Soaking beans before cooking....
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According to Cook's Illustrated, soaking beans is not necessary. I have always soaked my beans overnight, but I have a ham bone that is just crying for me to make some soup with and I am going to try not soaking my dried beans and see what happens!
SierraCook
Master Chef
I always have either soaked the beans overnight in cold water or used the quick soak method - bring the beans to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Then cover the beans and set-aside for at least 1 hour.
This website below maybe of some help.
http://www.calbeans.com/BEAN BASICS.html
This website below maybe of some help.
http://www.calbeans.com/BEAN BASICS.html
scott123
Senior Cook
Gas issues aside... It depends what beans you're using and how old they are.
A small bean such as a lentil or a split bean (such a split pea) - those don't require soaking as the water penetrates those fairly easily.
As dried beans age, they lose moisture. The older they get, the more dense/impenetrable the center of the bean becomes. Soaking helps water reach the center of the bean. If the center isn't moist, it won't cook/soften for quite some time. If the bean is old enough, that could be indefinitely.
Another facet to this picture is that skins get tough the longer they cook, so if it takes 2, 3 hours to get the center soft, chances are you're looking at a tough skin.
If you buy your beans from a supermarket that you know has good turnaround and cook them up immediately, sure, you might get away with not soaking them. Otherwise, it's a good insurance policy for beans that may/may not be old. If you cook the beans and 2 hours later the center is still hard, that will be an indication that the beans shoud have been soaked.
A small bean such as a lentil or a split bean (such a split pea) - those don't require soaking as the water penetrates those fairly easily.
As dried beans age, they lose moisture. The older they get, the more dense/impenetrable the center of the bean becomes. Soaking helps water reach the center of the bean. If the center isn't moist, it won't cook/soften for quite some time. If the bean is old enough, that could be indefinitely.
Another facet to this picture is that skins get tough the longer they cook, so if it takes 2, 3 hours to get the center soft, chances are you're looking at a tough skin.
If you buy your beans from a supermarket that you know has good turnaround and cook them up immediately, sure, you might get away with not soaking them. Otherwise, it's a good insurance policy for beans that may/may not be old. If you cook the beans and 2 hours later the center is still hard, that will be an indication that the beans shoud have been soaked.
jennyema
Chef Extraordinaire
I second Scott on all that he said, but will add that soaking beans and changing the soaking water often helps cut down on gas. The sugars (? ogliosaccharides??) in the beans dissolve some in the soaking water.
From my email files, another discussion on soaking beans.
There is no purpose. I've read that soaking takes the farts out of
the beans, but I have found in real life, it just isn't so. I've also read
or heard that it speeds up the cooking time. Let's see....Soak the beans
overnite (8 hrs) then simmer for two hours. That's 10 hours total. Or...simmer unsoaked beans for 2-3 hours until done. That's 2-3 hours
versus 10. Whatcha think?
Bean info
http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/bean-categories.html
There is no purpose. I've read that soaking takes the farts out of
the beans, but I have found in real life, it just isn't so. I've also read
or heard that it speeds up the cooking time. Let's see....Soak the beans
overnite (8 hrs) then simmer for two hours. That's 10 hours total. Or...simmer unsoaked beans for 2-3 hours until done. That's 2-3 hours
versus 10. Whatcha think?
Bean info
http://missvickie.com/howto/beans/bean-categories.html
Catseye
Senior Cook
I'm with the pro-soakers. I find when I want to cook with dried beans, I have to cook them quite a long time to get them dish-ready. (But I cook them on the low setting in a crockpot, so that extends the cooking time.)
My concern about your thought to cook the beans in the soup is that if you end up having to cook them for a long time to get them tender, the other ingredients in your soup will have turned to mush. And if you plan to add the other ingredients later ... well, you're essentially back to cooking the beans to soften them as an initial step.
Incidentally, if you're wanting to save time by eliminating the pre-cooking stage, you might think about doing them in the crockpot, if you have one. That's why I do it. I can set the thing on low and forget about it. I soak the dried beans overnight, then rinse them and dump them in the crock with fresh water to cover, turn it on, and eight or so hours later, they're ready for me to do whatever with them.
Cats
My concern about your thought to cook the beans in the soup is that if you end up having to cook them for a long time to get them tender, the other ingredients in your soup will have turned to mush. And if you plan to add the other ingredients later ... well, you're essentially back to cooking the beans to soften them as an initial step.
Incidentally, if you're wanting to save time by eliminating the pre-cooking stage, you might think about doing them in the crockpot, if you have one. That's why I do it. I can set the thing on low and forget about it. I soak the dried beans overnight, then rinse them and dump them in the crock with fresh water to cover, turn it on, and eight or so hours later, they're ready for me to do whatever with them.
Cats
mudbug
Chef Extraordinaire
I go with the quick-soak method Sierra Cook mentioned. Made both some outstanding red beans rice and our traditional New Year's Day black-eyed peas using this method. Doesn't seem to fail.
htc
Head Chef
I'm with Cats, I love my crockpot for cooking beans. I try to do this whenever possible. But using my crock pot, I don't even bother presoaking them. I just rinse and toss into the pot and turn it on. I have a real cheap crockpot, just has on/off switch. (Best $5 investment I ever made. 
) I do this before I head to work and by the time I get home, my beans are cooked perfectly.
) I do this before I head to work and by the time I get home, my beans are cooked perfectly.DigitalAether
Assistant Cook
Soaking beans does not eliminate the sugars that cause gas from beans, but it will reduce them. However, it reduces flavor also. For gas problems use Beano. I do soak my beans, I get a more desireable texture from beans that were soaked overnight but I use the soak water to cook the beans to retain the flavors leeched into the water and for me personally gas usually isn't an issue. It may add 8 hours to the time from when you started them, but that can be 8 hours while you are sleeping, they are just sittiing there in water, not cooking or anything so they don't need to be tended to.
