Question about beans?

I got this recipe I'll make, but I have never cooked beans before. The soup bones are in now and I'm thinking of skimming them first, but do I put the beans in to simmer with the bones for 3 hours?

Mexican Market Soup

1 lb. of beans, including Black, Red, Garbanzo, Baby Limas, Pinto, Black-eyed, Lentils, Split Peas, and Barley.

Wash and drain bean mix. Add water to cover and 1 tsp. salt. Let it stand overnight.

Drain and add:
3 quarts water
Bouquet Garni or 2 Bay leaves
Soup bone or Ham Hock

Simmer for 3 hours covered.

Add:
2 lbs tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 stalks celery and leaves, chopped
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt or to taste
1/2 tsp, red pepper or to taste

Simmer 1-1/2 hours uncovered.

Add:
1/2-1 lb smoked link sausage, or smoked turkey sausage, or canned ham, chopped.
4-5 slices raw bacon, chopped
Several pieces of raw chicken
1 Serrano pepper, seeded and chopped

Simmer until chicken is tender, remove bones and return to soup.

Before serving, add a handful of fresh parsley, chopped.

Makes 6 quarts and freezes well. Serve with hot bread.

That sounds really good.

And yes - simmer bones and beans together.

Thanks, I'll put the beans in. :) I just never thought they should cook that long.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Randi

Thanks, I'll put the beans in. :) I just never thought they should cook that long.

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That does seems a little long to me too - especially if soaking overnight. I personally wouldn't soak for more than a couple of hours if you'll be cooking for 3 hours. Or if you do soak overnight - then cut down simmer time to closer to 2 hours. With so many different kinds of beans in that recipe too, each probably has a different ideal cooking time, so you just kind of have to average it out.

Let us know how it turns out.

The beans have now been cooking for about half an hour, I tasted some of them and they are actually fine to eat already, so I ought to take them out. Not sure I'll put sausages in. For the water I have used one cube of OXO's vegetable and one chicken.

For future reference Barley is not a bean it is a grain and just needs to be washed off before cooking ;) The timing of actual cooking for the whole soup more or less depends whether the temp/fire is long and low or a rousing boil (which I don't particularly recommend, I much prefer long and low).

Miss you Randi!!!

Laurie