If the recipe says simmer beans for 3 hours, can I just turn up the heat and cook faster?
I just got home from work, and tonight is my night to cook. Unfortunately, I just realized this recipe for Mexican beans says I should simmer the beans for 3 hours. I'm too hungry for that, but I really want to eat these.
Would be okay to skip the simmering? Or is there something else I can do to produce the desired effected?
Best Answer
You probably want to just use already-cooked beans, from a can. (Hope there's a store nearby.) Then you just have to cook as long as it takes to let the flavors mingle; half an hour is plenty.
If you happen to have a pressure cooker, you can cook dried beans much faster, something like 20-30 minutes. See for example this recipe - you can add back in whatever seasonings you like from your recipe.
But otherwise, there's no way to speed up cooking dried beans - boiling water doesn't get any hotter than 100C, and it just takes time for them to slowly soak up water and cook through.
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Quick Answer about "If the recipe says simmer beans for 3 hours, can I just turn up the heat and cook faster?"
See for example this recipe - you can add back in whatever seasonings you like from your recipe. But otherwise, there's no way to speed up cooking dried beans - boiling water doesn't get any hotter than 100C, and it just takes time for them to slowly soak up water and cook through.How do you speed up cooking beans?
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. Quick Soak. This is the fastest method.How long do you simmer beans for?
Cover by 2 inches with cold water, add onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.Does boiling cook quicker than simmering?
Knowing the difference A good, fast boil is great for making pastas and blanching vegetables. Simmering, on the other hand, is slower than that nice bubbling boil. It's still very hot\u2014195 to 211\xbaF\u2014but the water in this state isn't moving as quickly and isn't producing as much steam from evaporation.What does it mean to simmer beans?
You should barely see movement in the water. Along with pre-soaking, simmering the beans gently helps them cook evenly until tender, retain their shape without going smooshy, and keep their skins intact.How to Cook Dried Beans - The Right Way - For Maximum Nutrition
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Answer 2
If you have a pressure cooker, you can shorten the time to cook the beans by using it. You will find many recipes and articles by googling "beans pressure cooker", such as this recipe posted on Serious Eats for refried beans, or this recipe for Boston Baked Beans, again courtesy of Serious Eats.
However, without a pressure cooker, you cannot increase the temperature of the cooking beans past the boiling point of water, so they will require a certain amount of time to cook.
Answer 3
Any chick peas I have cooked after soaking seem to get soft enough in about 20 minutes of simmering after bringing to the boil. Any longer and they are mush! Cooking for over and hour seems crazy!?
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