Learn how to cook beans from scratch at home. This super simple step-by-step tutorial will give you creamy, delicious beans every time at a fraction of the cost of canned beans. Plus 7 bonus methods for de-gassing beans too!
Cooking from scratch is one of the best ways to reduce grocery spending. And pound for pound, beans are one of the most affordable staples you can keep in your pantry.
However, not everyone knows how to cook dry beans, and many are intimidated by the process.
Let me show you how easy it is to get the best of both worlds – cooking from scratch and including beans in your meal plans – with a step-by-step tutorial on how to cook beans!
WHY BOTHER COOKING DRY BEANS
You may wonder if there’s any benefit to cooking dried beans versus buying cans of beans. The three biggest reasons are:
- Dry beans are cheaper. Regardless of what type of dry beans you cook (i.e. pinto beans, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, red beans, lima beans, cannellini, etc.), it’s cheaper to cook your dry beans than it is to buy canned. (Here’s the cost breakdown if you want to nerd out on the math.)
- Dried beans are easier to digest. Starting with dried beans gives you the flexibility to soak, cook them slowly, and add other ingredients to counteract the negative side effects that canned beans can cause. Read on for my easy method for soaking beans and tricks for de-gassing beans.
- Dried beans are less popular. Remember the year when grocery store shelves were empty? Canned beans were quick to disappear, but dried beans still hung around. Why? Because most people don’t know how to cook beans.
- Bonus: Dry beans last forever. They’re the perfect pantry staple! Unofficially, dry beans will last indefinitely if they’re stored properly. Think of an airtight container in a cool, dry spot. (I use 5-gallon food-grade buckets with gamma lids. The cheapest buckets are at Tractor Supply for $5. These are the lids I bought, but there might be some in multi-packs for a better price per lid.)
INGREDIENTS FOR COOKING BEANS
In the most basic of recipes for cooking beans, you only need two ingredients:
- Dried Beans
- Water
It doesn’t matter what type of bean you choose – black beans, white beans (cannellini beans or navy beans), pinto beans, garbanzo beans – this method works for them all.
Bay leaves and sea salt add a subtle flavor, and that’s why I include them in my dried beans recipe, but they’re optional. Cooking dried beans is a fantastic way to make low-sodium or salt-free beans!
Psst…Did you know that many salts contain MICROPLASTICS? It’s a sneaky toxin that may be in your everyday salt, and thus your everyday food (um, gross). I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because their salt is FREE of microplastics, and it tastes delicious! (PLUS, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt – just pay shipping and handling!)
BEFORE YOU COOK: CONSIDER SOAKING DRIED BEANS
It’s not NECESSARY to soak dried beans before cooking them, but it’s something you should consider. Here’s why:
- Soaked beans produce less flatulence. Dried beans contain an enzyme called oligosaccharides, which is difficult for a lot of people to digest. The body will continue to try to break this enzyme down as it gets further into the digestive system and gas is produced as a byproduct. Soaking dried beans (and tossing the soaking liquid) can help remove 75-90% of the oligosaccharides.
- Soaked beans cook faster. Cooking dry beans without soaking takes several hours. By soaking the beans first, you can reduce the cooking time to as little as 30 minutes, depending on the type of bean.
- Soaked beans taste better. Beans tend to be softer and more evenly cooked when they’re soaked versus cooked straight from dry.
HOW TO COOK BEANS: STOVETOP METHOD
Step 1: Pick them over. Rinse your beans in cool water in a colander and pick out any that are broken, deformed, or discolored. Rinsing also helps to remove any dust, dirt, and debris.
Step 2 (optional): Soak the beans. Follow your preferred method of soaking below, if desired. Be sure to discard the soaking liquid and rinse the beans with fresh water thoroughly before cooking.
Step 3: Place the soaked or unsoaked beans in a large pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt (if using) and cold water. Generally speaking, you need 1 quart of water for every 1 cup of dry beans.
Step 4: Simmer gently over medium heat and allow the dried beans to cook until they reach your desired tenderness, periodically checking the beans for doneness. Add more water as needed to ensure the beans are fully submerged during the cooking process.
