Cooking dry beans at home can save you money and is easy to do.
1) Decide how many dry beans to cook
If you are going to cook dry beans at home, consider how many cooked beans you want to end up with. Dry beans can double or more in volume depending on the variety of beans you choose. This chart can help you decide how much to cook.
2) Rinse your dry beans
This helps remove any dust, lowers the gas you may experience when eating beans (aka “the toot factor”), and enables you to remove any beans that float.
3) Consider which soaking method is best for you
If you cook dry lentils or split peas, go directly to step 5. These items don’t need soaking before cooking.
Any quick internet search will reveal various ways of soaking beans, including hot soaks, short soaks, long soaks, and “no soak” methods. I’ll cover the basics here and give you a resource for more information. Before we get into each method, it’s important to say some people should not use a “short soak” or “no soak” method with dry beans.
Who should NOT use “short soak” or “no soak” methods
Are you are at risk of osteopenia or osteoporosis, a vegetarian, or someone who avoids dairy products? In that case, I recommend you use only methods that have you soak beans for more than a few hours, and be sure to rinse them before cooking the beans in fresh water. Why?
Dried beans can be high in a substance called “phytates,” which can bind to calcium and reduce the amount of calcium you absorb from foods and supplements. Does this mean you should avoid dried beans and other foods high in phytates?
No! Based on the scientific evidence I have reviewed, the benefits of eating these foods outweigh this concern, and soaking the dried beans reduces the issue. If you are taking calcium supplements for medical issues, however, I recommend you consider the timing and dosage of calcium supplements so you get the maximum benefits from them.
Soaking methods
Hot soaks are when you need to start cooking your beans in 4 to 5 hours. It involves slightly pre-cooking the dry beans and then letting them soak.
Long soaks are the traditional method. It involves soaking the dry beans for about 8 hours. Starting to soak beans before you leave for work and then cooking them in the evening is the method I find easiest.
Short soaks can work when you forget to soak the beans or unexpectedly need them and don’t want to use canned beans. It’s similar to the hot soak method.
No soak methods are advocated by some people who write recipes for Instpots and similar devices. For the reasons I explained above, I’m not a fan of these methods.
Get details on the soaking methods I mentioned above by clicking here.
4) Rinse your beans before you start cooking them
Take the extra minute and rinse your beans before adding the beans and fresh water to your cooking pot. This helps reduce the gas you may experience when eating beans (aka “the toot factor”) and helps reduce the phytates.
5) Cook your beans
You can cook your beans using a pot on your stove, a pressure cooker, or Insta Pot. Follow the cooking time recommendations on your package of dry beans, the recipe you are using, or the kitchen appliance you are using.
Be aware, however, that depending on what type of beans you are cooking, the type of water you have (hard or soft), your elevation, and how old the beans are, you may need to cook your beans for a longer time.
Yes, rinse them again! This will help eliminate any “scum” that came to the surface and the “toot factor.” Now you are ready to use your beans or get them cooled down for future use.
Remember this when using your cooked beans!
Beware of how long they sit in your fridge. Do not keep any cooked beans in the refrigerator longer than 3 or 4 days, despite what you may read on the internet! If you have more than you will use within that time, freeze them. They’ll be fine for soups, chili, dips, spreads, and casseroles.
Looking for other simple changes that can help you eat healthier, lose weight, or have a healthier gut?
Start by adding beans to your meals at least twice a week. It’s easy and can save you money on groceries as well.
Then get more personalized help related to your eating habits or health by booking your free discovery call. We can talk about what you want to accomplish and see if working with me would be helpful to you.
Having personally struggled with weight and gut health issues, I understand how easy it is to think that food is the enemy especially with the changes our bodies undergo as we age. It doesn’t have to be that way!
I love using my extensive education and coach approach to help people realize it is possible to feel better and be healthier while still enjoying their life and food.
