Wash them in a basin with lots of water, scoop them out, and put them into a pan ( start with about 2 cups fo dry beans) add water to cover by about 2 inches, add a chopped onion and a clove or 2 of garlic...perhaps a diced fresh jalapeno.
simmer about an hour until done....taste to be sure....and eat.
I love the taste of fresh beans....and I love pintos simply boiled. Since you have so many, try it that way to start.
Then you can take the cooked beans and mash them and add salt and pepper for refritoes....or mash and add grated cheese and a some hot sauce for a dip, Or cook tham as above and use in chili, or cookw ith a ham bone and call it soup...
Lots of possibilities.
I love the taste of Pintos!....but 80 pounds is a gracious plenty!
Linda C

You need to ask him if they are fresh or dried - if you don't know. Dried beans will keep a long time if you put them in clean glass jars or plastic bags with a tight seal. Then you could keep them in a cool dark place or share them with friends. Also....they will keep you from going hungry in hard times.

In the South we like to cook them with some smoked ham, smoked pork chop or even a smoked turkey wing. Don't add any salt or tomatoes to them until they are completely tender, then you can salt them or add some tomatoes. The salt and acid in the tomatoes keep the beans from softening up while cooking.

LINDAS BEAN SOUP

This recipe is my own concoction. I adjust all the spices and ingredients to my taste, so IÂll give you the basics, and you have to go with it from there. Be sure to go easy with the spices in the beginning because the flavors intensify as the cooking continues. You can always add more, but you canÂt remove what is already there.

**-Beans, either dry 16 oz. Bag (must soak overnight or follow directions on package) or canned about 4 cans (drain); (I use pinto or black beans, but any beans will work)
-Bacon cut up (about ½ to 1 pound for a large pot)
-Onions & Garlic (chopped) (I use a large onion and a whole head of garlic)
-Chicken broth (about 3 32 oz. cans or cartons of broth)
-Sausage (4 or 5 links)
-Tomatoes (both chopped and whole) (fresh or canned) about 2 cans chopped and 4 fresh whole tomatoes
-Rotel tomatoes (one or two cans)
-Peppers fresh (jalapeno, Serrano, habanero) (I use one each-whole)
-Beer (one can)
-Cilantro (one bunch; the whole bunch including stems)
-Fresh Chives and/or green onions (one bunch)
-Oregano (fresh or dried) if using fresh herbs always use 3 times that of dried herbs
-Cumin (1/4 cup)
-Cayenne Pepper (one tablespoon)
-Chili Powder (1/4 cup)
-Salt & Pepper (freshly ground) to taste
-Green Pepper (optional)
-Rice (Optional)

I fry up the bacon and add the onions and garlic. Be sure not to overcook the garlic or it will get bitter. If this happens, you might as well start over because burned garlic is really bad. Then I add the sausage and brown it. Again make sure you donÂt overcook the garlic. Then I add the broth, beans, a beer, the tomatoes, Rotel peppers, fresh peppers (I use one of each) and all the spices and then finish with water to cover the beans by about 2". Bring to boil (do not allow it to burn) and then reduce heat to simmer. Depending on whether I use dried beans or fresh beans, the cooking time will vary. With dried beans, it takes about 2 to 3 hours to cook. You can then serve the beans with sour cream, fresh chives, fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, and fresh cilantro. Also if you want, you can add some rice (either cooked or uncooked) directly into the beans towards the end of the cooking period. Or you can just serve the beans over a bed of rice. I use yellow rice, but white rice works just as well. The rice will give you more of a full feeling, if you know what I mean.

Linda
Texas

P. S. Funny store. One day I had a pot of beans on the stove and had to run to the store, so I asked my DH to keep an eye on the beans so they would not burn. I was gone longer than expected, and when I came back, because the beans had reduced a lot of the liquid, DH came to the rescue. During the hour or two I was gone, he managed to keep putting beer into the beans rather than water. He put in a whole six-pack of beer (UGH)!! Anyway, I managed to rescue the beans by adding massive amounts of water and reducing the water. They were "OK", but I highly recommend only one beer and not an entire six-pack.

**When using black beans add 2 to 4 smoked ham hocks for great flavor.

I can dried pinto beans. Soak them overnight, fill jars about 2/3's full
or a little over half full of beans and finish with water. Pressure them 90 minutes at 10 pounds.

Trixie, that's a really good idea, canning the beans. You've got them already cooked when you need them, and canning seven quarts (which is 1 and 3/4 gallons, and is a little less than half what my crockpot holds) is probably more economical, energy-wise, than running the crockpot all day twice.

Geraldo, if those beans are not dry, you should spread them out somewhere for a few days to dry, or you might have a mildewed mess on your hands before long.

Yes, you could use the beans for baked beans. I've linked some pinto bean recipes from Allrecipes.com. and here's one from Cooks.com that has a bunch of pinto bean recipes, as well: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search?q=pinto+beans

Man, now I want a big pot of ham and beans and some cornbread! LOL

Me too Angel, I love pinto beans! Pintos cooked with some ham hock are very good with some homemade chili sauce to go alongside too.

If they are dried I would do as Teresa suggested and place them in tightly sealed jars in a cool, dark place. Even that way they won't keep well for years though. After a year or so they will get where you can't get them soft enough regardless of how long you cook them.

Linda, your concoction sounds like something I would really like since I really like most of the ingredients. I'm going to try that soon.

Beverly

Also, I intended to add that I prefer my chili without beans, but DH likes beans in his. so I always use pintos. They are far and away better IMHO than kidney beans in chili.

Ilene, since it is just the two of us at home it really works out good for me to can them. I cook a big pot for company or taking to the field, but not for the two of us. A quart just works perfect.

It's funny, when I cook them I put chopped onion, garlic, chili powder, a whole jalepeno, a ham hock or ham bone and when they are nearly finished cooking add salt and a little brown sugar. When I can them I just add a tablespoon of sugar and salt, but they are so good and taste like they have been cooked all day.

they were harvested last year, so yeh they are dry. Man, every time I come here I just get hungry. But in a good way. Thank you all and I will let you know what I did, once I get ambitious.

You could send us all five pounds each and your problem is solved.