Step 5: When the beans are almost done, you can add additional seasonings like ground black pepper, granulated garlic, onion powder, cumin, or Italian Seasoning, or even frozen herbs.
- How to cook beans: partially cooked. Partially cooked beans are still fairly firm but are cooked enough that you can split them in half with a spoon. 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.)
- How to cook beans: fully cooked. Fully cooked beans are softer and more tender. This will take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours of cooking time. (This is ideal when you need soft beans immediately, in dishes like Hummus or Greek Quinoa Salad.)
Drain bean cooking liquid and allow the beans to cool completely before storing. Store cooked beans in an airtight container or resealable bag in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Note: You can use this method for all types of beans, but please note that red kidney beans must be boiled for 10 minutes before cooking (regardless of what method of cooking you choose) due to their higher levels of phytohemagglutinin, which can cause digestive distress.
HOW TO COOK DRY BEANS IN A SLOW COOKER
Follow steps 1-2 above but place the beans in a crock pot instead of in a large pot on the stove. Allow the dry beans to cook for 5-6 hours on LOW or 3-4 hours on HIGH. For step-by-step details, follow this Slow Cooker Beans tutorial.
HOW TO COOK DRIED BEANS IN AN INSTANT POT
Follow step 1 above and then place the dried beans in the pressure cooker instead of a large pot on the stove. Press the “manual” or “pressure cook” button so that it’s set to high pressure and adjust the timer to 25-40 minutes, depending on the type of bean. For step-by-step details, follow this Instant Pot Beans tutorial.
Soaking beforehand is not necessary when cooking beans in the Instant Pot since they cook more quickly and evenly. However, if you want to soak the dry beans beforehand, cut the cooking time in half.
HOW TO COOK BEANS TO REDUCE GAS (HOW TO SOAK BEANS)
There’s no right or wrong way to soak beans, so I’ll share my two methods for soaking dry beans. (If beans tend to make you gassy, you’ll want the long soak method.)
QUICK SOAK METHOD:
- Rinse your beans well and pick out any that are broken, deformed, or discolored.
- Place your beans in a large stock pot, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and cover with water 2” past the top of the beans. (If you have hard water, use distilled or purified water to cook beans.)
- Bring the beans just to a boil. Stir, cover with a lid, and remove from the heat. Let the beans sit in the hot water until the water has cooled to room temperature, about 30-45 minutes.
- Drain the beans and repeat the process for an additional soak (starting with step 2) or follow the recipe below to cook the beans.
Note: This is the method recommended by the USDA, but you should limit the soak time for cannellini beans to just 30 minutes. They tend to get soft very quickly.
LONG SOAK METHOD:
- Rinse your dried beans well and pick out any that are broken, deformed, or discolored.
- Place your beans in a large stock pot or large bowl and cover with water 3” past the top of the beans. (If you have hard water, use distilled or purified water to cook beans.)
- If you like seasoned beans, add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water.
- Cover beans and let soak at room temperature for 4-8 hours (or overnight) or refrigerate them for up to 24 hours.
- Drain the beans and either repeat the process (starting with step 2) or follow the recipe card below to cook the beans.
For either method, it’s imperative that you drain the beans and not consume the soaking liquid to avoid gassiness. If you’re trying to conserve water, consider using it to water your plants.
HOW LONG TO SOAK BEANS?
I shared two methods for soaking beans above, but if you need a timer on how long to soak, you need about 45 minutes for the quick soak, and up to 12 hours for the long soak.
Both methods can be repeated – depending on how sensitive your digestive system is – which affects the total soaking time.
7 METHODS FOR REDUCING GAS IN DRIED BEANS EVEN MORE
Anyone who learns how to cook beans has a trick or two up their sleeve for reducing the gas in beans. Some methods work for some people, some methods don’t. It’s honestly a matter of personal preference and a little bit of trial and error to see which method works best for YOU.
