Y'know I don't ever recall eating them fresh either and we grew up
growing them and eating them all the time. Wonder what fresh ones do
taste like. I will say though about your cooking plans, if they are
dried you'd best not cook them with tomatoes or they will never get soft
enought to eat. Something about the tomatoes makes them tough tough.
At least thats been my experience.

Wayne Lundberg wrote:

>"GJB" <nomail@network> wrote in message
alkaboutcooking.com...
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>>I bought fresh pinto beans in shell at local farmers market this
>>week...googled for recipes and see that they need to be shelled, put in
>>water, and boiled for 15 minutes. Then drain water, return beans to a pan
>>and cook with seasonings (and ripe tomatoes per one receipe I looked at)
>>and about 1 cup water per one lb of beans (that's 1 lb when you started);
>>cover and cook until beans are tender, about an hour.
>>However a recipe for refried beans only had initial 15 min boiling, then
>>short saute with oil, onion, and seasonings, then pureed with potato
>>masher.
>>
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>I'm responding to your note with full expectations of being flamed because
>in my experience with Mexican food, we never, never use fresh beans in
>anything. I'm guessing that since beans are legums that can be stored for
>long periods of time, as with corn, that the ancient natives that invented
>agriculture, chose to keep beans for when fresh produce was not available.
>Kind of like grandma bottling peaches for times when fresh fruit is not
>available. So every recipe that I have calls for ... dried beans.
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>I'm not being critical, believe me, and am curious as to what a fresh pinto
>bean might taste like. In my 70 years on this planet I have not had the
>pleasure. Peas, yes, lima beans, yes...
>
>Thank you for making me think!
>
>Wayne
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