Twelve pots of beans, and so many burrito bowls later, we'd broken a few bean skins, busted a few myths, and settled on a few official Epicurious E-pinions. Do you actually need to soak your beans? The idea behind soaking dried beans is that it makes the beans faster to cook. It's also thought that soaking beans breaks down some of the complex sugars that make them hard for some people to digest.
We didn't test for digestability, because every stomach is different. Testing this theory was simple: we covered one batch of beans in water and left it out on the counter to soak overnight. The next day we placed the beans and liquid in a pot, and in a second pot went unsoaked beans and fresh water. The soaked beans finished cooking first—but the unsoaked pinto beans were finished just 10 minutes later. Keep in mind that pinto beans are small, and that cooking times will vary depending on bean type.
Our feeling: Why bother? After our first test, this myth became a moot point—if you don't soak your beans, you're always going to cook in fresh water. But diehard bean soakers will still want to know whether they should drain their soaked beans and refill the pot with fresh water, or cook their beans in the water they were soaked in.
When we tested this, the beans cooked in the soaking liquid were much more flavorful, had a prettier, darker color, and retained their texture better. Man, people are just really attached to this soaking idea. If it's not an overnight soak, it's the so-called quick soak: a method where you cover beans in water, bring them to a boil, turn off the heat, and then let the beans sit in the water for an hour.
We tried this method, and although the cooking time didn't vary much the quick-soaked beans cooked just 5 minutes faster than the overnight soaked ones and 15 minutes faster than the no-soak beans , the flavor was our favorite of the bunch. If you cook beans without a lid, some say, the result will be a firmer bean. Keeping the lid on? Your beans will be creamy. When we tested both methods, we found the beans with the lid cooked about 15 minutes faster, but the flavor of the beans cooked with the lid off was much better.
This is the easiest method. Place dry beans in a large container; for each pound 2 cups beans, add 10 cups of cold water. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse beans soaked by either method with fresh, cool water. Cooking Beans Cooking the beans makes them edible and digestible. Stovetop Instructions Place beans in a large pot; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently until beans are tender but firm. Most beans will cook in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety. Periodically, try a taste test or mash a bean against the side of the pot with a fork or spoon. Check occasionally if you need to add more water. Here are some approximate cooking times for beans: Black beans: minutes Great Northern beans: minutes Kidney beans: minutes Navy beans: minutes Pinto beans: minutes When to add flavorings: Herbs and spices may be added any time, but it is recommended adding them towards the end to reduce flavor loss.
Add acidic foods lemon juice, vinegar, tomatoes, wine, etc. Here are some general instructions: Place beans in pressure cooker; cover beans with about 4 cups of fresh water. Make sure there is about 2 inches of water above the beans. Seal pressure cooker and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Adjust cooking times as needed depending on the variety.
Cooking longer will result in softer beans. Beans should be tender but not mushy. Here are some approximate pressure cooking times for beans: Black beans: minutes Kidney beans: minutes Navy beans: minutes Pinto beans: minutes Allow 20 minutes for natural pressure release after cooking.
If beans are not quite tender, cook them again on high pressure for 10 minutes and then quick release the pressure. Drain immediately. Tags: basic foods beans. Feedback Form Feedback Form. Place over medium heat; keep cooking water at a gentle simmer to prevent split skins.
Since beans expand as they cook, add warm water periodically during the cooking process to keep the beans covered. Stir beans occasionally throughout the cooking process to prevent sticking. Beans take 30 minutes to 2 hours to cook, depending on the variety. Beans should be tender but not mushy. Bean Soaking Methods The three different soaking methods vary in the amount of time required for adequate soaking.
Pick out and discard any foreign objects like leaves, small stones or twigs, as well as any broken beans. Hot Soak Recommended Method! Place beans in a large pot and add 10 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans. Pour cold water over beans to cover. Place beans in a large pot and add 6 cups of water for every 2 cups of beans.
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