How to Soak Dried Beans: Your Questions Answered
- May 18, 2008 by Fox | Comments: 8
You’ve bean asking me a lot of bean questions lately. Every other day I open my email to find a fellow bean soaker looking for answers to pressing bean questions. I understand the urgency. Not soaking and cooking dried beans correctly can lead to uncomfortable office situations, especially if you sit in a room without windows. Getting gassed just fails on the fun-o-meter. No human being wants to be beaned.
I thought I covered all legume angles in my previous articles:
But evidently there’s so much more to pass wind on. So I’d like to get gastrointestinal just one more time and answer your keener beaner questions.
Here are the answers to your soaking dried bean questions:
1. Question: Are you sure dried beans are cheaper?
Answer: Generally, buying dried beans costs far less than canned beans. The reason is dried beans expand when soaked, so you end up with more beans per dollar spent. I did a little bean experiment, and found that one can of dried chick peas more than doubled to 2.5 cans worth after soaking.
One reader really wanted the numbers crunched, so she sent me this data from her shopping receipts:
- Canned: Value Chick Peas 19 oz (540 ml) can: $0.99
- Dried: Value Chick Peas 19 oz (540 ml) dried $0.98
On the surface both look comparable, but when you consider the dried beans will expand to 2.5 times after soaking and cooking, then the dried beans cost about $0.40 when compared to a can. So yes, dried beans are far more frugal than canned beans. This is assuming you’re not buying some fancy dancy dried magic beans though.
2. Question: What is the shelf life of dried beans?
Answer: The recommended shelf life for dried beans is about one year. The cooking time of dried beans will slightly increase as beans age beyond one year. My nutritionist friends say dried beans may lose some nutrients in extended storage. Be sure to keep your bags of lovely dried beans in a cool dry place. If you see any signs of mold, dispose of beans immediately. I’ve kept dried beans well beyond one year and have had no cooking or soaking issues. I think the key is to keep them dry.
3. Question: How long can you leave soaked beans?
Answer: Most beans only require about 6-8 hours of soaking to fully expand and soften. I’ve been kinda lazy at times and soaked my garbanzos for two full days without issue. The key is to change the bean water frequently (at least daily). If beans are soaked longer than two days then some fermentation may begin which can change the bean’s flavor. A few readers have asked about soaking beans beyond three days - I’m of the opinion why risk getting sick to save $1, it just doesn’t make cents.
Since answering these questions I think my days blogging about dried beans are done. Do you have any soaking tips to share? Is there a method to dilute the methane?
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Actually, flatulence is a result of two things, mostly: the alpha-linked oligosaccharides in the beans, and the type of bacteria housed in your gut. The bacteria population can adapt to the gas production if you continue to eat beans and other fibrous stuff. But the oligosaccharides…the body can’t break up alpha-linked sugar units–think of our enzymes like a chain-cutter, very specific chain-cutters that only cut chains twisted to the right. Well, these chains are twisted to the left, so our enzymes don’t break them down, which means basically, you’re giving the bacteria in your colon, which can recognize alpha-linkages, pure surgar. Bacteria like sugar–they thrive, and grow, and one of the by-products of that growth is…you guessed it. Gas.
Read Harold McGee’s “On Food and Cooking” for a more detailed explanation. Or hell, just read it–it’s a fantastic read if you like food, and even if you don’t, because after you’ve learned about milk and eggs, you probably will.
The “quick soak method” is purported to yield slightly less gassy beans than the overnight soak. How to: Cover the dried beans with water in a cooking pan and heat till boiling. Continue boiling for two minutes, then remove from heat and cover. Let sit for an hour and a half to two hours. Rinse thoroughly and cook in fresh water.
I usually do it on Sunday morning when I’m gonna be around the house for awhile anyway… And sometimes after soaking I cover them in cold water in the fridge for up to a day before cooking them.
Also recommended: Cook the beans with a strip of dried kombu (a sea vegetable available in Asian markets, health food stores, or stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, New Seasons etc). Pull it out before using the bean though. Supposed to add an enzyme that breaks down the oligosaccharides or something.
Finally, I like soak and cook a double portion and freeze half the cooked–unseasoned–beans to use later. Convenient like a can! Yup.
“I think my soaking bean days have dried up”
Have you tried Beano?
Fox, any difference in the quality/price of dried beans between vendors/brands. Where do you buy your dried beans?
@Jules: Thank you for the gusty gas tips. I WILL check out that book!
@lazy rani: I too make a double batch of my soaked and cooked beans and freeze it. The convenience of having some beans on hand is awesome
Ohh, and I’m also huge fan of the “quick soak” method. Sunday is my bean day. 
@hayden tompkins: You found a poorly constructed sentence - so I fixed it! I am very much a devoted bean soaker and can never go back to canned beans. I’ve never tried Beano…I actually find less gas issues with soaking and cooking the beaners myself. Beans are such an affordable and healthy form of protein, I wish everyone would get beanerrific.
@Paolo: I tend to buy my beans in bulk from the local grocery store. So the brand of my beans is unknown. I find the packaged beans (with branding and buzz words) tend to be more expensive, so I take a pass. Perhaps the readers can weight in on the prices of various brands and quality? I tend to buy mostly organic beans without branding.
I was always told that adding a little vinegar towards the end of the cooking process helps reduce gas- I’ve always done it and it seems effective!
There is also a thread at chowhound about this:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/294423
I’ve been told that adding a teaspoon of baking soda will have the same effect.
Actually, Julia Child says that if you drain off the soaking water and rinse the beans before cooking them, you’ll reduce the gassification potential. I’ve found this to be true…but who knows, it could be the power of suggestion.
I’ve been thinking about switching from canned beans to dried for a long time since we eat so many of them…your posts may have finally helped me overcome my laziness. I stock up when canned beans are on sale for $0.59 or less, but I’m always looking for ideas…maybe this will help to counter some of the grocery prices that are gradually creeping up! Amanda