How long should dry beans be soaked before cooking?

Question

I'm guessing there are different answers depending on the type of dried bean (pinto, kidney, navy, white, etc.) and I am interested in all of them.

So: how long should dry beans be soaked?

Should the water be just tap water, or salted?

Should the soaking water be discarded or used later?

Thanks!

Asked by Jay

Answer

Overnight is ideal, but even an hour or two will help. If you don't have much time, you can speed the processs by using hot water. Tap water, and not salted - salt toughens the skin of beans if it used before they are cooked. Most folks discard the soaking water, as it is thought to produce flatulence. Also, if you have a pressure cooker, you can cook dried beans without a pre-soak and get great results.

Answered by Michael at Herbivoracious

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