Bean Question- To Soak or Not

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Elf

Senior Cook
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
259
Location
Greater Annapolis MD Area
I want to make bean soup in a Instant Pot, with Ham Hock, and a bag of beans. Do I need to sock the beans over night or rinse and dump the beans in the pot with the ham hock and water. I use the 8 hour soak method on the stove top for soup now, I want to try making soup in the Instant Pot. Any thoughts or insight are much appreciated. Elf
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You can:
1. not soak
2. soak overnight, drain
3. bring to a boil and let sit for an hour, drain
4. add baking soda to soaking water (to help with gas, questionable whether this helps or not), drain

Since an instapot will pressure cook the beans, if they are cooked until tender, they will be safe to eat. How long does the instapot directions say to pressure cook? If it was canning, it would pressure can for 60-90 minutes and those are tender, as a comparison. I hope that helps.
 
For pressure cooking? Why?

Different beans have different structures and cook in different amounts of time. Garbanzo beans can be cooked in 45 minutes, while black beans may take a couple hours depending on the heat used.
In addition, some beans are stored longer, used less in general, drier and then take longer to rehydrate, other beans are used more often, not as dry and cook faster.
Some beans are more toxic if under cooked and some beans can be barely cooked and non toxic, the difference between kidney beans and garbanzo beans (chick peas).
Beans are one of those items that vary a lot depending on type, drying and toxicity.
 
Different beans have different structures and cook in different amounts of time. Garbanzo beans can be cooked in 45 minutes, while black beans may take a couple hours depending on the heat used.
In addition, some beans are stored longer, used less in general, drier and then take longer to rehydrate, other beans are used more often, not as dry and cook faster.
Some beans are more toxic if under cooked and some beans can be barely cooked and non toxic, the difference between kidney beans and garbanzo beans (chick peas).
Beans are one of those items that vary a lot depending on type, drying and toxicity.
:shock: No wonder I don't cook beans very often :ROFLMAO:

Actually, it's because I have to minimize high-fiber food, but that's a lot of guesswork and details to keep track of.
 
I got the Instant Pot for Christmas from my wife. My dear wife is deathly afraid of pressure cookers, she won't allow me to use the one I have, but because it is electric it isn't as dangerous, go figure, sometimes woman just don't think straight! I am now working my way through my recipes trying it out. Thanks for the web link GotGarlic, I'll jump over there tomorrow while I watch the NACAR Race. Thank for your reply Elf
 
I got the Instant Pot for Christmas from my wife. My dear wife is deathly afraid of pressure cookers, she won't allow me to use the one I have, but because it is electric it isn't as dangerous, go figure, sometimes woman just don't think straight! I am now working my way through my recipes trying it out. Thanks for the web link GotGarlic, I'll jump over there tomorrow while I watch the NACAR Race. Thank for your reply Elf
You're welcome. I got my Instant Pot about two years ago. I feel more comfortable with it, too. The newer electronic ones have more and better safety features than the old stovetop ones.

Good luck! [emoji2]
 
I got the Instant Pot for Christmas from my wife. My dear wife is deathly afraid of pressure cookers, she won't allow me to use the one I have, but because it is electric it isn't as dangerous, go figure, sometimes woman just don't think straight!

There are women like that, they don't think straight, they think crooked, they just want to blow up their husbands and then they have no liability. Women can be so stupid as though no one would notice. :LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
The method I use to "de-gas" dry beans is to boil the dry beans for 20-30 minutes, turn of the heat, and soak overnight. The particular sugar in beans that our digestive system can't break down requires high heat and a lot of water to remove. Soaking alone won't do the job.

I don't have a pressure cooker, but you can do it in one, instead of a stock pot on the stove. I would still do a pressure cook and soak, and a very thorough rinse before cooking your final bean recipe. You could probably reduce the time it takes by quite a bit with the pressure cooker. I don't know since I've never tried it.

CD
 
You're welcome. I got my Instant Pot about two years ago. I feel more comfortable with it, too. The newer electronic ones have more and better safety features than the old stovetop ones.

Good luck! [emoji2]

Ah, I have a fond memory of my dad painting the kitchen ceiling with soup with a stovetop pressure cooker. Nobody got hurt, but my dad needed a ladder to clean the kitchen. :LOL:

CD
 
Lol, again, bliss. I was waiting for a woman's response to that.
I was hoping GG would step away from the Nascar races and beer with Elf-kind to speak up for woman kind, but I had no such luck. :ROFLMAO: Oh well.
 
Mr Right finds my slow cooker dangerous because it uses electricity, how ever he has no problem leaving a pressure cooker on the stove over night boiling away...

Beans are lovely things, I so want Arabic mushy beans, but I have eaten too much veggies and my body is very unhappy.
 
I was hoping GG would step away from the Nascar races and beer with Elf-kind to speak up for woman kind, but I had no such luck. :ROFLMAO: Oh well.
Damned if I do and damned if I don't :rolleyes: Sorry to disappoint you by trying to gently steer someone in a different direction, bliss.
 
Last edited:
I love my Instant Pot. I never soak my dry beans before cooking in my IP. I plan on making black beans tomorrow. I'll let you know exact directions after if they turn out good.

Facebook has several great Instant Pot Communities you can join. I learned a lot from them.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom