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You can think of these Cranberry Beans as Pinto Beans Lite. They have a similar flavor to pintos but are creamier and slightly less 'beany'. A great option for refried beans. mexicanplease.com
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4.56 from 9 votes

Cranberry Pot Beans

You can think of these Cranberry Beans as Pinto Beans Lite. They have a similar flavor to pintos but are creamier and slightly less 'beany'. A great option for refried beans.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time2 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 12 (6 cups)
Calories: 120kcal
Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

  • 2 cups dried cranberry beans
  • 2-3 tablespoons lard (or oil)
  • 1 small onion (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2-3 quarts cold water

Instructions

  • Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans
  • Rinse the beans and drain well
  • Add beans to a wide saucepan or pot and cover with at least 12 cups of water, or so the water level is 2" above the beans
  • Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of lard (or oil)
  • Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 2-3 hours partially covered.  Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water if you need to (I added an additional 4-6 cups of water to this batch).
  • Start biting into them after 1 1/2 hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time.
  • Once done add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.  Take a final taste for salt. (I added another generous pinch to this batch).
  • If you want, portion into 1 cup sized bags (or jars). Include plenty of the broth in the portion bags.

Notes

Beans are hyper-sensitive to salt amount so be sure to do lots of taste testing towards the end of the simmer and add more if necessary.
When adding additional water to the cooking beans, using hot/boiling water will reduce cooking time. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 120kcal