Cooking Dry Beans

Updated 3-11-08

I cook dry beans three different ways. The method I choose depends on how well I’ve planned ahead.

Generally, 1 cup of dry beans will yield 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups of cooked beans. So you will want to start with the amount of dry beans that will yield the cooked amount you desire. For instance, if I want 10 cups of cooked beans, I will start with about 4 cups dry.

These are some common dry bean yields:

• 1 cup dry black beans —–> yields 3-1/2 cups when cooked
• 1 cup dry kidney beans —–> yields 3 cups when cooked
• 1 cup dry pinto beans —–> yields 3 cups when cooked
• 1 cup dry navy beans —–> yields 2-1/2 cups when cooked
• 1 cup dry Great Northern beans —–> yields 3 cups when cooked

Choose your pot or stockpot carefully. It needs to be big enough so that the dry beans do not fill it more than 1/3. Otherwise, you will not be able to fit the amount of water required to cook them thoroughly.

I usually cook a big pot of beans. I use some of the beans in the meal for that day. I keep about 2 to 4 cups in the refrigerator in a quart-size freezer bag, which I add to our salads over the next few days. The remainder of the beans, I put in quart-size freezer bags in 4-cup portions for later use.

The best beans to use are organic beans from a health food store/source with good turnover. Good organic beans taste one hundred times better than old beans from the regular grocery store where people rarely buy them. Those beans could have been sitting there for years — you can tell because many of the bags of beans are coated with dust. So, buy some good beans — it is definitely worth it.

Scroll through to read all the methods, or skip ahead to the section you prefer:

• Method 1 — Overnight Soaking/Slow Cook the Next Day
• Method 2 — Slow Cook All Night or All Day
• Method 3 — Quick Soak and Cook In One Day
• Seasoning the Beans
• Additional Notes

Method 1 — Overnight Soaking/Slow Cook the Next Day

The night before you need cooked beans, put desired amount of dry beans in the crockpot and fill with filtered water that comes up two to three times as high as the dry beans. Soak overnight, 8 to 10 hours.

In the morning, rinse the beans thoroughly and fill the crock with fresh filtered water that covers the beans by 3 to 4 inches. Cover and cook on low all day, about 6 to 8 hours*, or until tender. Add more water if necessary.

*Some older slow cookers take longer to cook beans, while the newer slow cookers will cook up more quickly.

In this method, the cooking water may be used in the meal or discarded. Drain the beans and use in your meal or freeze for later use.

Method 2 — Slow Cook All Night or All Day

Either the night before or the morning of the evening that you will need cooked beans, put the desired amount of dry beans in the crockpot. Note: if you are doing this in the morning, you will have to start the beans really early, as they require 8 to 10 hours* of cooking time in the crockpot. Fill with filtered water that comes up two to three times as high as the dry beans. Cover and cook on low all night or all day, about 8 to 10 hours*, or until tender.

*Some older slow cookers take 8 to 10 hours to cook beans, while the newer slow cookers will cook up more quickly.

In this method, the bean cooking water should be discarded. Drain the beans and use in your meal or freeze for later use. This method is easier than Method 1, but the drawback is that you will not be able to use the cooking water in your meal.

Method 3 — Quick Soak and Cook In One Day

Put desired amount of dry beans in a large stockpot. Cover with filtered water that comes up two or three times as high as the dry beans.

Over high heat, bring the water and dry beans to a hard boil on the stove. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the stove. Cover the pot. Move the pot to a back burner and let it sit undisturbed for about 3 hours.

Drain beans and discard this quick soaking water. Fill the pot with fresh filtered water that covers the beans by 3 or 4 inches. Put the pot back on the burner and bring it to boil. Reduce the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans simmer for 1 to 2 hours, until tender. Add water if necessary.

In this method, the cooking water may be used in the meal or discarded. Drain the beans and use in your meal or freeze for later use.

Seasoning the Beans

1) Add flavor ingredients — such as spices; seasonings; turkey, chicken or ham bones; and/or broths — during the cooking, not the soaking. I do this if I’m adding soaked (but not cooked yet) beans to a soup; they cook right in the yummy flavors. However, adding acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, vinegar, or citrus (lemon/lime) during cooking will slow down the bean cooking. These ingredients should be added after the beans are already soft.

2) Add seasonings after the cooking. I do this if I’m taking cooked beans and adding them to a dish, such as beans & rice, or refried beans, even soup.

Just think of all the other seasonings you can use — herbs like basil, thyme, oregano; spices like cumin, paprika, cayenne; salt, pepper and oil; foods like onion, ginger or garlic. Add any of these either during the cooking or after the cooking when incorporating the beans into a dish.

Additional Notes

Normally, there may be some bubbles and maybe a little scum on the top of the soaking water — rinse this all away. The beans should smell “beany”. If they smell rotten, rinse them really well, and then smell them again. If they still smell rotten, they probably are. Unfortunately, you’ll have to toss these beans and start again.

For old beans that don’t seem to want to soften up, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda or a piece of kombu (Japanese sea vegetable) to the cooking water to help them along. Either of these will help reduce the gas-producing properties of beans. Also, since uncooked starches cause gas, the most important way to prevent gassiness is to cook the beans until they are completely soft.

© Copyright 2006-2008 by Wardeh Harmon