bean soaking question

[gertdog]

A question for all bean queens (or THE Bean Queen) ;) :

How long can you let beans soak before you use them? Two nights ago I was planning to make a bean dish for dinner. That morning, I put the beans in a pot of water to soak. When I got home it was hot and muggy and nasty, and I didn't really feel like cooking/eating beans anymore. At that point the beans had been soaking for about 10 hours.

I didn't want to waste the beans, so I ended up cooking them anyway. But could I have saved them somehow for another day? How long can they soak before they're no longer usable?

Thanks! :)

[Gail]

I'd say if they start sprouting, you've soaked 'em too long... :p

I'm sure they were fine.

[gertdog]

Thanks Gail! But oops, I just re-read my post and I wasn't clear at all. The beans were definitely fine after a 10-hour bath. But could I have left them in the pot of water for, say, another full day, if I had decided NOT to cook them that night? Can I really let them soak 'til they sprout? I thought there might be some issues with oversoaked beans falling apart during cooking (I end up with mushy beans often enough as it is :o )... or the beans sitting in water for more than a day developing too much bacteria, or something like that.

[Luiza]

I have left beans to soak on the counter for two days. They are fine, except that they cook much faster (check them after the first half hour). I heard that if it's very hot the beans could potentially ferment, so if that worries you put them in the fridge for the extra day. Never happened to me though.

[ginny177]

I do not know the answer to your question about "how long". But, once cooked, beans freeze well for a long time. This can be a shortcut for a futuer bean recipe. Since the soak/cook takes such a long time, I often cook up enough to freeze for a quicker use later on.

[Gail]

Originally posted by gertdog
Thanks Gail! But oops, I just re-read my post and I wasn't clear at all. The beans were definitely fine after a 10-hour bath. But could I have left them in the pot of water for, say, another full day, if I had decided NOT to cook them that night? Can I really let them soak 'til they sprout? I thought there might be some issues with oversoaked beans falling apart during cooking (I end up with mushy beans often enough as it is :o )... or the beans sitting in water for more than a day developing too much bacteria, or something like that.

Y'know, being only a Bean Princess rather than The Bean Queen, I've never let my beans soak THAT long to give you a definitive answer. So I did a little research. Most of the sites I read suggested soaking anywhere between 4 and 12 hours depending upon the variety and age of the bean, with most agreeing either the quick soak (bring to boil or boil 3 minutes, then let sit 1 - 2 hours) or an overnight soak of 8 hours was about average.

Only one site out of the five I searched offered this advice:

Cooking time will also be longer if beans are not soaked long enough – at least 8 hours. Beans soaked longer than 12 hours can absorb too much water and lose their characteristic texture and flavor. If you plan to cook beans for dinner and you want to use the long-soak method, start soaking in the morning. To cook beans for lunch, you’ll have to soak them overnight.

This, in case you're interested is from www.centralbean.com/storeandsoak.html

[gertdog]

Thanks all, and especially Gail for the research! This helps a lot. I should definitely consider pre-cooking and freezing beans in the future... 'cause it just happens too often that what I plan to make in the morning (when I put the beans in to soak) is not what I want to eat when I get home from work!

I appreciate your help. :)

Stephanie