Have you ever tried to make your favorite baked good recipe at a higher elevation than you’re used to, and it comes out… wrong? We often think about how high elevation affects cookies, cakes, breads, and all those goodies. But we may not often think about beans and high elevation! And yet, the cooking of beans – and pretty much all foods – is also very much impacted by being way above sea level.
I spent the last week plus in Leadville, Colorado – which is at over 10,000 feet elevation – with a fantastic colleague and friend. What was I doing, you ask? Cooking beans! Much of my PhD research centers on outreach, and cooking beans at higher elevations presents challenges for many consumers in Colorado and across the world.
So, without further ado, here are 5 fun tips and tidbits to know about beans and elevation!
What to Know About Beans and High Elevation:
- Cooking beans at elevation takes longer! Sometimes a lot longer. The boiling point of water is lower at higher elevations. For example, at sea level, the boiling point of water is 212 degrees F, whereas it is only 194 degrees F at 10,000 feet. That is a big difference!
- Yes, it can take longer even in a pressure cooker. If you look at the manuals for electric pressure cookers like Instant Pot, they recommend increasing the cooking time for dried beans by 5% for every 1,000 feet above 2,000 feet. So some quick bean math: being at 10,000 feet means increasing the cooking time by an additional 40% even in electric pressure cookers, based on this recommendation.
- Storage is important. I brought my moisture meter up to Leadville, because I am cool like that. Beans that had been stored in a glass jar (that was only partly full, which could allow for more exposure to air) for a long time actually gave me a reading of ‘moisture below limit,’ which I had never seen before. It is really dry up in Leadville, so especially in places like that, it is beneficial to store beans well and eat them often to keep replenishing your supply of newer beans. When you purchase beans in a grocery store, you likely won’t know exactly when they were harvested or how they have been stored, so your best bet is probably to enjoy them relatively soon. At the same time, no judgment – I definitely have beans that are a couple years old in my home, too. Because sometimes new beans are just too exciting to turn down and I have to try them first!
- Soaking helps. This is true pretty much anywhere – soaking will reduce the cooking time of beans. But it definitely shortened cooking time up in Leadville, and it helped the beans absorb water more evenly and have less skin ‘blowout.’ So, better texture and appearance. Also, especially if you don’t know how your beans have been stored and/or for how long, soaking helps rehydrate them.
- Beans like to climb trees. This is… potentially not true. But I brought beans on a hike with me, as you do, and I may or may not have put them in a tree to take a photo. Actually, to take a couple photos. Can you find the bag of beans in this forest picture??
Bean questions?! Send them my way!!
And if you are looking for tips and tricks based in the science, check out this quick read on 5 ways to shorten bean cooking time.
Thanks for this post. It’s quite helpful! I live in Denver and can never get dried beans to cook correctly. Since we have really hard water here (and currently 10% humidity in my house), I’m trying something new today. I soaked the beans in distilled water and I’m cooking them in 50-50 distilled and tap water. We’ll see. I bought five bags of interesting heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo and I really want them to cook without any high-altitude, hard water glitches.
I’m so glad this was helpful! Please let me know how it goes and if you have any other questions. I live just a bit north of Denver, so I can relate. Soaking in tap water does work for me, but they do take a bit longer to cook than they would at sea level. If you add salt to the soaking and/or cooking water, that will also help. Another tip to consider is using your hard water but adding a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water. Fun things to try!
This was a helpful article.
Sharon, did your recipe turn out? I’m very curious about the distilled water… I live in Cheyenne, so high altitude is definitely a consideration and we are on a well with hard water. (Side note: our well water is only slightly more hard than the city water.) I’ve not had much luck with beans. I heard that salt will keep beans from softening. Is this fact or fiction? Because I often put salt in water to get a higher boiling temperature.
I’m glad to hear this was helpful! I live about an hour from Cheyenne and love visiting there. That is fiction – salt actually helps beans cook faster. 🙂 https://alegumeaday.com/how-to-cook-beans/
Your article has inspired me to try cooking my grandmother’s New England baked beans. This will be my 5th attempt since 1999, the year we moved to Colorado from Maine. I gave up as you can guess. Time to dust off the bean pot. ✨️
This made my day! I’m so happy it inspired you to dust off your bean pot and make a batch. Please let me know how they come out! 🙂
I live in Colorado Springs at 6,500 feet and have almost given up on beans. It’s been ruining my soups. This time I plan to cook my soaked beans ALL DAY in a crock pot, and then throw them into my soup the next day. Wish me luck.
I’m so sorry to hear that! Have you tried adding salt to the soaking water, or even a pinch of baking soda or baking powder? That can really help them soften.
And I definitely wish you luck! Please let me know how it goes.