Cooking pinto beans in cast iron

[The Dove]

Is it just me or anyone else? When I try to cook pinto beans (dried beans soaked in water over night) in a cast iron dutch oven on the stove, the beans turn blue in color!!! When I use a regular pot they don't turn blue. What's up with this? Is it just me. BTW, I've tried two different cast iron dutch ovens and they both turned the beans blue.

Thanks for any help.

The Dove

[Le Loup Solitaire]

It is a known fact that cast iron when used for cooking, is a source of iron for the human body in terms of nutrition. A doctor or nutritionist can confirm that. It is that iron in your dutch ovens that is causing your pinto beans to change color so eating them will not turn you into a rare earth magnet. If you have any doubts then call your pharmacist who undoubtedly has a background in chemistry and ask him/her, or your family doctor. It is probably just an element in the makeup of the pinto bean that is reacting to the iron from the cast. LLS

[fatnhappy]

I've never cooked dried pinto beans.
I haven't seen it with great northerns or navy beans, then again I don't like having standing water in my CI overnight.
FWIW I most frequently make beans when I'm camping with scouts. I typically soak them in a 1 gallon ziploc bag that I've thrown in a dutch oven (for safe keeping and practicality) when we pack the camp trailer.

My mother never soaked them overnight. She'd bring them to a boil, turn off the burner and let them sit just a couple hours. There was one instance where that was "insufficient." There and ever after we called her beans "cement suprise."

[tryNto]

Mine will so the same. Don't use it for that anymore.

[waksupi]

Do not let beans, or anything else sit overnight in cast iron, unless there is heat to it. The food can be totally ruined and inedible.

[The Dove]

I am sorry I didn't make it clear. I don't soak them in the cast iron over night. I just soak them in a glass bowl in the fridge overnight and cook them in the cast iron the next day. However, I, like tryNto said, do not use the cast iron to cook them anymore.

Thanks for the help.

The Dove

[Junior1942]

That's why they make Crock Pots. Give 'em 8 to 10 hours on "Low" and you have perfectly cooked beans.

[km101]

I have cooked pinto beans in various cast iron containers over the years, and I have never had them turn blue! Am I missing something? Doing something wrong? I feel left out now that I have read this! Why doit I get blue beans? I deserve them as much as anyone! In fact, according to the currnet administration, I am ENTITLED to them!

[The Dove]

well km, get yourself up here at the J Lazy S J ranch and show me how you do it......... My door is always open.

The Dove

[Char-Gar]

I have cooked lots of beans in cast iron and have never had them turn blue either.

That said, I cook pinto beans in a crock pot. I put them on late afternoon on high. About bedtime I turn them down on low and let the cook overnight. I wake up to Border Beans for breakfast. They are not blue.

1 lb of pinto beans.
1/2 lb of chopped bacon
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 chopped onion
1 ts. of Mexican oregano
1/2 finely chopped jalapeno pepper
a little salt to taste.

No need to soak the beans when you cook them this long.

[hammerhead357]

I never cook beans in my cast iron.. I always use enameled (sp) cook ware or granite cook ware...I understand that at chuck wagon cookoffs if you cook beans in a cast iron pot some judges will disqualify you...

[Lloyd Smale]

I allways thougth the cast iron dutch oven was the classic way to make them. I even bought a new big dutch oven to try it. Havent got around to it yet. If it imparts something unhealthy to the beans wouldnt it do it to about everything you cook in it.

[Shooter]

I cook beans in cast iron, in fact, all my pots are cast iron. No blue beans.
Is your pot well seasoned?
Hammer head357; How did the chuckwagon cooks in the day cook beans without cast?.
From what I understand, beans were a treat on the trail. The time required to cook them was longer than mst lay-overs.
A trail-hand's diet was bacon gravy and biscuits.

[Char-Gar]

I am familiar with Chuck Wagon cooking, cooks and contests and they cook beans in cast iron.

My Grandmother cooked in cast iron, passed it on to me and I have been cooking with cast iron for well over 50 years. The only downside is the weight and the maintainence.

Although expensive the French Le Creuset cookwear is wonderful stuff. It is cast iron with heavy enamel coating. It provides all the benefits of cast iron cooking without all of the maintainence issues.

I am sitting down to key this, just after finishing breakfast. I cooked Kentucky Country Ham on a cast iron griddle, biscuits in the oven in a cast iron skillet and sawmill (white cream) gravy in a Le Creuset sause pan. All washed down with black Columbian coffee. Don't get no better than this!

As an aside, Le Creuset makes some stock pots of various sizes. It is almost impossible to burn foods cooked in these. I don't know how they are made (they are not cast iron), but they are wonderful gizmos. If you are going to cook beans on top of the stove, I don't think you could find anything better..cheaper yes..but better no.

High quality cookware is a lifetime investment for folks who like to cook and eat. It is well worth the price you have to pay.

[tall grass]

I quit soaking my beans when my stepmother asked me "why the bother". Can't tell the difference and don't have to think ahead.

Jim

[SciFiJim]

I quit soaking my beans when my stepmother asked me "why the bother". Can't tell the difference and don't have to think ahead.

Jim

I did just the opposite. I started soaking my beans overnight about 2 batches back. They produce less gas and discomfort that way (at least for me).

My method is to soak them overnight, discard the water they were soaked in and use fresh water to cook them in.

[OneSkinnyMass]

I'll soak and rinse a couple times during the night and the water gets cleaner each rinse. helps the final look of the beans especially if ya are making a bean soup and want the added veggies to keep their original colors like carrots, celery and white onion. uummmm good stuff

Skinny

[Char-Gar]

I'll soak and rinse a couple times during the night and the water gets cleaner each rinse. helps the final look of the beans especially if ya are making a bean soup and want the added veggies to keep their original colors like carrots, celery and white onion. uummmm good stuff

Skinny

Here again we have regional cooking. I know of no Texan who would put carrots and celery in beans. That might even be a hanging offense in some remote parts of the state.

[The Dove]

Hey Char, I think he was refering to bean soup, not a pot of beans. I have tried some bean soup (made with northern beans I beleive) while I was stationed in Minnesota and while I never do cook it, it was different and pretty tasty.

To my beans, I add chilli powder, some cumin, 4 bay leaves, maybe a cube or 2 of beef boulion, salt and pepper, and some Jalopeno's when the Mrs. ain't around. I also will either add two ham hocks, or a ham bone, or some fat back when making a pot of beans. Been known to throw in a russet a time or two to get the juice a little thicker and starchy (but I always pull it out before serving)... Throw on a pan of home-made cornbread and step back boy's..... Love them beans.......

The Dove

[Char-Gar]

Bean soup? What the heck is that all about? Must be some sort of Yankee thing. Sounds awful!