The best way to soak beans - Step by step

Dried beans are one of the cheapest ingredients, but also the most nutritious and versatile, available to most. Cooking dry beans can save you a lot of money compared to buying pre-made beans, and cooking dry beans is quite rewarding as well.

Many people shy away from cooking dried beans, where do you start?

Before cooking dried beans, you will need to soak them. There are three different ways to soak your beans before cooking, all of them very easy to do!

What is the best way to soak the beans?  You can soak the beans in hot or cold water. Our preferred method is the traditional one, which consists of leaving the beans in cold water for 8 hours.

Below you will find the step-by-step guide to soaking the beans. Read this guide, choose a method, and get to soaking the beans!

Preparation of the dried beans

Before you start soaking the beans, you will need to prepare them. This shouldn’t take long, and can be quite a therapeutic experience!

1. clean the beans
   1. First of all, you will have to clean the beans. Place the beans in a shallow pan, such as a cookie sheet. Go over the beans and pick up any foreign objects, such as small stones, broken beans, or leaves. As the beans do not go through any process before being packaged, it is common to find foreign objects among them.

2. rinse the beans

   1. Place the beans in a colander or colander and rinse them under cold tap water. Run your hands over the beans while they are under cold water to make sure all the beans are thoroughly rinsed.

How long should the beans soak for?

Now is the time to soak the beans, and you can choose between three methods to do so.

These are the three ways to soak beans at home:

1. Traditional soaking - 8 to 12 hours

The traditional soaking method is best when cooking beans in a pressure cooker, as pressure cooking allows the beans to soften much more than normal cooking.

1. 1. Place the beans in a bowl
   2. Cover the beans with cold water while they are in the bowl, making sure that all the beans are covered.

1. Leave the beans to soak for 8 hours, or if possible, leave them to soak in the water overnight (about 12 hours).
2. Drain the beans and discard the water. The beans may appear wrinkled after soaking, but they will rehydrate once cooked.
3. Rinse the beans under cold water

2. Hot soak - 24 hours

Many people opt for the hot soak method. It usually results in the softest and most tender beans.

1. Place the beans in a large pot and add 10 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
2. Heat the water until it boils and let it boil for three more minutes
3. Remove the beans from the heat and cover them. Let the beans rest for up to 24 hours.
4. Drain the water from the beans and discard it.
5. Rinse the beans under cold water

3. Quick Soak - 1 hour

Quick soaking is the fastest way to soak beans, while still keeping them tender after cooking.

• Place the beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans filled.
• Bring the water to a boil and let it boil for 3 more minutes
• Remove the beans and water from the heat and cover, let the beans rest for 1 hour
• Drain the water from the beans and discard it.
• Rinse the beans under cold water

cook the beans

Once the beans have been soaked using one of the methods above, it’s time to start cooking them. 

• Place the beans in a large pot and cover with fresh, cold water.
• Put the pot over medium heat and continue cooking the beans over low heat to prevent them from splitting.
• You will need to add water as the beans cook, as the beans expand during cooking. Adding more water will cover the beans and cook evenly
• Keep stirring the beans occasionally as they cook to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
• The beans will take between 30 minutes and 2 hours to cook, depending on the type of beans they are. When done, the beans will be tender, but not too soft that they are mushy.
• When the beans are ready, you can discard the excess water and add them to your favorite dish.

Tips for cooking beans

Although the process of soaking and cooking the beans is quite simple, it is always worth keeping in mind some practical tips so that the beans are as perfect as possible.

• • It is important not to let the water boil while the beans are cooking, as this could split the skins.  It is best to leave it on low heat to keep the beans intact.
  • Don’t let the beans cook while you do something else.  The beans expand as they cook, and you will need to continually add more water to make sure all the beans are covered. This helps all the beans cook evenly and prevents them from burning or sticking.
  • Even if you cook the beans over low heat, you should stir them often. They can continue to stick to the bottom of the pan, make a mess, and have a burnt taste.
  • Keep testing the beans as you cook them.  Scoop out one bean at a time and let it cool. Take a bite of the bean to taste it. It should be tender and mushy, but not mushy. If the beans aren’t done, wait another 15 minutes before testing them again.
  • To stop the cooking process once the beans are ready, and prevent them from overcooking, you should immediately drain them from the hot water.
  • To obtain a more intense flavor, you can add onion to the cooking pot of the beans . To make the onion flavor more intense, you can add it during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • Different herbs and spices , such as thyme, parsley, oregano, and garlic, can be added to bring different flavors and layers to the beans.
  • Adding acids such as lemon juice, tomatoes, chili sauce, vinegar, and molasses too soon can prevent the beans from being soft and tender. Add them once the beans have soaked and cooked completely.

What should I cook the beans in?

It is not necessary that you cook the beans only on the fire. You can also use a pressure cooker or slow cooker.

If you are using a pressure cooker, do not fill the pot more than halfway with the beans and water. This will help reduce cooking time, but may not give the beans enough time to absorb any additional flavors you’ve added.

To ensure all the flavors blend, you can leave the lid of the pressure cooker closed for an hour to allow the ingredients, such as herbs, onion, and garlic, to infuse into the beans. It’s also a good idea to add a tablespoon of oil to the cooking water to prevent foaming, which could block the pressure cooker’s safety valve.

If you want to use a slow cooker, you can set it to cook on high heat for 3 hours. Be sure to keep the beans covered in water throughout the cooking process.

Once cooked for 3 hours on high heat, lower the heat and continue cooking the beans on low heat until they are soft, which can take 6-8 hours. This is a longer method, but it’s a great way to get perfectly cooked beans that absorb all the flavors they should.

Related questions

Does soaking beans reduce gas?

If you want to avoid the famous gases that accompany the consumption of beans, you should soak them and discard the water before cooking, rinsing them well. The reason is that soaking the beans removes some of the sugars that cause gas during digestion, and soaking also helps reduce cooking time.

Why should you discard the soaking water?

Soaking the beans removes the sugars that cause gas and make it difficult for the beans to digest. Also, the beans cannot be washed before being packaged and sold, as this would cause them to become moldy, so the water could retain some of the dirt on the beans. That’s why it’s best to drain the water from the beans, discard it, and then rinse them well before cooking in fresh, cold water.

Soak the beans

Soaking beans before cooking has many advantages. It helps reduce the cooking time needed to make the beans soft and tender, and it also helps remove the sugars that cause gas and make the beans harder to digest.

Soaking the beans, and discarding the water, allows the beans to be as clean as possible, without retaining dirt, foreign matter, or bacteria.

There are several ways to soak beans at home, all of which work well, and all of which can be used to suit your cooking style and time constraints.

Grab a bag of dried beans today and soak for the softest, most tender beans.