Soaking beans is unnecessary?

[Second Summer]

Are you still soaking dried beans? Why?

For years I’ve been telling people that you don’t need to soak most beans. Now the cool kids are agreeing. Yesterday my old e-friend, J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, published on Serious Eats his findings on cooking black beans. The headline: “So you like flavor? Don’t soak your black beans!”

He’s a nice young man, so he very generously mentioned a piece I’d done many years ago on soaking versus not soaking dried beans. This prompted me to fire up the L.A. Times WayBack Machine and retrieve that story. [...]

Full article: Don't soak your dried beans! Now even the cool kids agree - LA Times (11. September 2014)

 

[GingerFoxx]

By not soaking them overnight, doesn't it take much longer to cook?

 

[flyingsnail]

I've never thought soaking would improve the taste, instead it deals with some of the issues with the beans. The author of this article says:

"Finally, soaking does absolutely nothing to reduce the gas-producing properties of beans."

I don't think that is true. Soaking starts to activate a variety of enzymes in the beans which results in, for example, the reduction of phytic acid and the resistant starches that ferment in your gut and produce gas. But, at least on the gas front, just soaking overnight probably wouldn't reduce matters for there to be a noticeable reduction in gas.

 

[shyvas]

I usually soak beans overnight to reduce the cooking time. As I virtually always make more elaborate dishes such as chilli, Boston baked beans, bean and vegetable salads, or Italian style soup using cooked beans, the beans always are delicious.

Furthermore, I also find that the two methods ; soaking/not soaking does not change the fact that they do produce flatulence. As the article states, people that eat beans as a part of their staple diet, don't seem to have the same problem.

At the end of the day, I always try and reduce my electricity bill, which has gone up once again.

 

[GingerFoxx]

I usually soak beans overnight to reduce the cooking time. As I virtually always make more elaborate dishes such as chilli, Boston baked beans, bean and vegetable salads, or Italian style soup using cooked beans, the beans always are delicious.

Furthermore, I also find that the two methods ; soaking/not soaking does not change the fact that they do produce flatulence. As the article states, people that eat beans as a part of their staple diet, don't seem to have the same problem.

At the end of the day, I always try and reduce my electricity bill, which has gone up once again.

Exactly my point. I would rather soak my beans then have the stove on for an hour, than to not soak them and have them simmering for hours on end.

 

[shyvas]

Exactly my point. I would rather soak my beans then have the stove on for an hour, than to not soak them and have them simmering for hours on end.

Yes. Most of these people that write articles don't really seemed bothered by their bills.

 

[ledboots]

Exactly my point. I would rather soak my beans then have the stove on for an hour, than to not soak them and have them simmering for hours on end.

My mom taught me to soak the beans for exactly this reason--to reduce the cooking time.

As far as the gas goes, while the beans cook, I scoop off and discard any foam that forms on the top of the pot. Especially with lentils and dal, I was taught that by an Indian friend.