Cooking Exceptionally With Gin Lee

Old Dried Beans? Use Baking Soda to Help Soften Them You’ve soaked dried beans, simmered them for hours, and they’re still firm. Before tossing the pot, check the beans: old dried beans may still be usable, and baking soda can help soften them. But the result depends on how the beans were stored, what kind you’re cooking, and how hard your water is. A small amount of baking soda may speed softening, but it can also affect flavor and texture. Use it with care, inspect the beans first, and cook them thoroughly. Age alone doesn’t mean a bag belongs in the trash. Why Old Dried Beans Can Stay Hard Age can affect how beans cook Dried beans can become harder to cook as they sit in storage. Researchers call this the “hard-to-cook” phenomenon: under some conditions, beans take much longer to soften, even after soaking. It can happen with older beans, but age alone doesn’t guarantee a problem. Heat and humidity can speed quality loss. A bag stored for years in a warm, damp cupboard may cook less...

Slow Cooker Classic BBQ Beans Recipe for Your Next Cookout Forget the watery, bland beans that come straight out of a can. Authentic, homemade BBQ beans should be rich, thick, and packed with layers of smoky flavor. When you make a classic BBQ beans recipe at home, you control the ingredients and the outcome. Using a slow cooker is the best way to get that deep, slow-cooked taste without spending hours standing over a stove. This method allows the sauce to thicken while the beans become tender enough to melt in your mouth. It is the perfect side dish for any gathering, from casual backyard dinners to big holiday potlucks. You do not need fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients to make this dish. The magic happens because of patience and the slow, consistent heat of your cooker. By letting the flavors meld together over several hours, you create a complex taste that store-bought versions cannot match. Whether you are hosting friends or just prepping meals for the week, this approach...

Creamy slow cooked great northern beans Great northern beans aren't only delicious, but they are super nutritious. They're high in fiber, potassium, magnesium, and calcium (among others). Plus, these babies are cholesterol free.  If you suffer from flatulence after eating beans, add one carrot or one whole potato to the pot while they're slow cooking. Either of these root vegetables will absorb the gas quite effectively. Creamy slow cooked great northern beans Ingredients: 2 pounds of dried great northern beans Ham, ham bone, ham hocks, or pork roast bone (with some meat left on the bones) 1 onion, diced finely 3 cloves of minced garlic 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika 1 tablespoon of freshly ground black pepper 1-½ teaspoons of seasoning salt 1 cup of evaporated milk 20 cups (5 quarts) of cold water (for the crock-pot) Optional : 1 can of cream of celery soup 1 carrot, or one potato, to help prevent farting. Yes, a whole carrot, or a whole potato will absorb gas efficiently ...