- Pacific Kombu. This is a specific type of seaweed that helps to break down the oligosaccharides in beans. You add a 1” piece to the beans in the soaking process and again when the beans are cooking. This is my personally preferred method and trust me, you can’t taste the seaweed when the beans are done.
- Baking Soda. Some swear that adding a teaspoon of baking soda to a pound of dried beans reduces the gas in beans, but any bubbling you see is merely excess carbon dioxide. If you try this trick, remember that baking soda is alkaline and will decrease the cooking time by 50%. A faster cooking time means less time to reduce the oligosaccharides in the beans.
- Bay Leaves. Others swear that bay leaves tenderize the beans and help with digestion, but in my experience, my method of soaking and rinsing de-gasses better. (But I still add a bay leaf for flavor!)
- Lemon Juice or Whey. Still others think that adding lemon juice or whey (the liquid from yogurt) will help get rid of the gas in beans because they slow down the cooking time. I haven’t found this to be the case personally but be careful if you try this trick – acidic water can sometimes lead to hard beans, despite a very long cooking time.
- Try pressure-cooking beans. I’m sharing several methods for cooking beans in this post, but some readers have shared that pressure-cooked beans are less gassy for them. Here’s my Instant Pot Beans tutorial.
- Add ajwain (carom seed) and epazote. Ajwain is an Indian spice that tastes like cumin and thyme and is traditionally used for an upset stomach. Epazote is a South American herb.
- Take Beano. There’s an enzyme derived from the fungus Aspergillus niger that helps to digest oligosaccharides. If all else fails, take Beano (or another brand with this enzyme) with your meal.
Generally speaking, a long soak time, a long cooking time, and adding your own “trick” to the pot of beans will greatly reduce how much gas is produced when you enjoy your home-cooked beans. And by cooking and freezing a big batch of dried beans ahead of time, you get the convenience of canned beans without the side effects!
COOKING DRIED BEANS – EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE
This is the method I use to cook almost every kind of dried beans, but there are a few legumes that are exceptions to the process:
- Lentils. Lentils don’t require soaking at all. There are several varieties of lentils – green, brown, black, and red – and each requires different cooking times. Here’s how to cook green or brown lentils in the Instant Pot.
- Split Peas. Green and yellow split peas also do not require soaking.
- Adzuki Beans. Adzuki are sweet and nutty and one of my favorite beans, and they don’t require any soaking. They’re ready in about 40 minutes from start to finish.
COOKING BEANS FAQS
What is the best way to cook beans?
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.
Do you have to soak beans before cooking them?
It’s not NECESSARY to soak dried beans before cooking them, but it’s something to consider if you have difficulty digesting beans. If you don’t have time to make soaked beans, or just don’t want to, I recommend my recipe for Instant Pot Beans.
Should you add salt before cooking beans?
If you’ve ever heard that adding salt before cooking your beans will prevent the beans from cooking through, you heard wrong. You can salt your beans before, during, or after cooking and they taste much better!
Why are my beans hard?
Dry beans that have been cooking for a long time (hours) without getting soft are usually the result of old beans, having hard water, or having something acidic like lemon juice or Apple Cider Vinegar in the pot (which can slow down cooking).
How many cups of beans does cooking dry beans make?
One pound of dry beans yields 3-5 cups of cooked beans, depending on the size of the dry bean. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) make about 3 cups per pound of dry beans, while black beans make about 5 cups per pound of dry beans.
You need about 1 ½ cups of cooked beans in place of one 15oz can of bean
MY FAVORITE DRIED BEAN RECIPES
Now that you know how to cook beans, you can use those cooked dried beans in these yummy recipes.
- Black Bean Brownies
- Tortilla Soup
- Southwest Chicken Salad
- Enchilada Casserole
- Black Bean and Corn Salsa Tacos
- Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry
- Our Favorite Rice and Beans Recipe
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How to Soak and Cook Dried Beans from Scratch
Learn how to cook beans from scratch at home. This super simple step-by-step tutorial will give you creamy, delicious beans every time at a fraction of the cost of canned beans. Plus 7 bonus methods for de-gassing beans too!
