Save money on your grocery bill with this SUPER simple, step-by-step tutorial on how to cook beans from scratch at home. They’re so creamy, delicious, frugal, and healthy – you’ll never go back to canned beans! (Psst! This is the method that de-gasses beans too!)
Cooking dried beans is as easy as soaking, rinsing, and gently simmering your pot on the stove, all the while you do other things with your afternoon!
Not only are these the most creamy & delicious home cooked beans, they are also amazing because they are:
- Frugal. Cooking your own beans is far more cost effective than buying canned beans. (Here’s the cost breakdown, if you want to nerd out on the math.)
- Healthier than canned. A lot of canned products are heavy in salt and often contain preservatives and other additives (such as BPA) that aren’t so great for you. (Source 1).
- Packed with nutrients. Beans of all colors can provide a substantial chunk of your daily vitamins and minerals. Folic acid, fiber, iron… even the trace minerals like copper, manganese, and magnesium (that most of us don’t get quite enough) are found in those tiny little gems. (Source 2).
Ingredient Notes:
- Beans. Choose your beans – black beans, white beans (cannellini beans or navy beans), pinto beans, garbanzo beans – this method works for them all. You can also use this method for red kidney beans, but there are special considerations for cooking dried red kidney beans at home. Read about it HERE.
- Optional Bay Leaf. Some swear that bay leaves are “supposed” to tenderize the beans and help with digestion, but in my experience, my method of soaking and rinsing de-gasses and works better.
Supplies You’ll Need:
- Colander
- Large (5-6 quart) stockpot with a lid
Step By Step Method:
Soaking Dried Beans
Step 1: Place beans in a colander and rinse well.
Remove any whole or partial beans that are significantly discolored. You’ll also want to check for pebbles and clumps of dirt.
Step 2: Measure beans into a large stockpot and soak.
- Add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans.
- One pound of dry beans yields 3-5 cups of cooked beans, depending on the size of the beans.
- So, you’ll need anywhere from 3-5 quarts of water.
- Allow the beans to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours.
Notes on Soaking Dry Beans:
- It’s okay to overestimate if you don’t feel like measuring the water, but don’t underestimate – otherwise you’re going to run into problems. I usually take 30 seconds to measure, just to be safe.
- If you’re making black beans, add 1 Tbsp whey or lemon juice for each cup of dry beans. This helps to break down the protective compounds in these beans, which aids in digestion.
- All other beans are good with just water.
Step 3: After soaking, strain beans into the colander. Rinse very, very well with cold fresh water. This step is pivotal in removing the enzymes that cause the gaseous side effects.
Tip: This water should be discarded, not consumed. Consider saving the soaking water to water your garden for free.
Step 4: Return the beans to the stockpot. Add the same amount of water you originally used, plus an extra cup for each cup of beans.
For example:
- 1 cup beans = need 1 quart water + 2 cups MORE water
- 2 cups beans = need 2 quarts of water + 2 cups MORE water
- 3 cups beans = need 3 quarts water + 2 cups MORE water
Step 5: Place the beans on the stovetop and bring the water JUST to a boil. Stir, turn off the heat and cover the pot of beans with a lid. Allow the beans to sit undisturbed, for 2-8 hours.
Step 6: Strain beans into the colander. Rinse very, very well with cold water. If you haven’t guessed, the draining and rinsing of the beans is the all-important step in de-gassing the beans. You must eliminate the soaking liquid and rinse off the residue from the beans.
Tip: Again, this water should not be consumed. Consider saving this soaking water too for watering the garden for free or feeding to animals.
Cooking Beans
Step 7: Return the beans to the pot and cover with water, so that there is at least 2 inches of water above the beans.
Bring the beans to a very low simmer and allow them to cook until desired tenderness.
- For partially-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45-90 minutes. (This is ideal in situations when the beans will be cooked again – like in soups or stews.)
- For fully-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours cooking time. (The beans are tender, so this is ideal when you need soft beans immediately, in dishes like hummus or refried beans.)
