Synpaedia | Main / How To Soak Beans

So, here's the dealio on beans.

There are three ways to soak beans:

1) Fast cook: Just throw 'em in a pot with the right amount of water and cook 'em up. Caution - this only works with some types of beans, such as lentils/split peas. Don't try this with kidney beans or anything like that, because if you do, the whole house will hate you.

2) Long soak: This is the method that most people know. You put your beans in a big pot of water and let them sit there for 8-12 hours (soaking longer than 8 hours doesn't actually gain you anything). Then drain, add fresh water, and cook. The soaking activates the beans to begin the germination process, and they release enzymes that begin to break down the complex sugars into more simple ones. Complex sugars are what give you gas and indigestion after eating beans... The long soak method reduces 60% of the complex sugars in most beans.

3) The POWER soak: While less known, this is the best method for a variety of reasons. Basically, you bring a big pot of water to boil, throw your beans in, let them boil for three minutes, then turn off the stove and let the beans sit in the hot water for 2-6 hours (again, soaking longer than 2 hours doesn't really gain you anything). Then drain, add fresh water, and cook. This method reduces 80% of the complex sugars, and is super convienient - wake up in the morning, start your power soak, and then when you get back from class in the afternoon the beans will be ready to cook.

Apparently, fermenting the beans will make the flatulence-free.

Other tips for cooking beans: 1) Many people still don't cook their beans long enough. For the very large quantities that we use at Synergy, it usually takes a half hour to an hour longer than what the recipie calls for. The way to test is to pull out a bean and mash it with a fork. If any of the insides seem white and crumbly, rather than soft and moist, then the beans need longer.

2) Don't boil your beans too rapidly - if they are at a rolling boil then they will burst and your beans will turn into more of a mush.

3) That beanwater that you soaked the beans in is actually jam-packed full of nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. If you can, take it out and use it to water a plant (houseplant or in the garden) - the plant will love you for it.