04 September 2026
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Cranberry Pot Beans
The Kitchen

Cranberry Pot Beans

You can think of these Cranberry Beans as Pinto Beans Lite.

By Test Kitchen · Mexico · 2 min ·
Ingredients · Servings 12
  • 2 cups dried cranberry beans
  • 2-3 tablespoons lard (or oil)
  • 1 small onion (roughly chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • 2-3 quarts cold water
Method · 125 min
  1. Sort through the beans and discard any rocks or shriveled beans
  2. Rinse the beans and drain well
  3. Add beans to a wide saucepan or pot and cover with at least 12 cups of water, or so the water level is 2" above the beans
  4. Add the roughly chopped onion and 2-3 tablespoons of lard (or oil)
  5. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 2-3 hours partially covered. Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water if you need to (I added an additional 4-6 cups of water to this batch).
  6. Start biting into them after 1 1/2 hours. If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time.
  7. Once done add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Take a final taste for salt. (I added another generous pinch to this batch).
  8. If you want, portion into 1 cup sized bags (or jars). Include plenty of the broth in the portion bags.

They have a similar taste to pintos but are creamier and slightly less 'beany'. Reduce heat to a simmer and let simmer for 2-3 hours partially covered. Ensure that the water level is well above the beans by adding more water if you need to (I added an additional 4-6 cups of water to this batch).

If they are hard or grainy they need a little more time. Once done add 1 teaspoon of salt and simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Going to Take a final taste for salt. (I, another generous pinch to this batch).

If you want, portion into 1 cup sized bags (or jars). Include plenty of the broth in the portion bags.

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