- 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 the 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
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 167
Rosa
WhereI live black beans are an everyday meal with eggs, over toasted tortilla, on bread … You name it; dinner or breakfast. I usually don’t do the whole beans for dinner because I the gassy side effects, but what I have found is that if they are liquified on a blender, the side effects are waaay less. I put olive oil on the pot with some chopped onion and garlic and put in the blended beans in. Let cook for aprox 30 min and they are done.
I guess much like redried beans but a little runnier. You tip about rinsing the second rinsing sounds like a winner! Thank you so much for your tips an ideas on how to stretch our budget, you’ve been an inspiration! I just might try other beans besides the staples ant home.
Ohh and I don’t add salt when they are cooking, just because my Mom always told me they get harder, but I do add it after they are done an leave them to boil for a few minutes… Just tradition I guess.
Tiffany
I love hearing all the different ways people use and cook beans. Thank you so much for sharing Rosa! I hadn’t heard of less gas if blended, so thank you for sharing that tip too! I’m imagining beans with some eggs on a tostada right now and it sounds do good!! Thank you for your kind words, and I do hope to have more bean recipes to share soon – perhaps you guys will like them just as much! 🙂
heather
Thank you for this great post. I’ve been trying to figure this out and after reading several sets of directions, yours makes the most sense.
I have to say, I want to grocery shop where you do! I’ve read many of your posts and I’m surprised at how much cheaper groceries are in your lists. I’ve often heard that our area (Billings, Montana) has expensive groceries but didn’t think it was that far off. For example, a can of beans (off brand) are 1.49 here not on sale, a loaf of bread is 2.69 at the big stores like Costco and even higher at the regular grocery stores, and a plain bag of white rice (off brand) is 1.10. Needless to say, we take advantage of Costco for most of our items since buying in bulk helps with most items and we buy at the regular store for things that are cheaper by the unit there.
Thanks again for your great posts. I’m glad I stumbled across your site this year.
Tiffany
Hi Heather! I’m glad you stumbled across Crumbs too! We definitely have good prices on certain items, but if it’s animal related, all bets are off. That’s part of the reason we get so creative and eat so little meat. Although I hope to use Blythe’s tip above and get some help there!
Edith
My family eats beans all the time. My husband, with 13 children in his family, grew up eating pintos. I soak my beans (all kinds) in water alone in a big bowl on the counter all day. Then at night I put the bowl in the frig. The next morning I drain the water off and cook as normal. Depending on time, I have skipped the overnight frig soak. Doing this both ways is how I discovered that the frig soak kept us from being gassy. I cannot explain the science of it, I just know it works for us.
Tiffany
Oh yes, we’d be eating beans like crazy with that many kids too! 😉 I wonder if temperature has something to do with it, or if it’s just a time thing. Interesting for sure Edith! Thanks for sharing!!
tameka
thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! i love beans, but they don’t love me. i made my best beans ever a couple weeks ago and have very bad gas and stomach aches afterwards. i soaked them for 48 hours with ACV, rinsed them, and then cooked them with pork bones and fat — yummy. i noticed that you do a second soak, so i going to try that and see how it works. thanks for sharing!
Tiffany
You’re welcome, welcome, welcome!! 🙂 I hope this second soap helps out with the digestion!!
Samantha
Tiffany I just want to say thank you for the great post. We are a family of 6 and need to cut our budget on food dramatically but I do not want to go back to processed food that we just got out of. I have always heard that beans are frugal but it always looked too difficult, I’m going to give this a go, now I just have to find some good frugal dinners that include beans. Considering my husband loves Mexican food I think I’ll start with that but your recipe with the ham bone looks delicious also.
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Samantha! Beans really are easy, especially once you figure out the best way to incorporate the process into your routine. It’s not hard, granted, but new is always “different.” I hope to have that ham bone recipe for you soon!!
