To Soak Beans, or Not Soak Beans...THAT is the question!

How many times have you heard it..."I love beans, but they don't love me!...maybe a million times? It's pretty common.

Well, I love my beans, always have (as any cowboy should! LOL). And hey, let's face it; beans are good for ya'! They're high in protein, vitamins, nutrients and oh that troublesome fiber too.

For ages the subject of soaking beans for 12-24 hours before cooking versus not soaking them at all before cooking has been debated. So what's the big deal, it's not that hard, right? Nope, it sure isn't hard at all, but what's 'hard' is remembering to do it ahead when you want some beans. I'd like to make some beans tonight, but oh crap, I should have thought of this 'last night', right? Hence the debate.

Now believe it or not there's actually been quite a bit of scientific research on the subject...in support of both sides. I've seen research which suggests soaking beans removes certain indigestible sugars and toxins which cause beans to cause digestive issues, including waking up the neighbors and alienating family members. I've seen equally credible research which suggests all of that is bunko and soaking beans has no beneficial effect. I've even seen some super scientific studies where they went through intensive laboratory soaking processes with numerous steps, heating, rinsing, testing, adding additives, heating, soaking and on and on. They tested the beans at every step to see if the various problematic elements were still present (and they were). The conclusion was, while they could remove 90% of the sugar element (absolutely wiping out the flavor in the process), they could never remove the fiber element which was equally problematic. Net result? No difference. On the flip side I've seen people swear up and down they've done double blind tests where they swear there are benefits from soaking. And the debate goes on.

Recently I've talked about pressure cookers. And ever since joining I've talked about cast iron (one of my favorite cooking mediums). You'd be hard pressed to find something which goes better with cast iron than beans (maybe pot roast (or chili), but that's another thread!). And, the new pressure cookers make the old day-long process of making fantastic beans a thing of the past. These things will whip up a batch of planet Earth's best beans in no time! So now, you can have beans either way, the old long way, or the fast way. Only depends on how much time you have.

Either way, I'm still going to love "mah beans"; nothin' better than a hearty bowl of ham & beans after a good day's work!

But the question remains...

What do you think?

To Soak, or Not to Soak...THAT is the question!

ETA - There's even a method of soaking beans in the pressure cooker by putting them on steam for 1 minute and then dumping the water, then cooking them under pressure normally after that (alleged to have the same result as traditional soaking).

Beans beans
The magical fruit
The more you eat, the more you toot
The more you toot, the better you feel
So eat your beans with every meal

Soak them of course.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Beans with salty pork and cornbread........mmmmmmmmm.

You can always try the quick soak method.

Put your beans in a pot, cover them with water and bring them to a boil for about an hour. Rinse them off and cook them normally after that.

I also remember reading about how you can put Turmeric in your beans if you don't want to soak them at all. The Turmeric gets rid of the bad stuff just like soaking them does. Plus it kills cancer.

Now I like to get my beans steamed as much as the next guy but......wait what was I talking about?
I know it’s not very manly but invest in an “Instant Pot” pressure/slow cooker the thing is a bachelor godsend, I find myself using mine much more thanI thought I would. Some of my best homemade ribs and potatoes have been born out of that life saver.

a reply to: watchitburn

Beans beans
Good for your heart
The more you eat the more you fart
The more you fart the better you feel
Lets have beans for every meal!

My uncle taught us that one when we were kids haha

Soak
It is an ages old tradition

if the packet says " soak " soak , if the packet says " rinse " - rinse , etc etc etc

just following orders ma'am - just following orders

originally posted by: ignorant_ape
if the packet says " soak " soak , if the packet says " rinse " - rinse , etc etc etc

just following orders ma'am - just following orders

The Nazis were just following orders too...

I once read that if you soak them until they sprout the protein is more available to you as you eat them.
I do soak them before cooking them in a stove-top pressure cooker.
My secret for gas-free beans is to eat yogurt with them. I make my own yogurt every week. You shouldn't need to eat more than a 1/4 cup of yogurt with your beans.

Nice thing about cooked beans is they seem to freeze well so you can cook a large batch and then put some of them in smaller containers in the freezer. That is what I do to save myself from having to soak and cook them too often.

Sal

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

a reply to: watchitburn

the nazis did not poison them selves with incorrectly cooked kidney beans - sometimes following orders is the right thing to do

a reply to: BigDave-AR

Have (2) of them actually, a 3 qt. and a 6 qt. Great appliance! Love 'em! The 3 qt. one is pretty darn handy too. Saves you from having to make a ton of stuff and then have a bunch of leftovers. Great for breakfast too.

Also have a stove top one.

ETA - Take a cup of some Great Northern's, throw in a ham hock, half an onion rough chopped and a smushed clove of garlic, some S&P...and LOOK OUT!! Them's some good eats right there!

a reply to: SallieSunshine

Hmmm...yogurt, that's pretty interesting. Might have to try that.

I gotta' try makin' my own yogurt, but I gotta' admit...I'm kinda' skeered.

My momma makes a mean bean soup with marrow bones and beef shin.
Always soaks them for at least 6 hours before cooking, never tried without soaking them first.

a reply to: SallieSunshine


Ummm...why on earth would you want...gas free beans...?

Especially when...the gas is free anyways...

Besides...farts are funny...there's humor in them thar beans...







YouSir

To each his own. I prefer soaking beans because they will pick up more flavor from the soup bone.

But one thing I would emphasize is rinse them before cooking or you might chew down on a pebble and crack a tooth .

Great Northern beans are the best.

But navy beans will give you the 21 gun salute.

Pick your poison .

If you love beans, hope and pray that you never come down with diabetes because you're no longer be able to really indulge the way a bean lover should be able to.

I didn't get a proper pressure cooker until after I was diagnosed with T2 diabetes and then one bowl of beans would knock me on my butt all day long (and I don't mean gas).

I've soaked beans and not soaked beans, just cooked them straight on. I think my preferred method is quick soak (heat to boiling and let sit with tight fitting lid for an hour or so) then rinse them, followed by slow cooking. I rinse them after the quick soak though because no matter how they are prepared, without rinsing, they taste like dirt to me. Regardless of seasonings and additions like meat, onion and garlic, I still taste dirt if I don't rinse them
I don't recall experiencing the digestive issues, maybe the rinsing helps with that.
I like a slow cook method so that they aren't boiled so hard that the skin comes off or they break apart.

I can whoop up a mean pot of beans.
I soak'em for a day. It seems to take some of the fartiness out of'em.

Ice cream, ice cream good for the liver,
The more you eat, the more you shiver.

The next verse involves beans and the heart. Work it out.

Anyway, my typical guide for all things culinary, indoors at least, has this to say, bottom line:

Here's the take-away: Skip the soak on thin-skinned beans like black-eyed peas, black beans, and lentils. For other beans, it's best to soak unless you know for sure that you're dealing with high quality, freshly dried beans, in which case you can skip it.
LINK

Also, yes. Salt them from the beginning.

never soak them cook them in a rice cooker