Beans and rice they say can last 10 years or longer if stored properly. So, storage has a lot to do with it. Even the long-term foods you buy like Mountain house and others need to be stored in a cool, dark place or they won't last for the 25 to 30 years they say they will. 

[Jeepers]

I've heard about beans getting so hard they were barely cookable. Probably not a word but all I could think of. I have some old ones that I want to make into soup and I'll probably have issues too. I've heard adding baking soda helps but I don't know about that first hand. 

[Mother]

I had that happen to me with a whole bucket of great northern beans. Mine had been stored in a cool place unless they had been exposed to harsh temperatures before reaching me. Nothing I tried made them cook up soft.  Even Euphrasyne’s suggestion didn’t work with them.  I went so far as planting some but they never grew. Rather than have them go to waste I ran them through the mill and made flour from them.  I made sure to use the flour only in cooked or baked products as raw dry beans are not easily digested otherwise.  As a flour they added great fiber to a recipe.  

[euphrasyne]

I wouldn't have thought about making them into flour.  great idea!

 

[Littlesister]

I have also heard that baking soda in the soak water helps soften them but have never tried it. I will have to try that when I make them again. 

I also never thought about making the older beans into flour. Might have to try that out also.  One thing I do have is lots of beans and plenty of rice. I also have lots of recipes for it.  I have one that was the few things my mom could make that was good. It was the large lima beans. She would put them in a baking pan with tomatoes and cheese. Then would layer the top with bacon and put into oven for I think 45 minutes.  I haven't tried that in years. Will have to see if I have the large lima beans in my stock and try that. Been a few years since I made it. 

[EmeraldCat]

Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions!

 

I did soak the beans overnight, then for most of the next day, changing the water once.  They still would not cook.  I even tried pressure cooking them -- it took almost three hours at high pressure to get them to a state resembling soft enough to eat, but they were still grainy in a very unpleasant way and extremely bitter.  They were also a weird dark color.  I threw them away, which was sad because they were supposed to be for Thanksgiving dinner.  They were simply inedible.  

 

I've tried using baking soda with them and that doesn't work either.  I feel really bad because I have 75 pounds of these beans!  Maybe I'll try the flour idea.  I do have a great grinder that I have ground beans in before.  I'm wondering if they'll give that strange bitter taste to whatever I put them in, though...it would be worth a try.  Mother, when you ground them, what did you add the flour to?  Did it change the texture of whatever you were baking?  

[Mother]

I was cautious when using the flour replacing no mor than a fourth or less of the flour I was using.  They didn’t work well for thickening but did good in baked goods with no bean taste.  Though your’s with their bitter taste might.  Try a small amount in making biscuits or in cookies.  The flour should go well in chocolate things.  I used the bean flour to make up semi instant soups with powdered dehydrated veggies and seasonings.  One we liked was taco seasonings; bean flour; dehydrated tomatoes, onions, peppers; and etc. mixed together and added to hot water.  Like instant soup except I let it simmer five or 10 minutes before serving in mugs.  
 

Do try a small amount of the flour with something first but then don’t be afraid to experiment.  
 

 

[euphrasyne]

The only bean flour I've used is besan (chickpea flour.) And it does super great as a tempura type batter, hummus, or as part of various fritters and meat replacements.  I have used whole pureed beans as part of the liquid/fat in things like cakes and brownies and it does well that way.   I'm betting black bean flour would do well as a deep fried or breaded coating on things and would work well for southwestern flair.  Perhaps as part of a black bean/flour tortilla?  Then fried and cut into strips or triangles for dips.  Red beans, I'm thinking Asian sweets or bread.   You could soak them again and pressure cook them like last time then process them with sugar and water to get a red bean paste to use in mochi, dumplings, and other sweet steamed buns.  The grainy would break down a bit after processing and the sugar would counter the bitterness so read bean paste might be a good use if they are red beans.   

 

What type of beans are you working with?  I'll try to link some more specific recipes.  

[Annarchy]

9 hours ago, euphrasyne said:

What type of beans are you working with?  

Exactly, & how long have they been in storage?

[Annarchy]

My old beans, (10 yrs.). I’ve put in a flat porcelain baking pan, on top of a paper towel, covered with plastic wrap , then, covered with a light cotton towel, in a semi warm place, rinsed daily until they start to swell.  Hence, begin to grow.  Rinsed with cold water daily, then I cook them.  IDK what type of beans you are using, but navy beans, pinto beans, mung beans, and a plethora of other beans have all began to grow, after a few days to a week or so, of soaking, like that.  

 

From this….

 

 

to this, in 5 days…. 
 

 

 

I am going to try this recipe…. It doesn’t call for bean sprouts, but, DH likes them..

 

 

https://bluejeanchef.com/recipes/chicken-egg-roll-wonton-cups/

 

[Annarchy]

Yes, I pre-plan bean meals, just because they don’t soften, by just cooking them….  And, I don’t want to waste what is in my storage…

[Ambergris]

https://espressomio.ru/en/from-fruit/chto-delat-esli-fasol-gorchit-pochemu-gorchit-fasol-posle-varki-pochemu/

 

TLDR: You could try the sometimes condescending advice in the article for removing the bitterness.  Sometimes, however, the beans are bad from the start, being poorly grown, or were old/damaged when you bought them.  If so, there's no cure.