Why soak beans before cooking?

Probably the most important reason for soaking is that it allows shorter cooking times, and that preserves the most nutrients, so you get the benefits of all the proteins, vitamins and minerals in the beans and maximize their food value. According to the California Dry Bean Advisory Board, there's no need to worry that soaking is going to remove the proteins, enzymes or other nutrients that are stored within the beans.

I never soak my beans before cooking them.My grandmother would put baking soda in them and them bring them to a boil pour of the water twice to reduce the gas they give you. Sometime it worked and some times it didn't. When you look at the date on the beans are dated two years from the date they are packaged. two year old beans will take longer to cook then fresh ones. Years ago I worked in a bean packaging plant.

Not only does soaking make them cook in a shorter length of time, it "wakens" the bean so that it begins to sprout (although you can't see it). Soaked beans have more nutrients, because they're developed during the sprouting process. You won't lose any nutrients because the hard outer shell is still intact.

As others have indicated, the primary reason for soaking a bean is shorter cooking time. I sort and wash beans before I soak them in water just to cover them. When I'm using them for soup, I use the same water to preserve any nutrients that might still be in the water.

it depends on the time of bean you are cooking not all need to be soaked softer ones like split peas or butter beans need no soaking but harder beans like soy you have to soften them up before cooking. thats really the only reason for soaking its not necessary but if you want them soft its best to soak atleast 12 hrs in advance

Hello I and hubby are very fond of beans, it is a must in our night meal with chapati or paratha, because we both have diabetes, we need lot of proteins, we take different types of beans usually. We soak it overnight before cooking to make the outer skin soft, there is one type called 'matar', i usually add baking soda to it, it cooks faster and taste is enhanced too. Happy posting, cheers. Kalyani

I have heard the reason most people soak their beans overnight, etc. before cooking them, especially when making some soups, or chili, etc. is that it makes the bean more softer to be able to use them easier for things as well. Actually this is probably one of the reasons my husband and I do not use beans for cooking, and never make anything like this from scratch even if they taste better.

I learned to cook beans from my granny and she said that you should soak them to allow the nutrients in them to grow. As others have stated here, I believe that it allows for a shorter cook time and that it helps them to not be hard. I have also heard that if you soak them, it will help with the gas that they produce. I am not sure if that is right or not.

My mother always let beans sit in water over night. I asked her why she did that once and she said so you dont have to cook them as long. That makes sense to me. I never use dry beans though other then to let my kids play with them. If I want beans then I buy them in a can already cooked such as kidney beans to make chilli with. I would thinking them would also help get any dirt off them that might be on them.

Hi, macdingolinger. I am not so sure why. But it may have to do with the beans being cooker faster. And it makes them softer. The nutrients are still present though.

I have never soaked my beans as alot of peopel do. I just pick through them & get all the bad ones out, wash them & put them on & cook them. My oldest son think my beans are better than anybody's or he use to. My younger son doesn't eat them. I just don't think it's necessary to soak them.

I maybe wrong, but I think it has a lot to do with softening them...making them easier to eat after cooking. I doubt very much that ANY nutrients are lost when soaking, since they have a fairly hard shell covering to begin with. Other than that...it gives you something extra to do, and makes you look like you know some great culinary secret to amaze your friends, should they ask you..."What the heck are you doing THAT for?" cdrxo

I just stumbled across a tip today concerning soaking beans. The reason that beans are soaked is to break down the protein fibers so that they are easier to cook. The tip suggests that you can obtain the same result by putting the beans in the freezer overnight before cooking. That would also address your concern about pouring off the essential nutrients in the event that you are using the beans for some other use other than soup.

Hi Mac!. I hear to soak it first to make more quick to cook. Its more easy to make it more tender. If you don't wanna loose any nutrient from the bean you can wash the been few times until its really clean. Then soak with with water for few hour and boil it with the soaking water, so you will not loosing any thing.

I cook my beans in the crockpot, so there really is no need to soak. If you're trying to save gas on the stove, though, soaking overnight is a good way to go. It really does soften them up.

I also wonder why. Actually, I dont know the exact reason why it needs to be soaked but every time I see my mom cook it, she soaked it in water first. So that's what I do now. I think the idea is that it will make the beans cook faster.

Does it have anything to do with the beans absorbing the flavor of the seasonings better?