No Gautam, I haven't noticed that. However, it was pretty common knowledge, wherever we lived in Mexico, that beans that were more recently harvested cooked more easily. They don't have to boil in order to soften. One way we've cooked beans, when not in any hurry is to bring them up to boiling, cover, turn off the heat, and let them set for about a hour. Then we'd turn the heat back on and cook. I can't remember just how much longer we'd cook them. But they cooked up as if they had been on the heat even for that hour, when in fact they weren't. Also, for anyone who doesn't know it. The best way I know, to tell if a bean is properly done, is to spoon it out of the pot hot, and blow on it. If the bean's skin splits, it's done to perfection! Some people in the USA have told me that they can't cook beans; that they've tried, but that they never get soft. More often than not it's not their fault. They got hold of old beans which may have sat on the shelf for a long time. Those beans sometimes won't soften properly, not matter how long one cooks them. I don't know how well it works. But some Mexican friends have told me that such old beans can be softened if you hang'em in a sack, under the drip line of your house's roof and let them absorb water a day or two before you try cooking them. George PS. Tlatlauqui is at 7500 feet altitude. The place receives about 11 feet of precipitation a year because it is on the Eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Oriente mountains, at just the right place to catch the warm moist air coming off the Veracruz coast. Everything is green and beautiful, especially when the sun comes out. But there were definitely challenges for gardening and for human health.

That's one of my family's favorite meals, a big pot of navy bean or great northern soup (my mom actually makes a good homeade one that even my super picky dad likes) and Jiffy mix cornbread. I grew up on it and love it. It is the perfect size too, for single me. I am very disappointed that I can't get Jiffy products in the stores near me in PA. I love their frosting too, perfect size for camping to make 'smores. My home state of Michigan is a big producer of beans too, so your meal helped keep the poor mitten state going! There's a bean cannery just up the road from my hometown, (Randall Beans). Here is a link that might be useful: Michigan beans

An older post but still a valid contribution. Sugars will help with sour and acidic foods. Apple is full of sugar, especially cider, but a natural sugar. I often us a bit of maple syrup. I just made a rhubarb chili. Very well knowing i would be dealing with a 'sour/tart' flavor. I used a couple grated carrots and an 1/2 apple i had leftover from a fruit salad... Still a bit tart and way too spicy by over-doing the chipotle, i sauteed another onion and a cup of edamame and a can of garbanzo beans...delish finally. With a dollop of yogurt, fetta, fresh cilantro cream, it paired well with the spicy tart chili. A left over chunk of parm rind is so good in the last 45 min of any hearty soup. I often add when i'm heating up a frozen qrt of homemade.

Carmellia, old beans will not properly rehydrate, which is the purpose of soaking. Make sure your dry beans are reasonably fresh. Pressure cooking is another way to make sure they are fully cooked. I use a crock pot because I don't have a pressure cooker right now. From the CA Dry Bean Board site: Storage Tips for Dry, Uncooked Beans Dry beans can be stored for a relatively long period of time. They can be stored satisfactorily in the unopened plastic bag in which they are sold. If the bag has been opened, transfer the beans to an air-tight glass or metal container and store in a cool, dry place--preferably not the refrigerator. Using either of these correct storage methods, quality can be maintained 6-12 months or longer. Remember, during storage, they may either take on or lose moisture, which will affect the soaking and cooking time. Beans exposed to high temperatures and humidity may be difficult to cook. I'm not a big navy bean fan. They are ok but I prefer pintos, they cook to a tender state. Could be a regional preference, I grew up in the Southwest.