How to Cook Dried Legumes

I read many recipe that asks you to boil the beans with baking soda and some spices?? I never used it because it doesn't make sense !! but I think it has something to do with speeding up the process .

I have also heard of this but there is still some debate as to whether or not it is actually helpful. Some say it added to soften the water, others say it makes the beans less gassy.

For me I don't think I would like the added flavor from the baking soda as it can sometimes add a soapy note to dishes.

There are some that say it works though...here is a link from wisegeek about just this topic.

http://www.wisegeek.com/will-adding-baking-soda-to-beans-prevent-flatulence.htm

Soaking equals no gases? :D That's new,but totally useful.I'm going to test this :)

Has anyone heard of sprouting the beans after rinsing? Adds more nutrients and vitamins.

Hi Jason,

Sprouting increases the activity of enzymes by 50-200 times, depending on the specific plant. Enzymes are essential catalysts for all the chemical reactions in your body - from digestion, immunity and all other metabolic and regenerative processes. Enzymes = Life. Probably the more appropriate term is "increase". Sprouting legumes including nuts and seeds increases its nutrient content (vitamins, minerals, protein). They are easier to digest and absorb into the body because they are raw and full of enzymes. You need to soak them for about 8-12 hours depending on the the type of legume you are using before sprouting for a few days.

You can check this website if are planning to do some sprouting.

http://www.chetday.com/sprouts.html

Mung beans are the easiest ones to sprout.

Here is a great blog post from Divina about sprouting. She even took pictures and everything.

http://sense-serendipity.blogspot.com/2009/03/mung-bean-sprouts.html

Thanks Divina :-)

We buy our beans in an open farmers market and they are not packaged in nice clean plastic bags. I usually put the newly purchased beans into the freezer for a few days as I was told this would kill any bugs. Then I take the bags out as needed. We eat some sort of legume almost every day. Would this freezing adversely affect the dried beans in any way?

Freezing dried beans you purchase at a farmer's market does help to kill any potential bugs, but according to this grower, it is recommended that they be removed from the freezer, dried further and then stored in jars (see heading on "Storage" about half way down the page). Dried beans last a very long time when stored in a dry, cool place, so it's not necessary to use up a lot of freezer space. Most foods that are frozen properly shouldn't be frozen for more than a year or so or they are likely to get freezer burn. Talk to the grower that you purchase the beans from - they will know how to guide you best on the type of bean you buy. Hope this helps.

I grew up in India and my mother cooked lentils and beans all the time. The only drawback is that I do not really know the names in English. For example, I don't know how a yellow split pea is different from the Indian "chana dal", or how to best cook Egyptian lentils or French green lentils because I'm more used to cooking split yellow lentils (that look orange and loose their texture fairly quickly). It would be great if Rouxbe did a lesson that focussed on introducing all the different typles of beans and lentils out there.

Hi Swati. Good idea. However, I think we have a lot of higher priority lessons on our plate right now such as seasoning, roasting, cooking chicken, baking, plating, etc.

I'm wondering if anyone out there knows of a great resource or link to another site that might help us (image and text okay too). In fact, image and text might serve our purpose well as the cooking is already covered in this lesson.

I completely understand. I was speaking about doing that eventually when all the more important aspects of cooking have been covered.

"Cooks Thesaurus" does a decent job with most ingredients actually, although it does not necessarily tell you what to do with the ingredients, and the description is short. "Cooks Thesaurus" can be found quite easily by doing a Google search for the site, or sometimes even by just typing in the name of the ingredient you are trying to research.

HI DAWN , IF YOU LIKE A DARK GRAVY TAKE BLACK BEAN MASH THEM AND ADD TO YOUR LIKEING, AND HELPS TO THICKEN AS WELL. TRY IT YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU DID.

Great idea about using the beans as a thickener. I love black beans, so I will try this...thanks!

Are there any rules of thumb for converting a measurement of canned beans to dried beans? I have some recipes that call for a 15oz can of beans, but I'd rather use dry.

Here is a general guide:

A one-pound package of dry beans (about 2 cups) equals about 5 or 6 cups of cooked beans. Basically every 1/3 cup of dried beans will yield about 1 cup of cooked beans.

One 15 ounce can of (drained) cooked beans equals about 1 2/3 cups cooked beans (which will give you between 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups of cooked beans).

