I cooked up some of our pinto beans…I just couldn’t let them sit in their bucket any longer! Nothing is nicer than fresh pinto beans!
Lots of time the pinto beans on the store shelves are at least two years old or older. The darker the pinto bean the older the pinto bean is…a fresh or one year old pinto bean is light in color and takes only a couple of hours to soak. Older pinto beans have to soak over-night before they have reached a level by which they can be cooked and eaten.
Once you eat a fresh pinto bean you will understand what you have been missing—tender, moist, non-mealy, yummm.
When I was growing up pinto beans were cooked with ham, then served on the plate by themselves and the ham with a bread, with chopped onions on top. My Momma was a southern girl, who was raised in New Mexico so our family enjoyed a nice mix of Texas, New Mexican (and yes there is a difference) and Colorado food. (Daddy was born in California but was raised right here in our part of Colorado).
We had pinto beans and bread for one meal…usually Monday. After that we had pinto bean sandwiches for lunch, pinto beans as a side dish, then maybe a break from them, then pinto beans in a stew or a soup, and sometimes as baked beans.
I still do the same. Although, Terry isn’t fond of the whole plate of pinto bean meal, I am. I grew up that way so of course I still like it. I also served my growing family pretty much the same way as my Momma did, only I have since added in pinto beans in my tacos or as tostadas.
I like to smash the beans and pour ketchup on them. Terry puts on picanti sauce.
When I went to school the school hot lunches would feature pinto beans in some sort of nasty butter sauce…I still don’t like it, but others might.
I’m sure there are lots of good ideas out there maybe some of my followers would like to leave all of us a recipe or two.
The sun is shining today and the air feels fresh and clean…
Your farming friend,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
I used them in baked beans along with Great Northern Beans, I like the mixture. I always have to soak overnight. I boil them up and then add browned up bacon and onion and then a mixture of molasses, brown sugar, ketsup , mustard, salt and pepper. I make a big batch and then freeze them up in individual servings! 🙂
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Got a few bees do ya?:)
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I adore your pinto beans and have a thousand ways to make them. They are an excellent source of protein, fiber and vitamins.
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We’ve been reading about Colorado flooding and keep hoping it isn’t affecting you. I had never thought about beans as a health food until they became the healtth food of the 1990’s and I found out what a rich source of nutrients they are at a great price. Since then I have included them in meal planning. But pinto bean sandwich is a new one for ,me.
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I’m really hungry for pinto beans and ham now.
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Had to check in on you this morning to be sure you weren’t affected by this devastating flooding taking place in other parts of your state. Glad to see you are dry and enjoying the fruits of your labor. I never knew – I think you educated me a few years back – that those beans that take FOREVER to soak/cook are old. Sometimes they NEVER get tender. Fresh beans are truly the yummiest things.
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Mmm! Sounds delicious! Here is a recipe I like to make with pinto beans: http://sharedappetite.com/how-to-make-perfect-home-cooked-cowboy-beans/
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You’ve made me hungry! I agree that fresh pinto beans are hard to beat.
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The most common way to prepare them out here is refried beans. Bo-ring! A friend told me to top a wild rice mix from Trader Joe’s with prepared beans and feta cheese, so I’m going to try that.
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Hi Linda, There is ALOT of difference (I KNOW since I have eaten yours) in fresh Pintos and ones we usually buy in the stores…. LOTS of difference!!!! I love Pinto Beans and Cornbread –especially in Fall. YUMMMMMMM….
Hugs,
Betsy
Explain the header….. I may have missed a post this past weekend.
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Answered my own question about your header…. Now I remember that you are feeding the bees to keep them OUT of the hummer feeders…. duh!!!!
Hugs,
Betsy
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Ifind this fascinating – I have never seen or heard of pinto beans being sold or indeed eaten here in the UK. I shall look out for them. It’s a fact that the food we grow up with – particularly if our mum is a good cook – is to some extent the food we eat mainly in later life.
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yum! the pinto beans and ham with a side of bread to sop in… yum!
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If only my family liked beans as much as I do! My brother-in-law is from western Kansas, where they grew pinto beans on their farm. I was given a tub full of them…and promptly stuck them in the freezer. Wish I would have known how much better they are fresh! 🙂
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My husband fondly remembers cornbread with onions and beans. I wasn’t a fan of any of those things as a kid, but I do eat beans and onions now. My mom cooked all kinds of beans, baked beans being my favorite.
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Ah Linda, you are making me hungry. And a bit homesick too. I used to live in pinto bean country and there is nothing better than fresh. I love beans:)
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Glad you’re on the dry side of Colorado. Glad that bean harvest is going well. I don’t think I’ve ever had fresh pintos. Bet they’re as good as fresh russets.
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Hungry! Shouldn’t have read this right before dinner time … I sure don’t have time to soak any pinto beans, especially since the ones I have in the cupboard are undoubtedly the old ones. Dang, I did NOT know about that. We always make cornbread when we have bean soup, which is what I usually make. Haven’t tried your other suggestions (but I don’t even know if I could find good newer ones…I will definitely do some major comparing next time I shop).
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We looooove beans. Thanks for the lesson on color. I didn’t know that!
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Glad to hear you got sunshine. Have a great day!
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