Amanda
I make beans all the time. Eating just a cup of beans with either cheese, cheese & onions, or with a bit of pork mixed in, all the time. I make refried beans weekly and do not soak them nor do I have a problem with gas. I cook my beans in my crockpot. For ‘refried’ beans, put them in a little dipper crock and cook em until they’re soft, then mash with a potato masher and add salt to taste. For all other bean dishes, I cook those in a larger crock until they reach the tenderness that I desire, frequently with a ham bone, or in stock for chili. Never have a problem with gas and I have IBD so if anyone was going to get gas, I would. ;0)
Tiffany
Consider yourself fortunate Amanda! The gaseous side effect isn’t with everyone. Some people have plenty of the enzymes needed to adequately digest beans, and some don’t – that’s where soaking comes into play. By soaking before hand, you don’t need as much of the digestive enzymes to break them down. I’m a big fan of beans too, and really enjoy northern beans cooked all day with pork and a ham bone. Over cornbread. YUM!
Monkey's Mommy
Tiffany, do you have a recipe for these “Northern Beans”? I dunno much about beans, but ham bone flavored beans over cornbread sounds amazing <3
Tiffany
Monkey’s Mommy – I just got the recipe this past weekend and picked up some beans today. You bet I’ll be experimenting with them soon!! 😉
Rebecca
My dh has no enzymes for digesting beans, ate them so much as a kid I guess. Black beans had us in the ER! So I do 4 day soaks and still we have minor issues-but black beans I don’t risk.
So why the lemon juice for cooking those?
Tiffany
The lemon juice/whey is suggested by Sally Fallon of Nourishing Traditions. She mentions that some beans require acidic, some neutral or some alkaline water, so I’m thinking that the black bean requires the slightly acidic environment. I haven’t read much more on every specific bean though, so if it’s a life/death/ER situation, please makes sure before taking my word on it!
Margaret
For the last year I have been purchasing my beans from a farm in California – Rancho Gordo and we have some type of beans almost every day but certainly 3-4 times/week. I don’t know if it is the fact that we eat them so soon after harvest, or if your body adjusts but neither my husband nor I have any unpleasant side effects. And I have learned to cook them simply, skipping the soaking step all together or only soaking for less than an hour if it happens to fit my schedule. The basic process is to bring them to a hard boil for about 10 minutes, cover and cook them in a 350 oven until done which can be anywhere from 60-90 minutes depending on the type of bean. In addition to do always add a thumb size piece of kombu, a bay leaf and depending on what I will be using them for, maybe some carrots, onion, celery, or other spices. Check out the cooking tips here: https://www.ranchogordo.com/
Dawn
I soak and cook as these instructions, then can them. You can flavor them as the instructions the Bernardin website gives or just can them in water to be used however you want later. You do need a pressure canner for beans.
Tiffany
Thanks for the tip on the pressure canner Dawn. I had wondered about that, so it’s nice to know! That item is going on my Christmas list. 😉
Mary
I’ve canned dry beans but never after soaking. After having soaked the beans, how much beans /water do you use per pint jar. My canning time is 75 minutes for pints, 90 for quarts at 15#. Is it the same for soaked beans? Thank you!!!
Dawn
Same headspace, same timing, but at my altitude I process at 10 lbs pressure.
Maggie
I love beans, too, and at 63 years old, have been eating them forever. I used to soak them and not change the water but I’ve learned that soaking beans and nuts rids them of toxins. My method of doing beans is to let them soak all night then in the morning I rinse them really good and add fresh water and soak them again all day. Around 3:00 a.m. I rinse them again. At this point you may wait until later and rinse and soak again all night but I would put them in the refrigerator again and repeat process in the morning. This makes the beans highly digestable. In the afternoon, I cook them as desired without rinsing off the cooking water and it gives the bean water, or liquor as some call it, a wonderful thick consistency. I love my beans. I make refried beans often. Also before cooking is a good time to divide them in half, freeze the half and cook the rest. Also, I always add some powdered ginger in the palm of my hand and press it our with my finger to rid it of lumps and through it in the bean pot before cooking. No gas!
