How to Cook Dried Beans

I tried to cook dried beans several times before I figured out a method that really worked for me. I found so many contradictory instructions involving soaking, not soaking, how long to cook, pressure cookers and other equipment. My head threatened to explode and the beans didn't come out well.

The reality is that there are three distinct methods for cooking beans (as far as I know. Feel free to correct me in the comments.)

1. First is the long soak method. The beans are soaked overnight, then cooked in water until they are tender.
   
2. The second is a quick soak method (spoiler alert: this is my favorite method and the one I will explain here). The beans are put in water, brought to a boil and soaked for only about an hour. Then they are cooked until tender.
   
3. The third method is in the pressure cooker, which I have never done, because I do not have a pressure cooker. I think the pressure cooker method is the fastest.

This is my method. I think it is fool-proof, if you just follow the directions. Another key to cooking perfect beans is to avoid adding anything to the beans that will mess them up until AFTER they are tender. This includes salt, sugar, and acid. Just cook them with aromatics and wait to add the rest of the stuff.

I like to cook a full pound of beans at a time. They fit well in my 6 quart saucepan and make enough for me to freeze and use for the next couple weeks. I make a different type of beans every time to replenish my stash. The method is the same for all the usual beans: kidney, great northern, garbanzo (chick peas), black beans, etc. Only lentils do not require the soaking step.

The length of time to cook a bean depends on a number of factors. Some are obvious like the size of the bean. Bigger or denser beans (kidney, garbanzo) take longer to cook than smaller beans (navy). The part you can't see: beans can be kept on the shelf for YEARS. The older they are, the drier and more brittle the bean, and the longer it takes to cook. There is no way to know how old your beans are unless you are getting them from the farmer. This is why you have to keep testing the beans throughout the cooking process. Figure on the whole process taking about 3 hours, give or take.

Another wonderful thing about making homemade beans is that the starchy cooking liquid is wonderful stuff to add to pasta sauces, soups and stews for thickening and bulk. It is a silky smooth liquid that also adds some flavor. Do not do this with the liquid from canned beans. Yuck.

Here goes.


This is a terrible picture of what my beans look like when they are frozen flat in quart sized bags

Cooking Beans

1 pound beans
plenty of water

Aromatics:*
sprig of thyme
bay leaf
onion
etc.

2 teaspoons salt


Quick soak:
Place beans in a large sauce pan (use one that is at least six times larger than the volume of dry beans you are cooking.) Add water until the water is twice the depth of the beans. Bring to a gentle boil. Time for four minutes. Turn off the burner and cover the pot. Leave for one hour.

Cooking the beans:
After the beans have soaked for an hour, pour off the water or strain them through a colander. You do not need to keep this liquid.

Put the beans back in the pot and cover with water until the water is THREE times the depth of the beans. Add your aromatics.

Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. There should be a bubble coming up every few seconds. This is very gentle, slow cooking so the beans remain intact. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Test a bean. If it is at all tender (you can bite through it) add salt (about 2 teaspoons per pound of beans). If it is not tender yet, set the timer for another 15 minutes and test again.

Once salted, check the beans every 20 minutes or so until they are done. In my experience, there is a moment when I look at them and they are suddenly much more puffed up and the liquid looks lower and the beans are suddenly done. White beans (which I make the most often) usually cook for about 90 minutes after the quick soak.

Allow the beans to cool. DO NOT discard the cooking liquid. I like to pack the beans in freezer bags, remove all the air and freeze them flat in the cooking liquid. They defrost looking just like the freshly cooked beans and they taste far better than the ones from a can. If you are keeping them in the fridge, store them in the cooking liquid. If you do not have enough cooking liquid to cover the beans, just add water.


*Choose your aromatics based on what you are using the beans for. If you are cooking black beans, for example, I might add cilantro and lime (but later, because of the acid issue) and garlic. For white beans, I usually add thyme, bay leaf, and an onion if I have one around.