Am I the only one who sees people ruin dried beans by skipping the soak?

I keep seeing posts about cooking cheap dried beans directly in the pot without soaking them first, but that trick only works if you're using a pressure cooker, otherwise you're stuck with hard beans after 4 hours of boiling, has anyone else dealt with that gummy texture?

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2 Comments

rosel834mo ago

OH COME ON! I actually PREFER unsoaked beans and I'll tell you why. Soaking leaches out SO much flavor and nutrients into the water that you just dump down the drain. If you season your cooking liquid properly and keep it at a gentle simmer, those beans will soften up fine in 2-3 hours without being mushy. @thea143, that gummy texture only happens when people rush things or boil too hard. I've made black beans from dry in a regular pot hundreds of times and they come out creamy on the inside with skins that hold together perfectly. You just need to be patient and add a little baking soda or kombu to help break them down naturally. No soak, no fuss, no wasted time planning ahead.

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thea1434mo ago

Oh man, that gummy texture is the worst, it's like you've wasted a whole pound of beans for nothing.

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