Tip: Cooking low and slow yields a better bean, and better digestion.
Step 8: Periodically check the beans for doneness.
- Add more water as needed to ensure the beans do not dry out while cooking.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste when the beans are almost done.
- Feel free to add additional seasonings like garlic, onion, cumin, or Italian seasoning.
Step 9: Drain and allow the beans to cool before storing.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook the beans on low, for longer, for better digestion.
- If you’re going to cook the beans again (as in this tortilla soup or this garlic white bean soup), don’t cook them all the way (just 45-90 minutes).
- If you’re going to use the beans right away for something like this chocolate hummus or this homemade hummus recipe, give yourself 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Again, the soaking water should not be consumed. Consider saving it for watering the garden for free or feeding to animals.
Easy Recipes Using Beans
- Black Bean Brownies
- White Bean Blondies
- Snickerdoodle Hummus
- Cake Batter Hummus
- Homemade Pesto Hummus
- Our Favorite Black Beans Recipe
- White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Protein in Smoothies (Add beans for protein in smoothies)
FAQs
I recommend the above method of cooking beans on the stovetop as the best way to cook beans – especially for those with sensitive digestive systems. It’s the best way to ‘de-gas’ the beans and cook them tender.
If you don’t want to cook beans on the stove, you also cook beans in the slow cooker, or the Instant Pot (you don’t have to soak first with the Instant Pot!).
The only way I’d cook beans without soaking them first is in the Instant Pot. Here is my recipe for Instant Pot Beans (without soaking).
I recommend that you cover your beans when you soak them. This is the best way to make sure that they are undisturbed while soaking.
Slow Cooker Meal Plan
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How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans from Scratch
How to cook beans from scratch with simple steps for soaking and de-gassing beans (black beans, pinto beans, white beans). Much healthier and cheaper than canned beans!
- Prep Time: 8-24 hours
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 26 hours
- Yield: 6 cups 1x
- Category: How To
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 lb dry beans
- water
- 3–5 Tbsp whey or lemon juice (if making black beans)
Instructions
- Place beans in a colander and rinse well. Remove any whole or partial beans that are significantly discolored. You also want to check for pebbles and clumps of dirt.
- Measure beans into a large stockpot. Add 4 cups of water for every 1 cup of beans. One pound of dry beans yields 3-5 cups, depending on the beans, so you’ll need approximately 3-5 quarts of water.
- If you’re making black beans, add 1 Tbsp whey or lemon juice for each cup of dry beans.
- Allow the beans to sit undisturbed for at least 8 hours, or up to 24.
- After soaking, strain beans into the colander and rinse very, very well with cold water.
- Return the beans to the stockpot and add the same amount of water you originally used, plus an extra cup for each cup of beans.
- Place the beans on the stovetop and bring the water just to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover the beans. Allow the beans to sit undisturbed, for 2-8 hours.
- Strain beans into the colander and again, rinse very, very well with cold water.
- Return the beans to the stockpot and cover with water so that the water line is at least 2″ above the beans. Bring the beans to a very low simmer and allow them to cook until desired tenderness. For partially-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45-90 minutes. For fully-cooked beans, this will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
- Periodically check the beans for doneness and add more water as needed to ensure the beans do not dry out while cooking. Season with salt and pepper to taste when the beans are almost done.
- Drain and allow the beans to cool before storing.
Notes
- Beans. Cook black beans, white beans, pinto beans, and garbanzo beans, which are the ones I cook with most often.
- Cooking Methods. Cook beans on the stovetop (like in the recipe above), in the slow cooker, or the Instant Pot (you don’t have to soak first with the Instant Pot!).
