Why should I soak beans?
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Dr. Dean Ornish answered:Soaking the dried beans before cooking will reduce the cooking time by about half. Draining and further rinsing will also help to break down and remove some of the sugars that are responsible for the flatulence legumes cause in some people. Before soaking and cooking, rinse the beans to remove any sand and pick out any pebbles, twigs, and shriveled old beans that you can find. For soaking you can either:
1. Soak the beans overnight in four times as much water, or
2. Quick-soak the beans by adding them to four times as much water in a large pot, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Either way, drain off the soaking water, rinse, and continue with the recipe.
Soaking the dried beans before cooking will reduce the cooking time by about half. Draining and further rinsing will also help to break down and remove some of the sugars that are responsible for the flatulence legumes cause in some people. Before... More -
Deborah Beauvais of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics answered:In general, the larger the bean, the longer they need to soak: and the longer you soak beans, the faster they cook.
Soaking beans allows the dried beans to absorb water, which begins to dissolve the starches that cause intestinal discomfort. While beans are soaking they are also double to tripling in their size. (You can cook beans without soaking, but it takes longer, and some people think the beans taste better when soaked.)
Soak most beans in three times their volume of cold water for six hours before cooking. Dried beans are often soaked too long. Most recipes say overnight. The best way is to put them in cold water; bring them gently to a boil and then with saucepan off the heat, allow them to remain in the water for 1 to 2 hours only.
- If soaked too long, they may ferment, which affects their flavor and makes them difficult to digest.
- To help in the digestion of beans, always discard the water in which they were soaked.
Do not add salt or acidic ingredients, like vinegar, tomatoes or tomato juice, as this will slow the cooking process. Instead, add these ingredients when the beans are just tender.
In general, the larger the bean, the longer they need to soak: and the longer you soak beans, the faster they cook. Soaking beans allows the dried beans to absorb water, which begins to dissolve the starches that cause intestinal discomfort. While... More
