All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Most people agree that canned beans don’t taste as good as dried ones. But there is disagreement about how to cook dried beans, how to soak beans, and even whether you should do either. There are, of course, the big issues that people argue about (to salt or not to salt), but there are also a lot of small issues that people really care about (rinse the beans or not?)
The “right way to cook beans” is very important to many people, so we took the debate to the kitchen, where it belongs. We grabbed a dozen bags of pinto beans (Goya, if you must know) and got cooking. After twelve pots of beans and a lot of burrito bowls, we’re here to answer some of your most important questions about cooking beans. Ready to bust a few bean myths? Here we go:
Soaking dried beans before cooking is an essential step to ensure they cook evenly and become tender. But can you soak beans for too long? What happens if you accidentally leave them soaking longer than planned? There is a point where oversoaking beans can cause issues.
Why Soaking Beans is Important
Soaking beans provides several benefits:
- Shortens overall cooking time
- Allows beans to hydrate and soften more evenly
- Breaks down indigestible starches and antinutrients
- Removes compounds that cause gas and bloating
- Improves mineral absorption during cooking
Beans contain complex carbs and proteins that don’t easily breakdown when cooked. Soaking starts the process of breaking these down by allowing water to penetrate the tough outer skin. Fully hydrated beans cook faster and more uniformly.
Ideal Soaking Times for Beans
Most experts recommend soaking beans for 8-12 hours as ideal Here are some general soaking guidelines
- Overnight soak: 8-12 hours
- Quick soak: 3-4 hours (in warm water)
- Lentils/split peas: 2 hours
- Canned beans: No soaking needed
Soaking times can vary a bit depending on the type and age of the beans. Older drier beans may need a few more hours to fully rehydrate. Water temperature also makes a difference with warmer water penetrating faster than cool water.
Signs Beans Have Soaked Too Long
If beans are left to soak too long you may notice some of these signs
- Bubbles or film forming on soak water
- Cloudy water that was previously clear
- Slimy bean skins
- Soft beans that fall apart when handled
- Off smell like fermentation or stinky cheese
Once soaked past the 12 hour recommended limit, beans start to break down and deteriorate. The indigestible sugars in the beans begin fermenting, causing gas production and off odors. Enzymes also activate that cause the beanskins to slough off.
Health Risks of Oversoaked Beans
Is it dangerous to eat beans that have soaked for too long? There are a few potential health risks if beans are soaked for longer than 12-24 hours:
-
Bacterial growth – The moist, warm environment allows bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella to multiply. Consuming these bacteria can cause food poisoning.
-
Toxins – Oversoaked beans may begin producing toxins as certain proteins break down and bacteria proliferate. This can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea if ingested.
-
Nutrient loss – Valuable minerals like magnesium and potassium start leaching out into the soak water over time. Tossing old soak water mitigates this.
-
Digestive issues – The sugars that cause gas have already started fermenting during prolonged soaking. This can worsen indigestion.
For food safety, beans soaked for over 24 hours should be discarded. The risk of foodborne illness outweighs the small amount saved.
Tips to Avoid Oversoaking Beans
Follow these tips to soak beans properly without going overboard:
-
Soak in fridge – The cool temperature slows down fermentation and bacterial growth.
-
Change soak water – Replace water halfway through to flush away toxins.
-
Set a timer – Remind yourself to drain beans after 8-12 hours max.
-
Soak in clean pot – Don’t reuse bean soak water to prevent cross-contamination.
-
Check beans periodically – Look for bubbles, cloudiness, and smell.
-
Use fresh beans – Old, stale beans soak up water faster.
What Happens if You Cook Oversoaked Beans?
While not recommended for food safety reasons, it is possible to still cook and eat beans that have soaked for too long. Here’s what happens:
-
Longer cook times – Beans may take longer to become tender due to enzymes breaking down pectin in the skins.
-
Mushy texture – Pectin and cell walls deteriorate after prolonged soaking, causing beans to get mushy.
-
Less flavor – Fermenting sugars produce acids that can give beans a sour taste.
-
Unpleasant smell – Cooking amplifies odors from fermentation and bacterial growth.
-
Increased gas – More raffinose sugars have converted to gas-forming hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
-
Nutrient loss – Minerals and antioxidants continue leaching into cooking liquid.
While not toxic per se, oversoaked beans make for a poorer tasting, mushier end result. The bean skins disintegrate, making a gluey pot of beans. Sticking to recommended soaking times results in a better bean dish.