Rainee said:
htc
Head Chef
I thought that the reason beans cause gas is that they haven't been cooked enough? For some reason, I remember either seeing this on FoodTV or reading it somewhere...
????
????
buckytom
Chef Extraordinaire
edited
DigitalAether
Assistant Cook
Undercooking is also a factor.htc said:
"To avoid stomach aches and flatulence, never eat a crunchy bean. Cook beans thoroughly.
This breaks down indigestible enzymes present in raw beans. Soaking is also vital to happy digestion, which removes much of the indigestible sugar, (ogliosaccharides), in beans. Unfortunately, humans cannot digest these sugars in their stomach, so they travel to the intestines where bacterial enzymes break them down, producing methane, hydrogen and carbon dioxide. You will notice how beans foam when they soak this is due to the sugar extraction."
source: [url]http://www.infowest.com/sisu/beans.htm [/url]
What I reccomend is soak the beans, then cook them thoroughly in the soak water to help retain more of the flavor (flavor is why us foodies are foodies ins't it?) and if you have a problem with gas, use Bean-o or a product like it.
kitchenelf
Chef Extraordinaire
Moved this to Pasta, Rice, and Grains, which includes beans, in case anyone else wondered about this same thing.
Barbara L
Traveling Welcome Wagon
My mom discovered that if she brought the beans to a boil with plenty of baking soda, then rinsed and soaked them, they weren't as likely to cause gas.
Barbara
Barbara
Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
What I was taught: Soak beans to insure tender end product. Or, bring washed beans to a boil, remove from heat, and let sit for 20 minutes. Then bring to a simmer and cook until tender. The addition of salt will not inhibit the softening, but the addition of acidic ingrediants will cause the beans to remain tough and undercooked.
Personal experience: I have found very little difference between cooking soaked and unsoaked beans. I have never suffered from flatulence or indigestion from eating beans (that's a good thing). I have found that adding acidic ingredients before the bean is completely tender will make the bean tough. I have even had almost completely tender beans turn tough when tomato was added to them.
The tough beans have been saved by removing the tough product from heat, refrigerating overnigh, then re-baking the next day. Don't know why this works.
I believe the high protien content of the beans reacts with acid and stops the water penetration and absorption, much like the protien on the surface of meat tightens and keeps acidic marinades from penetrating.
Hope this helps. All I can say is that the answer is found only by experimentation, and observation.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
Personal experience: I have found very little difference between cooking soaked and unsoaked beans. I have never suffered from flatulence or indigestion from eating beans (that's a good thing). I have found that adding acidic ingredients before the bean is completely tender will make the bean tough. I have even had almost completely tender beans turn tough when tomato was added to them.
The tough beans have been saved by removing the tough product from heat, refrigerating overnigh, then re-baking the next day. Don't know why this works.
I believe the high protien content of the beans reacts with acid and stops the water penetration and absorption, much like the protien on the surface of meat tightens and keeps acidic marinades from penetrating.
Hope this helps. All I can say is that the answer is found only by experimentation, and observation.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
I'd been looking at this thread for a while...
GoodWeed sort of crystallised it tonight with the "acid" thing...
With complete respect for Barbara L, my curiousity was piqued by historical writers who all mention how they boiled their "water" added the beans to "soak" with a whack of baking soda, before "cooking" the next day...
Now, remember, "beans", today, might not be so "dried" as those on issue to "pioneers" a hundred odd years ago...
This also relates to an now "ancient" posting thread between Audeo and myself on the Chili issues, where she related about "Original Texas Chili" which does "not" include beans...in that I pointed out that the "Chuck" wagon, had its own cook, who marched beside same, "stirring the mix" along the way...(oxen/cattle move VERY SLOWLY!) so this wasn't any "Light Infantry March!"...and so would not sacks of dried beans been "added" as they became "edible"?
Likewise, adding "scraps" of beef to the "mix" seems weird...where were the "good cuts" going to, unless it was to "settlers" in exchange to work, laundry services, and trades for "vegetables", which would likely have included tomato, onions, peppers etc...
Sorry if this "wanders" the point of the original thread, but I've been reading this stuff a long time, and its terribly interesting to "contrast it with" moderns chefs...
Lifter
GoodWeed sort of crystallised it tonight with the "acid" thing...
With complete respect for Barbara L, my curiousity was piqued by historical writers who all mention how they boiled their "water" added the beans to "soak" with a whack of baking soda, before "cooking" the next day...
Now, remember, "beans", today, might not be so "dried" as those on issue to "pioneers" a hundred odd years ago...
This also relates to an now "ancient" posting thread between Audeo and myself on the Chili issues, where she related about "Original Texas Chili" which does "not" include beans...in that I pointed out that the "Chuck" wagon, had its own cook, who marched beside same, "stirring the mix" along the way...(oxen/cattle move VERY SLOWLY!) so this wasn't any "Light Infantry March!"...and so would not sacks of dried beans been "added" as they became "edible"?
Likewise, adding "scraps" of beef to the "mix" seems weird...where were the "good cuts" going to, unless it was to "settlers" in exchange to work, laundry services, and trades for "vegetables", which would likely have included tomato, onions, peppers etc...
Sorry if this "wanders" the point of the original thread, but I've been reading this stuff a long time, and its terribly interesting to "contrast it with" moderns chefs...
Lifter
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