How to Soak Kidney Beans

Kidney beans are the wondrous and beautiful scarlet beans that may invoke memories of meat, but we assure you these belong to the Legume family like most of the other beans. Their name is based on their eerily similar shape to kidneys. These red beans are loaded with Potassium, Vitamins, and flavor.

You can find these wonderful beans in almost all of your local stores and make all sorts of delicious dishes with them. The best thing about these beans is that they don’t go bad easily. You can have them stored for quite a while, provided that you put them in the right conditions.

Why Should You Soak Kidney Beans?

We can definitively give you three good reasons why you should be soaking your beans. The first one is related to the cooking process. Beans have a hard outer shell that makes them harder to cook.

Soaking will reduce that cooking time by at least an hour. Another thing that is often associated with beans is gas. Soaking breaks down the compound that creates this gas and allows you to enjoy them without any worries.

The third and most important part is the toxicity of kidney beans in particular. These beans have higher toxicity compared to some of the other beans. Soaking reduces their toxicity by breaking down their toxic compounds and flushing them of negativities.

How to Soak Kidney Beans

So, by now, you know how important the soaking process is. Now you also have to understand how the soaking process is supposed to take place. You don’t have to worry about a thing, because it is easy.

You just need a suitable container, some kidney beans, and a clear visualization of the end product. By the latter part, we refer to the dish that you want to make. You will also need some basic things like a stove (We know you probably have that, but still!!!).

Remember to use some oven mittens or BBQ gloves to save your hands from the high heat and unfortunate accidents. Most of the quick soak methods make use of hot water, which requires some heat-resistant gloves.

Soaking Kidney Beans in Water

Water and two teaspoons of Kosher Salt are the ultimate solutions to soak your kidney beans. Kosher Salt breaks down the outer covering of your kidney beans, allowing water to reach the inner sanctum (Basically, the inner mushy part; writing inner sanctum just sounds cool).

Again, to reiterate everything for safe measure put the beans in a container with water and add some kosher salt. You can then go for the overnight soaking method or do a quick soak. It all depends on the time you have at your disposal.

How Long To Soak Kidney Beans

The length of soaking depends on the medium being used and the method being used. Normally people go for the overnight or 12 plus hour soaks. The main reason for that is to break down and reduce the toxicity of the oligosaccharide compound that makes beans gassy (A bit crude, but it’s true!)

Some people even add baking soda to allow the compounds efficient and quick breakdown. It works well, but we won’t recommend this because baking soda makes the beans sloppier. Also, using baking soda alters the taste of the beans by a slight bit.

Can You Soak Kidney Beans Overnight?

Some people do soak their kidney beans overnight, so yes, you can soak them overnight. An overnight or 12-hour long soak in cold water (Usually in a refrigerator) hydrates your kidney beans. It will greatly reduce cooking time.

However, many people prefer the quick method, which utilizes Hot Soaking to reduce cooking time. Some people even prefer canned refried beans instead of going through the long and arduous bean preparations and cooking process.

How to Soak Kidney Beans Fast

The fast method for soaking kidney beans is the normal method, with a few extra steps added. You only have to take the kidney beans and put them in a suitable container for boiling. Put in about an inch of water, just enough to cover the kidney beans.

You will have to bring the solution to a boil and then turn off the stove or heat. Let the kidney beans soak in the warm water for an hour (Wish we were kidney beans, having our personal saunas!). After an hour, drain the water, and put in some fresh water.

You can then continue cooking whatever you want with your soaked and relaxed kidney beans. This method will save you about an hour or two compared to the normal methods.

Sources

• Fine-Cooking
• Cooking-Stack-Exchange
• Alpha-Foodie
• Camellia-Brand