Quick-Soak Beans, Easy Time-Saving Method, Dried Beans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic procedure for quick soaking dried beans? ›

Quick Soak: This is the fastest method. In a large pot, add 6 cups of water for each pound (2 cups) of dry beans. Heat to boiling; boil for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and soak for at least 1 hour.

Cover with 3 cups of water per 1 cup of beans. Use 10 cups for a 1 pound bag. Do either a short soak or a long soak. Short Soak – Bring beans to a boil, boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and let stand covered for 1-4 hours.

Bring cold water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Add beans and salt, and return to a simmer; cover. Bake beans in the preheated oven until tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes, checking after 30 minutes to ensure beans are still covered with water. If necessary, add just enough water to cover.

An overnight soak before boiling is the default method because hydrating beans before cooking improves their quality, plus eliminates some of the starches that cause gassiness. But, an 8-hour overnight bath isn't always convenient. Enter quick-soaking, a technique that will shave about 7 hours off your task.

Lentils and peas are softer than dried beans. They'll cook within 5 to 20 minutes without any soaking time. Nearly all traditional cookbooks tell you to soak dried beans before cooking them. Modern cooking websites often say it doesn't matter.

Soaking also allows beans to cool evenly. Like grains, soak at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. One bag of dried beans is equivalent to 4 cans of beans.

One cup dry beans = three cups cooked beans, drained. One pound dry beans = six cups cooked beans, drained One pound of dry beans makes about 9 servings of baked beans or 12 servings of bean soup.

Long story short: For the best, creamiest, most flavorful beans, season your bean-soaking water with one tablespoon of kosher salt per quart (about 15 grams per liter), rinse the beans with fresh water before cooking, then add a pinch of salt to the cooking water as well. Read on for the testing details.

Boil and simmer until perfection.

Placing the lid on the pot will help the beans boil faster, but make sure to keep an eye on them so they do not boil/bubble over. After beans have reached a boil, you can reduce the temperature to more of a simmer.

Just take your favorite beans (pinto, black eyed peas, chickpeas, lima beans) and cover them with your favorite broth or stock or even water seasoned with salt, spices, herbs and other aromatics like onion and garlic, and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours.

Why discard bean soaking water? ›

Fun Fact: Discarding the soaking water and rinsing beans can help make cooked beans more digestible. Some people choose to save the soaking liquid because some nutrients are leeched from the beans into the liquid during soaking. We prefer to drain our soaking liquid but you can decide what works best for you.

Regardless of whether you soak your beans, you should always salt them at the beginning of the cooking process. That way, the salt has time to fully penetrate into the center of the beans and they will be flavored inside and out.

To quick-soak your dried beans, cover the beans with water in a large pot and bring the to a boil. Let boil for a minute, then remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the beans soak for an hour.

Boil for 2-3 minutes and allow to soak for up to 4 hours (if soak longer than 4 hours place the stockpot in the refrigerator). Quick soak: For every 2 cups of dry beans, add 6 cups of water to the stockpot. Boil for 2-3 minutes and allow to soak for at least 1 hour.

Bottom Line. If beans make you uncomfortably gassy, sprinkle a little baking soda into their soaking water. It will reduce the volume of gas produced by the legumes, plus, they will cook quicker. If you're even shorter on time, you may want to try some of our favorite recipes to make with a can of black beans.