The biggest misconception about dried beans is that they are gassy and will have you farting nonstop, hard to digest, etc….. Let`s break that down in this blog post. Soaking your beans not only gets rid of the gases but also speeds up the cooking time and makes the beans easier to digest.

To soak your beans, you are going to need a medium size bowl, depending on how much beans you are soaking. I usually soak 1 pound of dried beans. This is a simple 3 step process.

Step 1: Give your beans a quick rinse with room temperature water to remove any natural impurities like dirt, rocks, or misshaped beans. You can do this step prior to rinsing.

Step 2: Cover beans with room temperature water, cover and leave soaking overnight.

Step 3: Discard your soaking water in the morning and give your soaked beans a quick rinse before cooking.

Here are a few pros to soaking your beans overnight:

Reduce cooking time: This applies perfectly to “harder” “thick-skinned beans” like garbanzo, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, etc…. Once soaked these beans takes half the time to cook versus unsoaked.

Removes the gases: Dried beans contain “oligosaccharides”, which are carbs that cause gas. Soaking the beans rehydrates them and cuts down on the levels on gas. Cooking your beans with spices such as ginger, bay leaf, garlic, allspice, and cloves, also cuts the gases out of the beans. I have been eating beans for 20+ years, and I have never had a gas issue. Overnight soaking and cooking with the mentioned spices has eliminated that issue for me all together.

Easier Digestion: Soaking your beans for at least 10-12 hours making them easier to digest once cooked.

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