So for a 15 oz can of dried beans you will likely need between 1/2 to 1/3 cup of dried beans.

You may also like to know that dried beans expand to about 2 1/2 times their original size when soaked.

Hope this helps!

Hi Dawn!
Is there a rule of thumb when converting by weight? Does it work the same as volume measurements (ie: dry beans x 3)?

Generally, about 2.5 cups will weigh about one pound but really, it
depends on the size and type of bean. Cheers!

You mean I would need 2.5 cups of dried beans to make one pound of reconstituted beans? That seems like a lot..

Yes that is correct, but again this depends on the beans. Some will weight less, some more. Generally theta weight between 6 to 8 ounces per cup. Cheers.

What's the maximum length of time you would leave beans to soak in the refrigerator? i.e. How long can you store them that way after they have become plump?

Soaking beans overnight is plenty. After that they may begin to ferment in the water, and you'll notice the water become a bit slimy. One key if you intend to soak longer than usual is to change the water.

What should I do if a lot of the beans crack open while soaking?

Does this mean the beans are old? Or not good for cooking anymore?

It may be an indication that they are older or you could have possibly soaked them too long. Just go ahead and cook them, taste and see if they are ok to you. I'm sure they'll be fine. When you go to purchase more dried beans, make sure to buy them from a store with high turnover, so you know they aren't too old. Cheers!

Any hints for cooking beans to add to chili? I make my chili using chuck steak (not ground). I've been cooking the beans separately then incorporating them into the chili towards the end of the cooking process. It seems like an extra (and possibly unnecessary) step but I'm not that confident in my ability to time the cooking of the meat with the cooking of the beans.

Hard to give a definite answer as there are so many ways to do this. We prefer to cook the beans separately and flavor them accordingly with garlic, spices, etc.; while other cooks choose to add them to the mix near the beginning. Keep in mind though that any acidic ingredients or salt will slow down the cooking of the beans and may not result in the best texture. Cheers!

never thought of using beans as a thickener for gravy. i can tell you you sent my thoughts soring about all beans as a thicknener in soups as well as gravy. thank you

i always cook beans separately. for me this means my family and i will have beans and corn bread with fried potatos one night and with the left over beans its chili the next night.

I just started soaking white beans and after an hour a good many of them (maybe a cup or two) cracked. Do I toss them? Does it mean the beans were old? I bought them from a bin at Whole Foods.

It may be an indication that the beans are older. I would go ahead and cook them anyway. Once cooked, taste them to see if they are ok to you. Let us know how they turn out. Cheers!

I soaked fava beans (small brown) for half a day and overnight in a garlic thyme and cardamon steeped soak. When I went to cook them about a handful had skins that had split. I didn't remove them thinking they were fine. I added salt halfway thru, after the beans gave a bit of resistance when being smashed with a finger. The skins are so tough that the beans feel inedible. I tried to keep cooking past the soft stage and now skins are till tough and beans have started to burst apart. I don't mind the beans being open because I was going to partially cream them but the skins are classically part of the dish (foul) which I'm trying to make. This is my second attempt same results. Could it be that the beans are bad? Or my cooking technique? Any help is really appreciated.

Yes, dried fava beans have a tough outer skin that needs to be removed. Sometimes there are instructions on the package but sometimes not. The beans can be soaked long enough until the skins split and can then be peeled off prior to cooking. You can also do this after cooking but the beans will take longer to cook and can turn out mushy and be a messy process. This video shows shelling fresh fava beans so you'll see what needs to be removed. Hope this helps! Cheers!

My experience with dried fava beans was also very unsatisfactory. I used the large brown ones. After soaking overnight and simmering for hours I peeled the tough outer skins but the insides were inedible. It was a huge disappointment as the fresh ones are incredible (prepared the Rouxbe way) and my experience with other dried beans has been very good. I decided that perhaps some beans just don't taste that good when they have been dried and would never buy them again.

One cookbook I had suggested baking the beans in the oven. So I soaked them overnight, drained them, then added the water and aromatics and baked at 350. They came out OK, but a little overdone. I wonder if anyone has thoughts, experience or tips on oven baking. In principle, I thought the ideas was good so you don't have to watch them.

Sounds interesting. I haven't tried cooking them in the oven. If you prefer this method, make sure to test earlier and often to achieve the perfect doneness. Cheers!