Tiffany
I haven’t heard of the powdered ginger trick Maggie, but I bet the flavor is delicious! I agree that before cooking is a good time to divide, which is why I recommend doing this at the par-cook stage. I froze one when they were completely cooked, and they were too mushy for use in any dish needing whole beans.
Caitlin
This is great! For the record – I do really crave beans sometimes. Especially for breakfast. Is that super bizarre? Tell me it’s not crazy!
I recently came across another method that calls for soaking in SALT water, then rinsing and soaking again or going straight to the cooking step. It worked really well, and the beans had a tiny bit more flavor and didn’t turn to mush. They cooked a little more evenly too. It was surprising! I don’t know how much salt is actually absorbed so haven’t done it again, but it was a nice experiment!
Tiffany
Totally not crazy Caitlin. I was craving a black bean tostada earlier today, lol. Experiments are always worth a shot in my opinion. You never know which way will work out best for you! 🙂
Eileen
I used to use whey as mentioned in Sally Fallon’s book and Weston Price Foundation. Then I began to read on blogs that they no longer recommend they acidic whey. Have you read that anywhere?
Tiffany
I have not Eileen, but I just skimmed NT and she mentions “some varieties in acidic water and some in neutral or slightly alkaline water.” I’m thinking that the no-whey comments were specific to a type of bean, rather than a broad statement. That’s just an idea though, since I haven’t heard that myself.
Philip Swift
Hi, just to remind people that whey makes beans NON-vegetarian.
Otherwise I like your recipes 😉
Amber
I have decided to be adventurous and try new things – including beans and lentils (both of which I say I hate, but actually ate for several months while in another country and never died or anything). So when I was at the store last week, I was looking at cans of beans. But when I was picking up my rice, I noticed the pretty dried beans and how much cheaper they were than canned. So I traded them off for a bag of garbanzo beans (with the goal to make safe hummus) and a bag of lentils. But when I got home, I realized there was probably some secret to making these dried things into smushable chickpeas and edible lentils – and I didn’t know the secret! Now I do though, and I can’t wait to make my own hummus!
PS: Does this work for lentils?
Tiffany
Aren’t dried beans GORGEOUS?! It’s hard to believe something so pretty has such a bad rap! There’s a tip with hummus that I didn’t mention in the post – when you make them from scratch, follow the soaking method above. Then when they’re par-boiled, rub the beans between your finger to remove the thin outer coating. Then continue to cook until very soft. That will yield an incredibly smooth hummus that you will have a hard time keeping your hands off of. Considering yourself warned! 😉
Yes, it does work for lentils, although you don’t have to soak nearly as long. I always eat a bean after each soak, just to gauge how much longer it will be. Do the same for lentils. The first soak will be normal, but the second might be short. They’re not as big as most beans, so the process works much quicker.
Nance
ohmygoodness! I thought I was the only one who bothered to remove the membrane off of garbanzo beans!!! LOL! My chef hubby thinks I’m silly to take the time, but anything with garbanzo beans tastes better. His other thought is that you’re losing the fiber that comes with the outer coating?? But the texture is SO much better! And, thanks for the great tips, Tiffany! I also enjoy reading people’s comments to get more info too. 🙂 What a great blog!!!!
KelliBoo
If you remove the skins. Do you have to do each bean?? Or will they come off & float so you can skim them off??
Tiffany
You do KelliBoo, but this is only for garbanzo beans. You can either enlist the kids to help, or put them in a bowl of water and swirl somewhat vigorously with your hands and the skins will start to come off on their own.
Mary B
Eating one raw bean might be OK, but be careful of eating anymore than that, especially kidney beans. Beans contain varying amounts of Phytohaemagglutinin, a toxin that is deactivated by cooking, and kidney beans have an especially high level of it. Even 5 raw kidney beans can cause poisoning.
Look it up. It will be worth it.
Tiffany
Yes! The fact that “it takes days” is a huge turn off, but when you really sit and think about the work involved, not just the time, we realize that it’s not as bad as we originally thought. Even favorable, as you’ve mentioned. I forgot the flexibility that sourdough provides… I need to get that going again!!
