How to Cook Dried Beans

Sorting and Cleaning Beans

Sort through the beans and discard any that are shriveled or discolored, as well as any stems, debris or dirt. Go through your desired amount of beans before you wash them. Pay special attention to any small rocks or pebbles that may have inadvertently made their way into the packaging.

Place the dried beans in a colander and wash them quickly. Run cool water over the beans for about half a minute.

Soaking the Beans

Use the slow soak method if you've got a night to soak your beans. The slow soak method is a preferred method of preparing beans if you've set aside enough time to soak overnight. Slow soaking ensures that the final product is fully cooked, not crunchy or underdone. If you choose the slow soak method, put the beans in a 5 qt. (4.7 l) saucepan and cover them with about 8 cups (about 2 l) of water. Put the lid on the saucepan and allow them to soak overnight in the refrigerator.

If time is of the essence, try the quick soak. For a faster soak, put the beans and water in a saucepan and bring them to a boil. Allow them to boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, cover it with a lid and let the beans soak for at least 1 hour.

Wait for the beans to double or triple in size, depending on what soaking method you decide to use. If you leave your beans in cool water overnight, expect them to at least double in size. Make sure your cooking vessel is large enough to accommodate this transformation.

Rinse the beans thoroughly in a colander after soaking. Your beans are now ready to be cooked.

Cooking the Beans

Put the beans in a large cooking pot and add enough water to completely cover them.

Add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to the pot to cut down on excessive foam and boil-over while the beans are cooking. Because the beans expand while cooking, periodically adding small amounts of water to the pot will keep them adequately covered, ensuring even cooking.

Simmer the dried beans on low to medium heat. Properly soaked beans usually require between 30 minutes and 2 hours of cooking.

Consult the proper cooking time of the types of beans you're using. Cooking times will vary depending on the variety of dried bean. Black beans: 60 minutes Light/dark red kidney beans: 90 to 120 minutes Navy beans: 90 to 120 minutes Great northern beans: 45 to 60 minutes Pinto beans: 90 to 120 minutes

Test the dried beans by mashing one with a fork or between your fingers. Ideally, your beans will be tender but not mushy. If your beans are still crunchy or underdone after the recommended cooking time, continue cooking at a simmer, checking every 10 minutes for doneness.

Serve the cooked beans. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Using Beans in Other Recipes

Learn how to cook specific varieties of beans. Beans, beans, the magical fruit! Beans are healthy, cheap, and easy to cook. Where can you go wrong? Learn specific ways of cooking beans from the following articles. Cook pinto beans Cook lima beans Cook black beans Cook cannellini beans

Make vegetarian chili with black and red beans. Who says that chili needs to contain meat? A perfectly hearty and delicious chili can be made using mainly beans — red and black beans. Perfect for cool days when your inner cowboy is feeling hungry.

Make red beans and rice. This Caribbean staple is sure to leave you satisfied, especially if you're pairing your meal with something like seafood. Deceptively simple but definitely filling!

Try red bean hummus. Tired of the same old hummus over and over again? How about a bit of a change? If you like hummus and are on the adventurous side, try this recipe on for size.

Cook mongo (mung) beans, Filipino style. Also known as mung beans, or green gram, this green bean is popular in India and Southeast Asia for being used both in sweet and savory dishes.