What if Beans Are Only Soaked 2-4 Hours?
Beans soaked on the shorter end, while not ideal, will still cook up fine. They just need a little longer simmering time to get tender. Other impacts include:
-
Longer cooking time – Beans may take 60-90 minutes vs. 45-60 minutes with overnight soaking.
-
Slightly tougher texture – Short soaking doesn’t fully hydrate beans, so they don’t soften as much.
-
More digestive gases – Shorter soaking doesn’t break down as many indigestible oligosaccharides that cause gas.
-
Lower mineral absorption – Antinutrients like phytic acid haven’t had as much time to reduce.
-
Good flavor – Short soaking doesn’t impact flavor like oversoaking can.
The differences are relatively minor between a 2 hour quick soak and 8 hour overnight method. Both still yield tasty, nutritious beans.
What’s the Earliest Beans Can Be Cooked After Soaking?
Technically beans can be cooked immediately after soaking. However, an overnight rest makes a significant difference in how well they cook. Here’s why:
-
Hydration deepens – Water continues penetrating bean tissue overnight.
-
Starches breakdown – Enzyme activity keeps breaking down complex carbs.
-
Skins soften – Soaking initiates skin softening that continues post-soak.
-
Toxins dilute – Additional toxin dilution occurs as beans fully hydrate.
Beans soaked then cooked immediately tend to remain a little tougher and need longer cooking times. Letting them rest 8-12 hours produces creamier, tender beans. But in a pinch, beans can be cooked right after soaking.
Can Unsoaked Beans Be Cooked?
Dry, unsoaked beans can absolutely be cooked. However, they require very long cooking times to fully hydrate and soften. Expect beans cooked without soaking to take:
- Kidney beans: 90-120 minutes
- Black beans: 90-120 minutes
- Pinto beans: 85-110 minutes
- Navy beans: 75-100 minutes
- Lentils: 40-60 minutes
Check frequently for doneness starting at 45 minutes. Undercooked beans won’t get tender enough to eat comfortably. Unsoaked beans may also cause more digestive gas.
Key Takeaways on Soaking Beans
- Soak beans 8-12 hours for best results
- Don’t exceed 12-24 hours maximum to avoid spoilage
- Discard beans soaked for over 24 hours
- Cook beans right after soaking for creamiest texture
- Unsoaked beans just need vigilant cooking and checking
- Adjust cooking times based on soaking time
Proper soaking improves digestibility, nutrition, and texture. While beans can still be cooked without lengthy soaking, allowing them ample time to rehydrate produces superior cooked beans. So within reason, longer soaking is better—up to 12 hours.
The Epicurious Myth-Busting Guide to Cooking BeansMyth 1: Dry beans must be soaked.
Do you really need to soak your beans? Soaking dried beans is supposed to help them cook faster and more evenly. Some people also say that soaking beans breaks down some of their complex sugars, which makes them easier to digest. Because every stomach is different, we didn’t test for digestibility. Testing the soaking theory, however, was simple: We covered 8 oz. pinto beans with 8 cups water and left the container on the counter overnight. The next day we placed those beans and their soaking liquid in a pot. In a second pot, we placed an equal amount of dried unsoaked beans and fresh water. Both pots were set over a medium-high flame and tested periodically. Results: The soaked beans did finish cooking first—but the unsoaked pinto beans were finished just 10 minutes later. Our feeling: Why bother?.
Takeaway: Don’t bother soaking beans.Myth 2: Dry beans must be cooked in fresh water.
This myth was no longer true after our first test—if you don’t soak your beans, you’ll always cook them in fresh water. Some people will still want to know if they should drain the soaked beans in a colander and fill the pot with new water, or if they should cook the beans in the water they were soaked in. When we tried this, the beans that were cooked in the liquid that had been soaking were tastier, darker, and had a better texture.
You don’t have to soak your beans, but if you do, cook them in the water that they were soaked in. Myth 3: If you don’t soak overnight, you should at least quick-soak.
Man, people are just really attached to this idea of the presoak. Using the “quick soak” method, you put beans in water, boil them, turn off the heat, and then let the beans soak for an hour. We tried the quick-soak method. The cooking time didn’t change much—the beans cooked 5 minutes faster than the ones that were soaked overnight and 15 minutes faster than the ones that weren’t soaked at all—but the flavor was our favorite.
Takeaway: Quick-soak, but do it for the flavor.
