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Soaking Beans

Sabin's picture

Soaking Beans (post #71543)

Sabin on Thu, 10/27/2011 - 17:56
in

What does "soak dried beans overnight" really mean?

1.  Soak for 8 hours? (say if you had an off-day on the weekend at home)

2.  Soak overnight, wake up in the a.m., drain...cook when you get home from work.?

3.  Soak overnight, wake up in the a.m., and cook then per package directions?

4.  Soak overnight, leave soaking all day until you get home from work to cook?

OTHER??

-A +A
Gretchen9's picture

Basically it doesn't matter. (post #71543, reply #1 of 5)

by Gretchen9 in reply to Sabin [original] on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 06:57

Basically it doesn't matter. Any of the above, but you are making it too much trouble  I usually quick soak. Bring the beans to a boil and let them sit for an hour and then proceed with the recipe. Some "beans" don't require soaking--lentils, split peas for example.

And truth be told you don't have to soak at all--you just have to cook them longer.

Do not believe the myth of salting beans will keep them from getting done. Seasoning while cooking, like with pasta, is the only time you get the salt INTO the product and not ON the product.  Age of beans is the determiner of whether they will cook in a proper length of time so buy beans at a store where there is reasonable turnover of the product.

A pressure cooker is the biggest friend of cooking beans that there is in the wide world. Done in under an hour easily.

Pielove's picture

beans (post #71543, reply #2 of 5)

by Pielove in reply to Gretchen9 [original] on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 18:02

Yeah, what she said!  Especially "A pressure cooker is the biggest friend of cooking beans that there is in the wide world. "  I also agree that salt won't prevent beans from softening-- but my understanding is that acid will.  Also, the slow cooker is also a great bean-cooking tool-- takes a long time, but makes great beans.

As for soaking, anything around or longer than 8 hours is fine-- just don't leave them too long or they will start to ferment!  Of course how long is too long depends on the temperature, etc.

So what's cooking with all these beans?

pie

Sabin's picture

What's cooking with all these beans (post #71543, reply #3 of 5)

by Sabin in reply to Pielove [original] on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 21:32

I am going on a plant based diet, so will eating these daily to get in my protein.... :)

Gretchen9's picture

I'm sure you are aware that (post #71543, reply #4 of 5)

by Gretchen9 in reply to Sabin [original] on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 11:23

I'm sure you are aware that you will need to supply other parts of the amino acid/proteins to have a complete diet.

Get a pressure cooker.

Sabin's picture

Beans (post #71543, reply #5 of 5)

by Sabin in reply to Sabin [original] on Tue, 11/08/2011 - 13:40

Yes, thanks for the reminder... I'll need to look in to a pressure cooker... :)