Soaking Beans

Why Do I have to Soak Beans?

A lot of people have misconceptions about soaking beans. Do you think the main reason to soak beans is to minimize gas? Well, that's partly true, eating beans can cause intestinal discomfort, and the harder class of beans are also the most troublesome.Problems with digestion is caused by the complex sugars in beans, and a longer soaking time is recommended to allow a greater amount of that sugar to dissolve, thus helping the beans to be more easily digested. But that's not the only reason for soaking, or even the primary reason to soak.

Here's why I recommend soaking.

  • Soaking allows beans to slowly absorb the liquid they need to cook evenly and completely.
  • Soaking also keeps the beans intact so they don't split open,and prevents the outside of the bean from cooking while the middle remains hard.
  • Soaking helps break down the oligosaccharides (the indigestible sugars that cause gas) in beans.
  • Probably the most important is that soaking allows for shorter cooking times and that preserves the most proteins, vitamins and minerals in the beans, maximizing their nutritional value.
  • Less cooking fuel is used with the shorter cooking times used with soaked beans,and that saves you money.

 

Beans and Complete Protein

When beans aren't soaked it means long cooking times before they become soft enough to eat, and this can impact the nutritional needs of your family. That means all the good protien and nutrients we wanted when we selected the beans in the first place are lost. Beans are protein, and pound for pound they are equal to a good cut of meat, but cost only a few pennies.

Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including building and repairing tissue. Proteins make enzymes, hormones, and other essential body functions. Plus, your hair and nails are mostly made up of protein. It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.

Protein is made of smaller components called amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another 9, called essential amino acids, must be obtained from food. Foods can be combined to make complete proteins like pairing beans with rice,seeds, grains , nuts or corn. There are other combinations as well, like including meats, fish, eggs or dairy products to make a complete protein.

 

Lastly, when beans are eaten with rice or corn at the same meal, the protein is complete. Now you know why your mama always served that steaming pot of beans with a pan of fresh corn bread.
 

Methods of Soaking Dried Beans

There are three methods of soaking the beans cuts down the cooking time and helps to retain the vitamins and minerals that would be lost during more prolonged cooking. Only mung beans, split peas and lentils can be cooked without first soaking because they are soft and are low in sugars.

Pressure Soak Method

Quick Soak Method

Long Soak Method
  1. Bring to pressure and cook for 5 minutes.
  2. Remove from heat, and let pressure drop naturally.
  3. Drain and discard the water and rinse beans.
  1. Boil beans in water for 3 minutes in a heavy pot.
  2. Cover and set aside for 2 hours.
  3. Drain and discard the water and rinse beans.
  1. Soak beans according to the cooking time chart.
  2. Drain and discard the water and rinse beans.

Beans should generally be soaked for around four hours in approximately three or four times as much unsalted water as the quantity of beans. Beans generally absorb the maximum amount of water in about four hours, but if soaking them overnight is convenient it will not degrade the beans. Larger, tougher beans, such as fava and lima beans, are the exception and must be soaked for 12-24 hours. Always discard the soaking water, which removes most of the indigestible sugar, and rinse in clean water before cooking. When soaking more than 4 hours, or during hot or humid weather, soak beans in the fridge to avoid sprouting.
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How to Soak Beans

The most common way to soften dried beans is by soaking them in water for several hours or overnight. Water initially enters the bean through the hilum, or scar, where the bean was attached to the stem in the pod. Only after some water has been absorbed by the seed through this small opening will water start soaking through the seed coat. Legumes with thinner coatings, such as lentils or split peas, will soften faster than those with thicker membranes.

  1. Spread beans out in a pan and remove shriveled beans, loose skins and pebbles.
  2. Rinse in cold water.
  3. Add 4 to 5 cups of water per cup of beans or bring the water level to 3 inches above the beans.
  4. Three soaking methods are outlined below.
  5. Which ever soaking method used, always discard the water and cook in fresh water.

Some beans refuse to soften. You can soak them overnight and cook them all day long, and they're still hard as pebbles. The main causes of this are old age and improper storage. If beans have been stored at high temperatures (around 100F) and high humidity (80%), chemical changes occur that make them almost impossible to soften. You can often avoid this situation by checking the package date before purchase and storing dried beans in an airtight container and a cool place.
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Beans labeled ‘‘quick-cooking’’ have been presoaked and refried before packaging. They don’t require presoaking and take considerably less time to prepare. However, after cooking, the texture of these ‘‘quick’’ beans isn’t as firm to the bite as regular dried beans.

 

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