On 2012-05-10 00:16:03 +0000, John Kuthe said:

> On Wed, 9 May 2012 16:40:39 -0700, gtr > wrote:
>
>> On 2012-05-09 23:32:08 +0000, John Kuthe said:
>>
>>> I make a big batch at a time and start with 1/2 bag of black beans, 1
>>> bag each of black eyes peas, garbanzos and red kidney beans. Rinse
>>> then soak overnight, drain, cook in water only for 1/2 our or so,
>>> drain and replace water and add 5 beef boullion cubes, 8 ox can of
>>> tomato paste, 1/4 cup brown sugar, dollop of molasses, black pepper,
>>> paprika, cayenne, bay leaf, and 3 chopped red onions I sweated in
>>> bacon grease from 6 or 7 strips of bacon, which I cook while the beans
>>> are cooking, then I crumble and add the bacon last and cook for
>>> another 1/2 hour covered.
>>
>> I got a number of bags and half-bags of beans that have been
>> malingering in the pantry. I think I'll take a way left turn on the
>> above and see what happens.
>
> Experiment! How bad coluld it be?

Fortunately only so bad, still I was greatly frustrated by a bean soup
last time around. The skins were so tough after a nights bath, and
vastly more cooking time than intended. My wife thinks the beans were
old. I'll hope that was the problem.

> Warning thoug, when I first started cooking my home made "baked beans"
> I used chili powder and they ended up tasting more like chili than the
> "sweet beans" I was after. I add just enough cayene now to give them a
> little zip. Not too much though!

Over-reacting to other goof-ups, these days I tend to underseason,
which is also a pain...