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Despite the many bean recipes that call for dried beans to be soaked for a few hours or overnight before cooking, Chowhounds say there’s no need. Following a method from Rick Bayless, dexters covers the beans with water, brings them to a boil, reduces the heat to a simmer, and cooks for around two hours or until the beans are tender, adding more water if necessary. Don’t throw out the water, says dexters—it has a lot of flavor.
Pressure cookers are a good way to cook beans in a hurry. sarah galvin uses a pressure cooker, and says unsoaked beans take only about 15 minutes. lgss uses a pressure cooker too, and says that presoaked beans only take 3–6 minutes.
scubadoo97, another nonsoaker, adds that it’s fine to salt bean cooking water—it does not prevent beans from cooking, as some cooks say. “ACID will in fact keep beans from cooking,” scubadoo97 counsels Sallie, who was annoyed that a French bean soup recipe with wine took six hours to cook. “Add acid at or near the end,” says scubadoo97.
Board Links: How long should you soak black beans?
Red Beans and Rice—Presoak or no?
After avoiding lots of good bean recipes because I don't generally have the foresight to soak them overnight, I tried Rick Bayless's no-soak method for black beans that he uses in "Rick Bayless's Mexican Kitchen." It works perfectly. So glad I don't have to use canned beans anymore!
All of my cookbooks tell me to soak beans for varying lengths of time. There are quick soak methods, this and that methods--- super confusing! Finally, I asked a Mexican family I know how long they soak their beans for. "We don't," they answered. I went home and brought to boil one cup of pinto beans. I let it stay at a slow boil for about 15 minutes, then reduced the heat. Seriously, in about an...+READ
All of my cookbooks tell me to soak beans for varying lengths of time. There are quick soak methods, this and that methods--- super confusing! Finally, I asked a Mexican family I know how long they soak their beans for. "We don't," they answered. I went home and brought to boil one cup of pinto beans. I let it stay at a slow boil for about 15 minutes, then reduced the heat. Seriously, in about an hour they were done. I was shocked. I'm never going to bother with soaking again. (At least not pinto beans.) Now I am going to start experimenting with black and garbanzo beans, to see how long it takes to cook them without soaking. I will let you know!-COLLAPSE
All of my cookbooks tell me to soak beans for varying lengths of time. There are quick soak methods, this and that methods--- super confusing! Finally, I asked a Mexican family I know how long they soak their beans for. "We don't," they answered. I went home and brought to boil one cup of pinto beans. I let it stay at a slow boil for about 15 minutes, then reduced the heat. Seriously, in about an...+READ
All of my cookbooks tell me to soak beans for varying lengths of time. There are quick soak methods, this and that methods--- super confusing! Finally, I asked a Mexican family I know how long they soak their beans for. "We don't," they answered. I went home and brought to boil one cup of pinto beans. I let it stay at a slow boil for about 15 minutes, then reduced the heat. Seriously, in about an hour they were done. I was shocked. I'm never going to bother with soaking again. (At least not pinto beans.) Now I am going to start experimenting with black and garbanzo beans, to see how long it takes to cook them without soaking. I will let you know!-COLLAPSE
In Craig Claiborne's "Southern Cooking" cookbook, he says that regardless of the instructions, modern beans are over-processed and need no soaking. After cooking his red beans and rice recipe, I have to agree. The only caveat is that beans bought in a Spanish grocery may take a little longer to cook.
I cook beans often and almost always presoak because the beans turn out best that way. I do find that salt does stop beans from softening, as do acidic ingredients. I use the pressure cooker and how long it takes depends upon what type of beans.
Everyone has their preferences, and I suggest that you do what works best for you.