reviving old beans
Wanda Case
03/07/06 		I've recently discovered a way to get my old beans to soften when cooking them all day didn't work. I haven't seen this idea anywhere on the web and want to get the word out. Since adding an acid like tomatoes or vinegar to beans too soon in the cooking process causes them to not soften properly, I decided to add a base, (baking soda) to the pot before throwing them out. Two pinches of baking soda
(created a lot of bubbling) and 10 minutes later the beans were as soft and delicious. There was no change to the usual bean flavor. My 40lbs of 7 year old pink beans which were stored in the garage in South Carolina (not the best conditions) are being cooked on a regular basis with great results. I presoak the beans over night, drain them and then add up to a teaspoon of baking soda in the beginning or toward the end and they are soft and tender in about one hour.
ellen
03/07/06 		This is a good way to avoid wasting. However, be aware that adding the baking soda uses upost of the B vitamins in the veggies. I would stir in a few tablespoons of good tasting nutritional yeast flaskes (Kal or Red Star VSF< for example) just before serving.