Rosa
We are big bean eaters. It is definitely a cost-saver, plus healthy. And, since I work outside the home, I find beans an easy basis for planning meals. For example: Meal 1 might be beans & rice with salad; Meal 2 chili with the leftover beans; Meal 3 burritos or chili mac with the leftover chili. I also rotate the bean for the month. For example week 1 – pintos. Week 2 – red beans. Week 3 – black beans. Week 4 – lentils, split peas, or refried beans. This really helps with the variety because each bean “goes” with different types of meals better. My husband isn’t a huge black bean eater, but because I pair it with fajitas, he enjoys the meal.
One thing you didn’t explicitly say but new bean cookers need to know: Do NOT add salt before the beans are done. They will never finish!
I do have a question: Why do you have to add whey or lemon juice to black beans? I cook them all the time and never heard of this step – so please educate me.
Tarynkay
I think that the acids (whey, lime juice, etc) are added to help break down what some people call the “anti-nutrients” in beans. I haven’t tried this myself, and also haven’t tried the double soaking method. I soak them just once overnight with salt. We do eat a lot of beans and I think that alone helps cut down on unpleasant side effects. But next time I make beans, I’ll give it a shot.
I have to disagree with not adding salt. On the advice of Cooks Illustrated, I started adding salt to both the soaking water and the cooking water for beans and it made a real and wonderful difference in the texture. The beans end up both creamier and more intact with the salt. It does not add to the cooking time at all.
Tiffany
I’ve never tried adding salt, since I always thought it was for taste, not texture. I’ll have to give this a try next time. Thanks for the tip!
Tiffany
Hi Rosa! I somehow missed your original comment, but better late than never! Thanks for the tip on the salt, and the whey/acid is added in order to neutralize the acid in the bean. Some beans need it, some don’t.
M SPOTTEN
would vinegar work instead of lemon juice?
Tiffany
Yes!
lylah
Omg I was told to soak beans w 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar for 2 days. I did and then cook the peas, actually l, yellow split peas for 4 hours and they never got soft..ended up throwing them out. I was do perplexed. I’ve cooked yellow split peas many times without soaking to make dahl. I feed my 2 yo lots of beans. To cut our gas and acid I wanted to soak. My questions are how long do I soak yellow split peas? Will that degas? Or do I simple rinse very well with cold water? Can I cook beans with apple cider vinegar? Will they cook with that? Please advise the rinsing regime again. I give my toddler organic canned chick peas…ate canned beans degassed?? TIA
Shelly
Tiffany-thank you for sharing how to make beans from scratch. They sound easy and yummy!
I have loved your website and inspired me to budget our grocery budget. So, for my first time on a tight budget I spent $150.00 to feed a family of five breakfast, lunch, dinner and health snacks for two weeks. I bought as much as I could with organic. My family loved having all the food and meals made. Thank you for all your tips and ideas I could not have done it with out your help. Thank you!
Tiffany
Amazing job on your budget Shelly – that’s incredible! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me this incredibly encouraging note. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! I’m honored to be able to share with you guys, and I’m humbled each day at the response. Blessings to you and your family!
Monkey's Mommy
Shelly! That is incredible! What are some of the breakfasts you prepared on this budget? My Husband works and has classes. I work nights! Breakfast is the main meal that I have time to prepare, and I’m looking for good suggestions 🙂
Shelly
Hi Monkey’s Mommy-I make scrabbled eggs or omelets with lots of left over veggies and cheese. It’s amazing how much I can find of a little bit of this and a little bit of that to make the omelets. Also, my husband loves left over pinto beans with eggs. I bought a 10 pound bag of oatmeal for $6.00. I made oatmeal “Starbuck style” with crushed nuts, seeds, dried cranberries, raisin, and made granola bars about 4 batches. Only used about a quarter of the oatmeal. I made the homemade yogurt with fresh fruit and crumbled up granola bar with nuts and seeds. Our family favorite was the Quiche with a Super Easy Whole-Wheat Crust. It’s great that with your busy schedules you still make a meal together.
