Comments on: Refried Beans

By: TheHappyHousewife

TheHappyHousewife — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 12:47:10 +0000

Thanks for all your tips Norine, definitely something to try!
Toni

By: Norine

Norine — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 10:52:14 +0000

Hi Toni,
I really appreciate your recipes and I love the pictures! You are doing a great job!
I have been making homemade beans all my life. Yes, they are much better for you (and tastier). Our family has been making these for years, and I just wanted to share another way of making them. This recipe is from my Grandmother who came from Mexico.
We don’t soak the beans. We just rinse the beans (to get rid of the excess dirt on them). Then we put them into a big pot and cover with water – about 1 or 1-1/2 gallons of water, depending on your size of pot. Place pot on your stove top and bring the water to a boil. Next we add one half of an onion, cut into 4 pieces. If you like the flavor of bacon, you can add one slice (uncooked) for flavoring.
Cover and simmer for 3 or 4 hours. Make sure to check the water level every 30-45 minutes to make sure that the water does not evaporate. If it does, go ahead and add more water. (Make sure that you heat the water in the microwave so that it is very hot before you add it to the beans.)
When the beans look like yours do (in the second picture), they will be soft and pinkish brown. You can add your salt now to the beans for flavoring. ( I usually add the salt about 30 minutes before they are fully cooked. )
At this point, they are ready to eat. You can eat them whole like this – like for chili, or you can mash them as in refried beans.
For refried beans: you can put them directly into the frying pan. I do not cool the beans.
I will say that I never thought about freezing the beans after cooking, but I will give it a try!
Thanks for all of your hard work!

By: My Freezer Cooking Day Plan | Frugal & Simple Living

My Freezer Cooking Day Plan | Frugal & Simple Living — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 00:02:09 +0000

[...] Refried Beans [...]

By: Nina T.

Nina T. — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:41:00 +0000

LOVE this recipe! I can’t wait to try it! Thank you!!!

By: Rob

Rob — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 17:02:08 +0000

This is great! I’ve been looking for a refried bean recipe and this is perfect. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks!

By: TheHappyHousewife

TheHappyHousewife — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 20:11:32 +0000

You can freeze beans that have been soaked and cooked. I have never stored beans that have been soaked but not cooked. They would keep in the fridge for a day or two, but probably not longer than that.
Toni

By: Kristen S

Kristen S — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:54:03 +0000

I am just starting to get into buying dried beans, and not buying the already canned ones. Can I soak a big batch and somehow store them? I don’t want the batch to go bad before I use them…or do I just have to do it in smaller batches and keep the dried ones always dried? Thanks!

By: Tara Haner

Tara Haner — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:54:57 +0000

I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for your clear instructions and photos! Makes me hungry they look so yummy. Do you have a preference for cooking pans? We need some new ones and I would like to find something that works well and will last a long time, but isn’t too expensive. I have never tried cast iron, but am considering it. What do you use?

By: Laura

Laura — Wed, 27 May 2009 07:23:03 +0000

[...] I’m cooking pinto beans to make refried beans – with the help of The Happy Housewife [...]

By: Susie G

Susie G — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:47:07 +0000

I made these – didn’t go quite as smoothly as your photos look but in the end – they are terrific! SO MUCH BETTER than anything in a can – and I have loved canned refries. Thanks! I’ll never go back! Well, unless I’m in a hurry