HOW-TO Easily Cook Dry Beans (and Make Soaking Optional!)
I always cooked dry beans the tried and true ‘long and slow’ method. I would soak them for at least 8 hours, draining and adding fresh water at least twice. Then I slow cooked them in the biggest kettle I had, filled with simmering water—a day long process all together.
Then I got an Instant Pot. I love cooking dry beans using this method! It has cut the soaking and cooking time to a fraction of long and slow method. And if I didn’t plan ahead enough to do a good soaking—no problem. I let my beans sit in water for 1 minute, rinse and get my beans set to cook.
Varietal Differences
Different varieties of dry beans require different soaking and cooking times. This is due to their size, the thickness of their seed coat, and the composition of the bean cotyledons—how much starch, protein and fat they contain.
Age Matters
In addition how old the beans are will affect their ability to soak up water. The older the beans, the drier and hard they tend to be, and the less permeable their seed coat will be. If the beans are too old, the Instant Pot may not be able to compensate for their age—meaning you may have to go back to soaking them.
(NOTE: If you have older beans you are trying to use up, I highly recommend a long soaking. If your beans are too old, they may not soak up enough water to compensate for their age and can become inedible. But try soaking them 12-24 hours, checking to see if they fully imbibe or soak up water. Freshen the water every few hours. You may have to sort out any beans that do not absorb water and swell.)
Hard or Soft Water Makes a Difference
The harder your water, the longer it will take for your beans to soak up. The calcium and magnesium bond with the pectin in the seed coats of the beans, making them less permeable. Use distilled or filtered water. Adding salt will help displace the calcium and magnesium, allowing for better water penetration. Adding a small amount of baking soda while soaking and cooking can also help make the seed coats softer and more permeable.
Instant Pot Bean Cook Times
• Black Turtle Beans-- High Pressure for 15-20 Minutes (soaked) or 20-25 Minutes (unsoaked or quick soaked)
• Nodak Pinto Beans-- High Pressure for 15-20 Minutes (soaked) or 20-25 Minutes (unsoaked or quick soaked)
• Hidatsa Red Beans-- High Pressure for 20-25 Minutes (soaked) or 30-35 Minutes (unsoaked or quick soaked)
• Dakota Bumble Beans--High Pressure for 20-25 Minutes (soaked) or 30-35 Minutes (unsoaked or quick soaked)
• Hidatsa Shield Beans— High Pressure for 22-25 Minutes (soaked) or 30-35 Minutes (unsoaked or quick soaked)
Instant Pot Cooking Steps
To cook dry beans in the Instant Pot:
Step 1: Rinse, sort out any debris or cracked beans, and soak them overnight (or quick-soak in the pot for 1 min). Give them a good final rinse right before cooking.
Step 2: Measure the volume of beans and add water at a ratio of 1 to 3; 1 cup of beans to 3 cups of water. Do not fill the pot more than ½ full. (Water level should be about an 1 inch above your bean level.)
Step 4: Add salt (1/2 tsp to 1 tsp-- to taste) and seasoning (bay leaf/garlic/or onion-- optional).
Step 5: Check to make sure your silicone seal is well seated, then secure the lid and, set the valve to "Sealing".
Step 6: Select "Pressure Cook" (or "Manual") on High Pressure. Cook on High Pressure according to the ‘Cook Time’ chart above.
Step 7: When the timer goes off, turn off the Instant Pot and allow for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR) of 15-20 mins. This allows the Instant Pot to gradually cool on its own, bringing down the pressure inside the pot gradually. (If you do a quick pressure release, the skins of the beans may rupture.) After 15-20 minutes, turn the cockpit and release any remaining pressure for creamy, tender results.
Please note: Depending on the age of your beans, how well they grew, their size, how dry they were when put in storage, etc.—you may have to adjust your cooking times. I suggested that you err on the side of undercooking your beans just slightly, and taking notes on your results until you perfect your timing.
After you’ve released the pressure and check the softness of your beans, you can always hit the saute function and further cook your beans as necessary to their desired texture. But there is no remedy for overcooking your beans.
However, overcooked, mushy beans are still perfectly usable for any dish that calls for a pureed or mashed texture, such as refried beans, bean ‘humus’, dips, or as a soup thickener.
Bottom line is you can’t mess this up! And if you don’t have an Instant Pot, now’s the best time to get one at significant savings! Here are your links for Cyber Monday deals:
I have found being equipped with an Instant Pot has helped me make more 'instant' decisions on how and when to work dry beans into our family menus-- meaning we've ramped up our reliance on this nutritional powerhouse. I hope this helps you better utilize the magic of dry beans too!
Your garden coach,
Theresa
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