Best way to rehydrate dry black beans so the skins are not hard but beans are soft?
I have a recipe for rehydrating red beans that says you should boil them briefly (2 min) then soak them overnight (6-8 hrs) to rehydrate them so that the skins aren't hard.
Is this advisable? Is there a better option? Does it make any difference?
Best Answer
If you soak your beans in brine (3tbsp table salt per gallon of water, or 1.5% salt by weight) it'll help soften the skins by replacing calcium and magnesium ions in the skin. After soaking for 8–24 hours, drain and rinse. (Source: Cooks Illustrated, login required). Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking also mentions this (p. 488–489) and suggests 1% salt by weight. McGee also mentions that 0.5% baking soda will further reduce cooking times (but may lead to unpleasant taste & mouth feel).
Alternatively, Cook's Illustrated also reports that dried kombu can be used to similar effect, without needing the soak.
Even after brining, taste them when nearly done cooking: you may need to add some salt—it doesn't always penetrate that far into the beans. At least, that's been my experience.
Quick summary:
- Create 1–1.5% salt (by weight) brine, approx 3tbsp table salt per gallon of water.
- Sort (remove rocks, deformed and damaged beans, etc.) and rinse dried beans. Drain rinse water.
- Soak rinsed beans in brine for 8–24 hours. Beans will noticeably swell.
- Drain brine, rinse beans again.
- Cook beans normally. Towards the end of cooking, season to taste.
You want to season towards the end of the cooking because it results in creamier texture and also eating some beans which haven't been heated to boiling for 10 minutes is ill-advised due to phytohaemagglutinin.
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Quick Answer about "Best way to rehydrate dry black beans so the skins are not hard but beans are soft?"
If you soak your beans in brine (3tbsp table salt per gallon of water, or 1.5% salt by weight) it'll help soften the skins by replacing calcium and magnesium ions in the skin. After soaking for 8–24 hours, drain and rinse. (Source: Cooks Illustrated, login required).How do you make black beans soft?
The process is straightforward, soaking the beans in salt water softens the skins so that the outside is edible and the interiors are soft. For those short on time, I share a \u201cquick soak\u201d option or you can add a pinch of baking soda which will speed up the cooking time.How do you soften the skin of beans?
When you soak the beans in salt water, sodium ions end up replacing some of the magnesium and calcium, effectively softening the skins. Your beans come out creamier, better seasoned, and have a much smaller likelihood of exploding while cooking.How do you make dry beans soft?
Heat to boiling; boil for 2\u20133 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and soak for up to 4 hours. Hot soaking is the preferred method since it reduces cooking time, helps dissolve some of the gas-causing substances in beans, and most consistently produces tender beans.Why are my bean skins Tough?
The skins of beans are made up of calcium and magnesium ions that are linked with pectin molecules. These bonds create strong cells and cause tough skins on beans. One part of the problem could be the water used for soaking and cooking the beans.You're Doing It All Wrong - How to Cook Beans
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Answer 2
What you seem to be describing is the "quick soak" method, which does work fine, but in my experience, the beans are more likely to fall apart than they will with a long, cold soak.
My current preferred method is to sort and rinse a pound of dry beans, and then add them and 6-8 cups of water to a slow cooker set to low and let them cook all day. Though this does work best for things like chili and red beans & rice (basically situations where I don't care if the beans are falling apart by the time I'm eating them.
If I cared more about the beans' appearance, I would do an overnight soak in cold water, and then transfer them to my cooking vessel to cook until they're just tender, with no al dente beans in a few test spoonfuls.
I have never had a problem with bean skins being hard with any method.
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