Soaking hydrates dried beans before cooking. It does not cook them or remove the need for the correct heat treatment, especially for kidney beans. This refrigerated overnight method is useful when you can prepare the beans the day before.
Step by step
Sort and rinse
Spread the dried beans on a tray and remove stones, debris and visibly damaged beans. Rinse in a colander. Check the packet for instructions specific to that bean variety.
Cover generously with cold water
Put the beans in a large food-safe bowl or container. Add enough water to keep them covered as they swell, leaving space for expansion. Cover the container.
Soak in the refrigerator
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or follow the packet’s longer timing. Keep the beans submerged. Soaking on a warm worktop overnight is unnecessary when a refrigerator is available.
Drain and begin proper cooking
Discard the soaking water and rinse. Transfer to a cooking pot with fresh water and follow the correct method for the bean. Do not eat or taste beans just because they have softened during soaking.
Kidney beans need a separate boiling stage
Kidney beans contain a lectin that can cause illness when they are raw or undercooked. After soaking, they need a full boil in fresh water for at least 30 minutes, followed by further cooking until tender. A slow cooker is not a substitute for that boiling stage. Tinned beans have already been cooked and do not need this soak.
