[Sca-cooks] Dried Beans that WON'T COOK!!!

[Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Also sprach Christine Seelye-King:
>I remember reading that acids will keep beans from softening, so if
>one wanted to add wine or a tomato product, they should be added
>after the beans are mostly cooked.
>So, is there any chance you have some kind of hard water with some
>sort of dissolved acid in it (it might not have any special,
>identifiable flavor or acid sourness).
>You might try adding a small pinch of baking soda to the water, and
>see if that helps.
>
>Adamantius
>
>I've had black beans, white beans, pinto beans, and northern beans (all at
>different times) that were too old and never got past the crunchy stage.
>If you've been cooking them that long, and they are as old as you say they
>are, throw them out and start over.
>
>Margaret
>
>No, nothing acid in the water, I used filtered water to cook with anyway.
>The only things I've added are an onion, some roasted garlic paste, the ham
>bone, S&P,  and some frozen collard greens which are really a slimey mess
>now.  I thought about the baking soda.  I'll try that and if it doesn't
>work, take Margaret's advice.
>Christianna

Probably a good bet, as I imagine the soda will kill the greens 
anyway, after such long cooking.

A.