Nutrition
- Calories: 104
Keywords: How to Cook Beans
Hi Tiffany. I guess I got confused, this is a longer process than I normally do. I did the original soak +/-24 hrs and rinsed. Then I did a 2nd soak, which ended up being overnight again, but I didn’t bring to a boil 1st. I thought I was soaking twice, then cooking so I left them sit. I’m using Great Northern. They smell fine, like beans. I rinsed again and am bringing them to a boil now. I just wanted to make sure they are still ok to use since they’ve been sitting out so long reconstituted?
Thanks!
Anne,
I would normally refrigerate beans that are reconstituted over 24 hours. Hope this helps.
How long are the beans good for in the refrigerator once they have been soaked and cooked?
Hi Summer, They are good for 4-5 days!
some say baking soda helps the
‘no gas’ process. Any suggestions?
It might Elaine, but we recommend soaking, rinsing and cooking well to remove that. 🙂
For the first soaking is the water supposed to foam after 24 hours?
A little foam is totally normal! 🙂
I was trying to think of a good way to freeze the cooked beans? How do you store them? In plastic baggies?
Hi Amy,
You can store them in plastic bags or silicone bags flat – that way they defrost the fastest when they’re flat. You can also freeze them in mason jars but leave space for it to expand a little so you don’t break the glass. 🙂
i followed your soaking directions exactly for a 15bean soup mix, and cooked on the stove after soaking. the beans, all of them were al dente, not that we minded but i found it curious as i cooked them on the stove for a little over 2 hours, then put them in my slow cooker overnight! any thoughts? also, i was wondering can you freeze the soaked beans? this wasn’t exactly work but it did take effort, and too much water but i captured as much as i could and used for watering.
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Hi Marie,
They’ll definitely be cooked after stovetop and slow cooker time! You can totally freeze beans that you’ve soaked and cooked.
Marie, did you salt the water while soaking? I heard that makes the beans al dented. Is that right? If so, that could be the reason.
Great ideas here! I have used both soak and no soak methods. The MOST important ingredient that has been left out here is the potato! Yes, the potato. Clean, peel and cut a potato in quarters and add
to the start of your cooking process. The potato will absorb the “gas” from the beans! Discard the potato after cooking. I learned this trick from my mother-in-law, Isabella.
Hi Tiffany, thanks for the detailed instructions! I just made beans (white beans, to be specific) for the very first time and followed your instructions. After the second soak (in water brought just to a boil, before turning it off), which I left undisturbed for about 5 hours, I noticed that my beans seemed nearly done. I proceeded with the next steps: first washing the beans once again very well, and then cooking them on a very low simmer. When I checked after 30 minutes (starting from the moment that water was barely simmering), the beans were already overcooked, broken, and partially mushy. What did I do wrong? Many thanks in advance!
You’re so very welcome!! All beans can take various time to cook, so with two soaks, I’d check the beans after 10 min or so!
I knew this a long time ago but not having cooked beans in a while, I had forgotten!! Otherwise, this is exactly how I cook them, as we speak (write!). Just before the beans are done I add homemade noodles!!! This concoction is very nice tasty!!! Also can use frozen eggnoodles instead of homemade.
This is the most in depth soaking method we’ve ever seen and we’ve cooked a lot of beans! If you’re in a rush, note that discarding the soaking water is the most important step, along with eating beans more consistently. If you do the quick-cook method, be sure to discard the soaking water before cooking again. They’re delicious, healthy and great for you!
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Should I save the bean water from the cooked beans?
For watering or for animals, sure. For self consumption, I wouldn’t. 🙂
I’m confused. You recommend a 2 part soaking method for beans with throwing the soak water away and rinsing but then say you don’t need to do this if you use an instapot.
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Hi Barbara,
We say that you don’t need to soak beans for Instant Pot cooking because the Instant Pot cooks them evenly and quickly, vs. stovetop cooking that much takes longer without soaking – and may not be as evenly cooked without soaking first. But, if you are sensitive to beans and want to use the Instant Pot, you can always soak them first for 8-10 hours to help them become more digestible. The soaked beans will cook in 1/2 the amount of time in the Instant Pot, vs. the unsoaked in the Instant Pot. Hope this helps.