How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans from Scratch

Save money on your grocery store circular with this SUPER simple, bit-by-bit tutorial on how to cook beans from cancel at home. They ’ re so creamy, delicious, economical, and healthy – you ’ ll never go back to canned beans ! ( Psst ! This is the method acting that de-gasses beans excessively ! )

A bowl of cooked beans inside of a small white dish. The white dish sits on top of a kitchen towel, with a silver spoon beside the bowl. The text overlay reads, 'How to Cook Beans.'

Cooking dry beans is vitamin a easy as soaking, rinse, and gently simmering your pot on the stave, all the while you do other things with your afternoon !
not lone are these the most creamy & delicious home cooked beans, they are besides amazing because they are :

Reading: How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans from Scratch

Ingredient Notes:

Beans. Choose your beans – black beans, white beans (cannellini beans or navy beans), pinto beans, garbanzo beans – this method works for them all. You can also use this method for red kidney beans, but there are special considerations for cooking dried red kidney beans at home. Read about it HERE.
Optional Bay Leaf. Some swear that bay leaves are “supposed” to tenderize the beans and help with digestion, but in my experience, my method of soaking and rinsing de-gasses and works better.

Supplies You’ll Need:

Colander
Large (5-6 quart) stockpot with a lid

Step By Step Method:

Soaking Dried Beans

Step 1: Place beans in a colander and rinse well.
Remove any solid or fond beans that are significantly discolored. You ’ ll besides want to check for pebbles and clumps of soil .
Step 2: Measure beans into a large stockpot and soak.

Add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans.
One pound of dry beans yields 3-5 cups of cooked beans, depending on the size of the beans.
So, you’ll need anywhere from 3-5 quarts of water.
Allow the beans to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Notes on Soaking Dry Beans:

It’s okay to overestimate if you don’t feel like measuring the water, but don’t underestimate – otherwise you’re going to run into problems. I usually take 30 seconds to measure, just to be safe.
If you’re making black beans, add 1 Tbsp whey or lemon juice for each cup of dry beans. This helps to break down the protective compounds in these beans, which aids in digestion.
All other beans are good with just water.

Step 3: After soaking, strain beans into the colander. Rinse identical, very well with cold fresh water. This footprint is pivotal in removing the enzymes that cause the gaseous english effects .
Tip: This water should be discarded, not consumed. Consider saving the soak water to body of water your garden for free .
Step 4: Return the beans to the stockpot. Add the lapp measure of water you originally used, plus an excess cup for each cup of beans .
For exemplar :

1 cup beans = need 1 quart water + 2 cups MORE water
2 cups beans = need 2 quarts of water + 2 cups MORE water
3 cups beans = need 3 quarts water + 2 cups MORE water

Step 5: Place the beans on the stovetop and bring the water JUST to a boil. Stir, turn off the heat and cover the pot of beans with a eyelid. Allow the beans to sit undisturbed, for 2-8 hours .
Step 6: Strain beans into the colander. Rinse very, very well with cold water. If you haven ’ thyroxine guessed, the drain and wash of the beans is the all-important footfall in de-gassing the beans. You must eliminate the soak liquid and rinse off the residue from the beans .
Tip: Again, this water should not be consumed. Consider saving this pawn water excessively for watering the garden for rid or feeding to animals .

Cooking Beans

Step 7: Return the beans to the pot and cover with water, so that there is at least 2 inches of water above the beans .
Bring the beans to a very low simmer and allow them to cook until coveted tenderness .

For partially-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45-90 minutes. (This is ideal in situations when the beans will be cooked again – like in soups or stews.)
For fully-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours cooking time. (The beans are tender, so this is ideal when you need soft beans immediately, in dishes like hummus or refried beans.)

Tip : Cooking low and decelerate yields a better bean, and better digestion .
Step 8: Periodically check the beans for doneness .

Add more water as needed to ensure the beans do not dry out while cooking.
Season with salt and pepper to taste when the beans are almost done.
Feel free to add additional seasonings like garlic, onion, cumin, or Italian seasoning.

Step 9: Drain and allow the beans to cool before storing.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Cook the beans on low, for longer, for better digestion.
If you’re going to cook the beans again (as in this tortilla soup or this garlic white bean soup), don’t cook them all the way (just 45-90 minutes).
If you’re going to use the beans right away for something like this chocolate hummus or this homemade hummus recipe, give yourself 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Again, the soaking water should not be consumed. Consider saving it for watering the garden for free or feeding to animals.

Easy Recipes Using Beans

FAQs

What is the best way to cook beans? I recommend the above method of cooking beans on the stovetop as the best way to cook beans – particularly for those with sensitive digestive systems. It ’ s the best way to ‘ de-gas ’ the beans and cook them tender.

If you don ’ thymine want to cook beans on the stave, you besides cook beans in the slow cooker, or the Instant Pot ( you don ’ t have to soak first with the Instant Pot ! ).
Do you have to soak beans before cooking them? The only way I ’ vitamin d cook beans without soaking them first is in the Instant Pot. here is my recipe for Instant Pot Beans ( without soaking ).
Do you soak beans covered or uncovered? I recommend that you cover your beans when you soak them. This is the best way to make sure that they are undisturbed while soaking.

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Watch How to Soak and Cook Beans from Scratch:

How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans from Scratch

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How to cook beans from rub with childlike steps for soaking and de-gassing beans ( black beans, pinto beans, white beans ). much healthier and cheaper than displace beans !

Author: Tiffany
Prep Time: 8-24 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 26 hours
Yield:
6 cups

Read more: Easy Oven-Baked Baby Back Ribs

1

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Category: How To
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: american

Ingredients

Scale

1 lb dry beans
water
3– 5 Tbsp whey or lemon juice (if making black beans)

Instructions

Place beans in a colander and rinse well. Remove any whole or partial beans that are significantly discolored. You also want to check for pebbles and clumps of dirt.
Measure beans into a large stockpot. Add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans. One pound of dry beans yields 3-5 cups, depending on the beans, so you’ll need approximately 3-5 quarts of water.
If you’re making black beans, add 1 Tbsp whey or lemon juice for each cup of dry beans.
Allow the beans to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours, or up to 24.
After soaking, strain beans into the colander and rinse very, very well with cold water.
Return the beans to the stockpot and add the same amount of water you originally used, plus an extra cup for each cup of beans.
Place the beans on the stovetop and bring the water just to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the beans. Allow the beans to sit undisturbed, for 2-8 hours.
Strain beans into the colander and again, rinse very, very well with cold water.
Return the beans to the stockpot and cover with water so that the water line is at least 2″ above the beans. Bring the beans to a very low simmer and allow them to cook until desired tenderness. For partially-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45-90 minutes. For fully-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
Periodically check the beans for doneness and add more water as needed to ensure the beans do not dry out while cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste when the beans are almost done.
Drain and allow the beans to cool before storing.

Notes

Beans. Cook black beans, white beans, pinto beans, and garbanzo beans, which are the ones I cook with most often.
Cooking Methods. Cook beans on the stovetop (like in the recipe above), in the slow cooker, or the Instant Pot (you don’t have to soak first with the Instant Pot!).