One thing i have already noticed! These new pots and pans don't give you a warning (by sound), one minute they are just looking like a few bubbles, the next they are boiling like mad!!
How do you ladies get this under control?

Changeling

Well they have been cooking for quite a while now, I tried some of the beans, they are very grainy like they are half cooken, actually taste like broken cardboard. What am I doing wrong?

Changeling, Did you add salt yet? Sometimes adding to much salt in the begining will cause the beans to not soften as they should, until cooked FOREVER! However, I find that beans need LOTS of salt to eat the. I don't make bean soup, but I do make ham n beans alot. When I use Pinto beans it cooks atleast 6 hours, with even more garlic than you used. LOL..the person that taught me how to cook beans..said..to use so much garlic that for the first few hours that's all you smell. LOL

When I make navy bean soup I cook it about 4 to 4 1/2 hours usually. I have never made soup with pinto beans. They are larger than navy beans right? So I would think they would take longer. Terry uses them and says 6 hours, so just let them keep cooking.

Sounds like you did right to me....and I find that soaked pintos cook in easily an hour and a half...
Where did you get your beans? Do you suppose theyw ere "old"...that is sat around for a while? If so...they will take a long time to cook...
but not to worry....the longer you cook the beans the mor flavor from the bone.
I would have add easily 4 qts water...
If you find the pot is bubbling like mad on scarcely a moments notice....you need to learn to "read" your stove....and your pots. Keep trying...you'll get it figured out...but meanwhile, remember, slower is better than faster.....ALWAYS!!
So keep the fire low...it will eventually get to a boil.
(shut up Jessie!!!)
Linda C

My bean soup has NO CELERY OR CARROTS! I use navy beans and never soak them in water first. I cook them with a nice large ham bone. Cooking in the ham water over several hours gives taste to the beans ----- soaking them first might save lots of time, but to the detriment of taste. I use only beans, ham, onions and use some beef base if I need extra salt.

That's it. Anything else is over-kill IMHO.

I find soaking and discarding the water not only speeds up cooking times, but also cuts down on... digestion related issues. ahem.

I don't think I've ever made soup with pinto beans before. I've just used them for refried beans. Is there something about the texture that might make them more likely to turn to mush?

I was stumped to find cheap meat at the grocery store last might, but I found smoked porked neckbones -- I see a hearty bean stew in my near future as well!

Well, if cooking long is the key than it should be awesome! i had to stop cooking after 4 hours and go get my neighbor, his car broke down and it was near 11:30 pm when I got home. I'm going to put them back on the stove and let them heat up to see what I have.
By the way, a Simmer" to me is a bubble hear and there every 1/2 second or so, is that about right?

Well it was a bust! I cooked (simmer) them for a total of about 5.5 hours and they just plain stayed grainy and the soup turned black, carrots fell apart.
However I reread everything and I think the problem was the beans. The pintos were the only thing I had on hand so i went with them, but after thinking about them there is a good chance they are close to 2 years old since I dug them out of the back of the cabinet. I just thought dried beans were, well, dried beans and never thought they had a shelf life.
Anyway, the next ham bone I have I'm going to try the same recipe again. Next time the beans will be fresh navy beans (the small ones).
Now I think it's time I clean out all the old stuff in my cabinets!!!!!!!

Changeling

Well, changeling, I'm way too late for this party, but I agree, the beans were too old. Sometimes they'll just stay hard, and that's....well....icky.

Other than that, your recipe is just what I use, I seldom measure anything, I just dump things in because, after all, it's bean soup. (shrug)

I don't think I've ever actually had to cook soup for 5 and a half hours, though! A couple of times I've accidentally overcooked it and ended up with bean mush which is also.....well.....icky. LOL

I use navy beans, pinto beans, cranberry beans, great northern beans, whatever beans I have on hand. They take varying times to cook, but the only time I've gotten a weird color is when I cook black beans. Now, overcook them and you've got one ugly soup!

Tell me the cornbread was at least good.....

Annie