Beans and Jerky

[pasmokepole]

At fishing camp, I tried the dried bean and jerky soup. Soaked the dried beans - the 15 bean/variety kind(with dried onion and garlic flakes) and jerky overnight in some beer. I still had to boil the stuff for almost 2 hours in my copper mug and the beans were STILL a bit tough. Did I do something wrong? They soaked like 12 hours. Any pointers?
By the way - nothing I'd like to eat too much of but was very filling AND musical.
Good and light weight for a weekend trek.

 

[chipper]

Beans boiled first then soaked over night still take forever to cook.
I belive it's allmost too much to cook beans on an outing. I buy pre-cooked dehydrated beans from the local health food store along with pre-cooked dehydrated rice. Mix the two together and pour in hot water and you have an nice meal. Carry or make some tortillias and your living large. The best part about mixing rice and beans 50% 50% is you won't get gas. (this is important when hunting) The vegitarians say it makes a perfect protien when combined.
You could probably dehydrate your own beans at home and rice too by placing the beans on a pan in the oven with the temp. set to the lowest setting and a wooden spoon holding the door open. That's how I make Jerky indoors in the winter.
Another suggestion is to have a portable pressure cooker. My buddy has one for mountaineering. Cooking beans in there still take about 45 min.
Regards

 

[Ridge]

Beans are a viable food source on a trek.

Just bring the water to a boil and then toss the beans in. Take the pot off of the fire and let the beans soak in the hot water for about an hour. Then put them back on the fire and cook until done.

It's not a quick meal, but what else are you going to do at night?

 

[boar]

The one Mustanger would cook his beans, then dry what was left over for his next camp. You might try and precook some at home,dry and take with you on trip. Dilly

 

[bigbore442001]

There may be an alternative, so to speak. If you are camping in one spot for a while you could construct a bean hole.

It is pit cooking with a Dutch oven. Dig a hole and start a fire in the hole. Let it burn down to coals and then put the Dutch oven with the mix on top of the coals.Then bury them. This could be done the night before and then for the next day you should have properly cooked beans.

For someone on the move all the time, you could take the beans and grind them into a powder in a mill. The powdered beans would be a lot easier and quicker to cook.