Deidre
Just another tip here, I make steel cut oats at night, here’s how; boil the amount of water or milk (I use almond milk) you need, add the amount of oats, then take off the heat and cover tightly, I put foil under the lid as my lid doesn’t fit as tight as it used to. Before you add the oats I add different dried fruits, seeds etc then the oats. Let it sit all night and it’s done in the morning. You might have to add some liquid if it’s too thick for your liking. It sure beats trying to cook something for 40 + minutes in the morning. I usually make enough for a few days, just refrigerate and heat as needed.
As for the beans!! I soak mine exactly as you do, and I do tons at a time. I cook a bunch and freeze for meals, but I also freeze some in quarter cup portions to add to smoothies in the morning for a early protein burst. I also freeze some that are soaked but not boiled and the are ready to cook when I need them.
Hope these ideas help…sorry I’m a year late posting lol 🙂 just clicked here from another site.
Tiffany
They absolutely do, and better late than never Deidre!
Glen
I didn’t know that you soak them twice . I will try it next time . Just retired and doing things in the kitchen.
Eloise D Julian
Shelly congratulations on your budget for a family of 5. For 150.00, three meals a day for two weeks what supplies did you purchase. Share your menu.
Janira
Thank you Tiffany! I didn’t know about the 2nd soaking. I also make beans all at once and while I was soaking for 24 hours and rinsing, they were not completely de-gassed. Now I know!! Beans freeze very well.
Tiffany
You’re most welcome Janira!!
Alana
What are your recommendations for storing the soaked beans? I’ve tried this a couple of times but got bogged down at the storage step and went back to cans because they are easier to keep on hand, ready when I need them. We eat beans a few times a week so the savings you mentioned sounds like a good reason to try the soaking process again.
Tiffany
Hi Alana! Once the beans are cooked, I strain them and measure out approximately 1 1/2 cups into a sandwich baggie. Then label, push out the air and freeze. At the beginning of the week, I move what I need from the freezer to the fridge and that’s it!
Guinan
To save freezer space, you could also dehydrate them and microwave in hot water to rehydrate. Ideal solution for single households!
Donna Y
How do you dehydrate them? How long do you cook them?
Brooke
I just put pinto beans into soak. It is so much cheaper to make my own, and we love refried beans. I also use my crock pot to cook my beans, but I do my soaks in a stock pot, because it takes up less space, and my counter space is limited. Thanks for the tips.
Tiffany
Thanks so much for the tip on saving space Brooke! I love using a slow cooker, but we’re limited on counter space too. Dividing the task is a great idea!
Momworkshard4$
very confused! when you finally get to cooking them either partially or completely and if you don’t have a slow cooker are you supposed to put a lid over it or not?? Thank you 🙂
Di
Thats a new way for me.normally i just soak the beans days at a time changing the water when it starts getting slimy.when im ready I cook the beans on simmer till done with a pinch of bicarb soda. Can’t wait to try this method to compare.
Tiffany
I hope you like this method Di! I tried the several days soak once, but got so used to walking by and doing nothing, that I had forgotten to do anything! This keeps me on my toes, and doesn’t let me forget so easily. 🙂
Katherine
Yay beans! My method is a little bit different, but it’s also really easy. After dinner, dump the dry beans in the crockpot insert and cover with cold water. Let soak overnight. Drain and rinse in the morning, and cover with water (plus an extra few inches) and cook on low all day or high for about 6 hours. Easy peasy! Or if I’m making a soup that includes beans, as long as I soak them overnight, I’ll just let them cook with everything else in the crockpot all day, but maybe add a bit of extra broth or water. I’m a stay-at-home/homeschooling mom, so I’m around all day to check on the moisture level if I need to, but I’ve done it enough that I can eyeball it now.
Tiffany
I like your method too Katherine- especially the one where they just keep on cooking for dinner, lol. Anything that makes work easier gets two thumbs up from me! Thanks so much for sharing your ideas with us!