Beans

[Camille Eonich]

Del can you give me a quick lesson on cooking beans?  I tried to search for it but.....

[Delmonico]

Take a bag of beans and sort out the rocks, dirt clods and broken beans.  Rinsie and cover with water, remove any floaters, about twice as much water as beans will be needed.  Soak over night and rinse.  Cover with water and add salt to taste, bring to a boil and let simmer till tender. (2-3 hours)  Some folks put a bit of salertus (baking soda) in the water also.  This is sair to reduce the gasous effect.

[Uncle Eph]

Beans are something that I think I know something about, no brag, just fact, .

I doubt that there has been more than a year in my 50 something years that beans have not been on the table at least once a week.

here is the way that I do it: sort them out then soak them over night next morning rinse them and toss them in the pot with a couple of ham hocks,and a chopped up sweet onion (Walla Walla's are the best) and cover with fresh water, grind some fresh pepper in then put them on the stove and heat them up til they are just bubbling, then leave them alone, keep your eye on the pot and add very hot water so you always have a inch over the beans.  When the meat is falling off the bones remove them and get rid of the rind and bones, put the meat back in the pot and cook awhile longer.  Add the salt about a hour before serving, if you put the salt in too soon the beans will be tough.

I use a 100 year old cast iron "bean pot" with either gas or my wood stove. 

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[Camille Eonich]

Sillies!  I can do beans on the stove!  I wanna light a fire and cook them in my dutch oven outside.  Specifics about how long they will have to cook out there and more coals on the bottom that the top and stuff like that is what I need.

[Delmonico]

Just like on the stove, ya won't even need the ones on the top.  Enough coals to make er boil (start with a good shovelful) and enogh after that to simmer them.  Make sure yer oven is good and seasoned, this is not a good one for the first time or two.  Malee some Bear sign in them or even a good fat pot roast.

[Camille Eonich]

Del I got the pre-seasoned ones.  Will they work or do I need to do some other stuff in them first.  The weather is gettin' cool down here and it feels about right for outside cookin'.

[Delmonico]

I'd cook something like a good chuck roast first and then when done clean the oven and wipe it down real good when hot first.  Beans tend to pull the seasoning out.  The worst thing that will happen it the beans will be high in iron.