If you cook beans without a lid, some say the result will be a firmer bean. Keeping the lid on? Your beans will be creamy. The beans that were cooked with the lid on took about 15 minutes less time to get ready than the beans that were cooked with the lid off. However, the flavor of the lid-off beans was vastly better. Without a lid, the cooking liquid can evaporate more quickly, making a bean broth that gives each pinto more flavor.
Takeaway: Leave the lid off.Myth 5: Cooking beans in the oven is easier.
It’s easy to cook dried beans, but we heard that putting the pot in the oven could make the process even easier. So we brought some beans to a boil on the stovetop, then placed them in a 325°F oven. The beans were pretty creamy in the end, but they took a long time to cook and didn’t taste great—I think of the word “waterlogged” to describe them. Makes sense: The water in the pot had barely reduced.
Takeaway: Unless you’re making baked beans, keep them on the stovetop. Myth 6: Salted beans take longer to cook—if they ever finish cooking at all.
One of the most persistent myths about how to cook dried beans involves salt. Some recipes say to wait to add salt until the very end of cooking because it stops the beans from getting soft. Some recipes say to add it at the start because, well, salt is flavor and we’re going to eat these beans, right? In our test, we looked at a batch that was cooked with salt added at the start and a batch that was cooked with salt added at the end. The beans that were salted at the start were more tender.
Takeaway: Salt early and often.
The Best Way to Cook Dried Beans
For the Epi test kitchen, the results were clear. The beans had great texture and a flavorful broth after being quickly soaked, salted at the start of cooking, and cooked in a pot without a lid. You should rinse the beans in a colander before cooking them. The bags you buy at the store probably won’t have any sand or stones in them, but this is a good idea just in case. Ready? Here’s how to cook dried beans, step-by-step:Step 1. Quick-soak the beans.
Place 1 lb. dried pinto beans in a large pot. Add cold water until it’s about 2 inches above the top of the beans. Beans shouldn’t dry out during cooking, so they should stay in a few inches of water the whole time. Cover pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then remove from heat. Let rest 1 hour. (You can also quick-soak beans in the Instant Pot or another pressure cooker. )Step 2. Salt and simmer the beans.
Stir in 1½ tsp. sprinkle with kosher salt (and flavorings if you want; see below) and heat the beans and their water until they boil. Take off the lid, lower the heat, and simmer the beans until they are soft and creamy. Check them after an hour and add more water if they need it to stay submerged for another hour and a half.
Even though we tested this method on pinto beans, you can use it on any kind of bean, like black beans, navy beans, kidney beans, white beans, you name it. And don’t forget about heirloom beans. Some beautiful and tasty bean varieties, like Christmas Lima Beans, Yellow Eye Beans, and Scarlet Runners, don’t come in cans and will make your bean game even better.
Note that the cook time of various beans will be dependent on their size. Great Northern beans might take a little longer to cook than small black-eyed peas, which could be done in 35 minutes. Keep an eye on the heat and make sure the water stays at a simmer. If it boils too quickly, the skins could break and the beans will become mushy. Keep an eye on the stockpot, but don’t fuss over it. Your beans will be fine. Add flavorings, if you want.
You could add a half-cut tomato or onion or a few garlic cloves to the pot along with the salt to make the beans taste even better. To add some heat to your beans, a dried chile works well. Take it out when the beans are done. You could also add spices or herbs, like cumin seeds, bay leaves (one or two leaves per pound of beans), or a dash of dried oregano. Fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme, or marjoram are also tasty. These aromatics infuse the cooking liquid with a burst of bright, herbal flavor.
Similar to a ham hock or the ends of a hard sausage, the rind from a wedge of Parmesan or another hard cheese can add a lot of savory flavor to beans. Keep these kinds of things in the freezer for your next bean cooking session, and you’ll have a pot of flavorful, creamy, tender beans in no time. Step 3. Store your beans.
It’s true that cooking dried beans isn’t as easy as opening a can, but you can still use these beans during the week. When you have time, just cook a lot of beans at once and then freeze them in 1- to 2-cup portions. In the fridge, cooked beans will last for five days in a container with a lid. Frozen beans will last for up to six months in a container that doesn’t let air in.
How long should dry beans be soaked before cooking?
FAQ
What happens if you soak beans for too long?
How to tell if soaked beans are bad?
Is it safe to soak beans overnight at room temperature?
Can you soak beans too long before planting?