slow-cooker beans help?

I know that the word 'slow' does figure in the term 'slow-cooker', but I think this is getting ridiculous.

I soaked some black beans in water for 10 hours yesterday, and then at 8pm last night, put the beans in the slow cooker with some chipotles in adobo and just enough water to cover them.

Checked them at 8am this morning, after they'd been cooking 12 hours... still hard.
Cooked them further all day until just now - 3pm- and they are still very, erm... al dente.

Seems like these beans are never going to cook to a nice soft bean-y texture!    They've been cooking 19 hours on low.

Is this as good as they're going to get?  Or if i let them cook and cook and cook, will they eventually get soft?

 

This happened to me once and I got so annoyed I dumped them into a regular pot and finished cooking them on the stove. That was the first and last time I made beans in a slow cooker. 

This happened to me once and I got so annoyed I dumped them into a regular pot and finished cooking them on the stove. That was the first and last time I made beans in a slow cooker. 

i might have to resort to this!
I usually do my beans on the hob, but thought i'd branch out this time, since time wasn't a factor... but this is just dragging on!

IMO beans cooked in a slow cooker never get the great flavor that stove- cooked beans do.  I usually end up throwing them on the stove too but I like using salt and tabasco and that can ruin your crock pot.

I do beans in the slow cooker as a general rule, and they usually work fine. It's probably just an old batch of beans. Not sure whether putting them on the hob will help or not.

I do beans in the slow cooker as a general rule, and they usually work fine. It's probably just an old batch of beans. Not sure whether putting them on the hob will help or not.

ON NOOOOOOO!!!!!
It most definitely is an old batch of beans... the bag's been open in my cupboard for over a year.  Is that the problem?

I feel like crying now!   Wasted a tin of chipotles in adobo on this!!

It might the salt in the adobo.  I also don't know if peppers have the same effect as tomatoes do (basically slowing/halting bean cooking supposedly).

I don't tend to do whole beans in the slow cooker as I've had problems in the past and that's when I found the salt and tomato claims on the internet. I don't know if it's true or just an excuse for hard, undercooked beans. Split peas and lentils slow cook fine for me in the slow cooker.

Hmmm... I will try boiling them on the hob for a while and see how it goes.
If that doesnt work, then i guess i will have learned a lesson that dried beans do not keep forever!

Don't feel bad, Q-G. When my beans didn't cook they were new, so I have no idea why they didn't work!

Hmmm... I will try boiling them on the hob for a while and see how it goes.
If that doesnt work, then i guess i will have learned a lesson that dried beans do not keep forever!

I hope it works for you! But yes, they don't keep forever, sadly. I have some I probably need to cook myself...

It might the salt in the adobo.  I also don't know if peppers have the same effect as tomatoes do (basically slowing/halting bean cooking supposedly).

I don't tend to do whole beans in the slow cooker as I've had problems in the past and that's when I found the salt and tomato claims on the internet. I don't know if it's true or just an excuse for hard, undercooked beans. Split peas and lentils slow cook fine for me in the slow cooker.

As far as I've been able to figure out, the salt thing has been debunked. Acid, on the other hand, is supposed to be problematic. That said, I have a black bean dish with tomato salsa and orange juice concentrate that cooks fine in the slow cooker.

Don't feel bad, Q-G. When my beans didn't cook they were new, so I have no idea why they didn't work!

I've had problems with freshly purchased beans - but I had my doubts about how long they'd sat around the shop!

update:  they seem to be softening!

I've had NO joy with getting beans soft in the slow cooker.  Or carrots or tatties, either.

I just do them on the hob.

I'll never do them in the slow cooker again.
It's great for some things, but this isn't one of them!

My mother just happened to catch an episode of American's Test Kitchen where they explore the issue of salt. The jist of it is, soak your beans in salted water overnight or longer. Rinse very well, then cook them but DON'T add salt for flavor until they are almost finished.

You can find a bit about it here:

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipe.asp?recipeids=4860&iSeason=9

though you will need to register with the site (it's free) to get the content. Their test recipe was Tuscan Bean Soup.

That link also has directions for a faster soak if you're in a hurry.

We're going to try this recipe in the next week or so.

As for the slow cooker, I bring them to a boil on the hob, then add them to the slow cooker.

Q-G   - hope your beans end up really good!

As for the slow cooker, I bring them to a boil on the hob, then add them to the slow cooker.

Q-G   - hope your beans end up really good!

Thanks...

I did wonder if i should have done this... in the same way that you sometimes have to brown meat before you put it in the slowie.