<p>Started with a bag of white beans. I soaked them according to the package (beans in water, bring to a boil, let sit one hour. I actually let them sit for about 1.5 hrs). Then I drained the beans, added two cans of tomatoes and about two cups of chicken stock. Brought to a boil and simmered, adding water as necessary.</p>
<p>After simmering for four hours, the beans still don’t seem “done”. Do they just need more time, or did I violate some caveat for cooking beans? I usually use canned beans when I cook.</p>
<p>The soup is now in the fridge, hopefully to be resurrected tomorrow. Should I just put it on the stove and let it cook all afternoon again?</p>
<p>I also think when you are so accustomed to canned beans you expect a little more mushiness. I don’t add salt when they are cooking, I think they get tougher. I think I would bring the soup to a boil tomorrow - then turn to simmer as soon as it starts to boil. </p>
<p>Yes, just let them simmer more. I usually soak my beans overnight and put them in a crockpot all day. The good news is that it’s almost impossible to overcook the darn things!</p>
<p>Oh, didn’t know not to add salt. I added some with the tomatoes. Maybe what I am interpreting as uncooked is just toughness. I’ll try simmering away the afternoon tomorrow. Thanks!</p>
<p>The polysaccharide coating on beans needs to be exposed to high temperature in order to soften. So simmering on low won’t soften them even if it is for a long time. Bring the soup temperature uip to almost a boil will help.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that when cooking beans you should not add tomato until the beans are fully cooked as something in the tomato halts the cooking/softening process of the beans. I would put them back on the stove and add some water or broth, bring them to a boil and then down to a simmer for a few hours. If you boil them too fast the outside will get mushy but the inside will still be hard. Good luck!</p>
<p>My father has told me that adding salt to beans and lentils makes them take much much longer to cook – it should be added after they are cooked to the desired consistency.</p>
<p>Ok, so I did multiple bad things…added tomatoes AND salt at the beginning. Lesson learned for next time! Who knew that those simple-looking things could be so complicated?</p>
<p>I just put the soup back on the stove. I’m going to keep adding water and cooking all day…I’ll get those beans soft!</p>
<p>If you have an immersion blender, you could puree the soup easily and the bean fragments should cook quickly. (Or you could do it in a blender or food processor, but that would be tedious and messy!)</p>
<p>I’m learning a lot on this thread. I had no idea about the temperature, the tomatoes, the salt.</p>
<p>Cooked them another five hours on Sunday, then had soup for dinner. It was good, but the beans seemed a little tough…probably because of all the rules I broke!</p>
<p>I froze half of the soup, because with just DH and I at home we get tired of the leftovers before the whole pot is gone. Will try it again in a couple of weeks to see if freezing softens the beans.</p>
<p>Next weekend will be turkey soup made with some stock and meat I froze at Thanksgiving. (Forgot I had that, but found it when I put the bean soup in the freezer). I’m an old pro at turkey soup, so that should be easy compared to the bean soup that took me two days to cook!</p>
<p>Trial and error. I make been soup with yellow-eyed beans. That’s what my mother always used for hers when I was a kid. They are a bit smaller so they soften up faster. I also make a good lentil soup and those soften quickly.</p>
<p>I always soak dried beans overnight. Pour off soaking water and add more water for cooking. I know directions on bag offer the option of bringing to a boil and soaking for an hour but soaking overnight always gets better results. Requires a bit more planning, but results are well worth it.</p>
<p>I use the same method as Beil does: soak them overnight. I buy dry bean medley at Costco, and this method works great and produces almost gas-less soup:</p>
<p>Acid (tomatoes) is a problem; salt is not
Number 6 most popular myth
<a href=“http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2010/10/the-food-labs-top-6-food-myths.html[/url]”>http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2010/10/the-food-labs-top-6-food-myths.html</a>
From Cooksillustrated
"Why does soaking dried beans in salted water make them cook up with softer skins? It has to do with how the sodium ions in salt interact with the cells of the bean skins. As the beans soak, the sodium ions replace some of the calcium and magnesium ions in the skins. Because sodium ions are weaker than mineral ions, they allow more water to penetrate into the skins, leading to a softer texture. During soaking, the sodium ions will only filter partway into the beans, so their greatest effect is on the cells in the outermost part of the beans. "</p>