Why discard bean soaking water?

Is it necessary to toss out bean soaking water? Can you just cook the beans in the same water they were soaked in? We chat it up in this lively convo...

Recently, I found myself alone and having to now cook for myself.

Dried beans are an old favorite and I have stocked up on several types. I wanted to be sure I was doing it right (or not) when I cooked them so I have been looking on the Web.

All of the directions I see say to drain the soaked beans and rinse them before cooking. What I have always done is to soak them and then cook them right in the same pan and soaking water. Why is this not OK? Why would the soaking water not be better that fresh tap water? And lastly, would my beans improve in any way if I changed my method and discarded the soaking water, and used fresh water for cooking instead?

My beans (usually Pintos) are always very dark and taste great. Maybe they could be even better?

I understand that this is a minor issue but I am surprised that I cannot find the answer to this question. There MUST be a reason since all directions that soak, do it this way. Thanks for any help.

Signed: A lost old male cook.
Named: Larry C
Portsmouth, VA USA
*****
Hi Larry -- Very good question. Perhaps we should begin with WHY you are soaking the beans in the first place.

Firstly, soaking allows the beans to release indigestible sugars that make for some uncomfy gaseous situations, IF you know what I mean. ;O)

Soaking also makes the beans more digestible. It cleans them more thoroughly (since beans cannot be washed before being sold or they can turn moldy). Finally, soaking beans helps them to cook up in about half the time.

So after the beans have soaked for a while, the soaking water now contains these elements that you are trying to eliminate by soaking the beans in the first place.

And this is why the bean water is discarded. So it is best to drain the water and rinse the beans thoroughly before cooking.

By the way, you can feed this water to plants. They love it. :O)

Click here to learn more about beans, including selection, soaking, cooking, and creating recipes.

Next: Kidney Beans Split During Soak

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why discard soaking water
by: Anonymous

I haven't really found a definitive answer to this either. I cannot find it specifically stated that there is anything in the soaking water that could be harmful (except dirt - which you could easily wash off prior to soaking).
I know that it is said certain things are converted to other things - but I haven't read that anything is actually leached out of the beans into the water.

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The real reason is:
by: Joe

Because grandma always did it that way!

Of course when she bought them they cane in baskets and sometimes had stones and chunks of dirt and the occasional shriveled bean included -- which is why they needed to be picked over first.

I've been doing dried beans for 50 years now (but probably only a few times per year), and I think I've encountered 2 or 3 stones in that time -- and probably none in the past 30 years. On the other hand, I'm using store-bought packaged beans.

I've almost never discarded the water and rinsed the beans.

joe

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Simple answer -- don't discard it
by: Anonymous

There's no reason to discard soaking water. In fact, there's hardly any reason to soak.

Why? It's true that soaking decreases cooking time, but not significantly. At most, it may take 3 hours of slow simmering instead of 2 hours following an overnight soak. For some beans, the difference may only be 15-30 minutes.

But the other reason for soaking is supposedly to remove things that can cause gas. Recent research has shown these things fall into two categories -- one is easily soluble in water, and some percentage of it will be removed by slow soaking (not as much by a quick/hot soak). But the other stuff isn't removed significantly by soaking -- the only way to get rid of it in appreciable quantities is long, slow cooking which causes it to break down chemically.

So, soaking has no significant advantage here -- the long, slow simmer of unsoaked beans will get rid of about as much (if not more) gas-causing stuff as will discarding the soaking water.

Only the other hand, by discarding the soaking water, you not only get rid of a few gas-causing things, but also LOTS of water-soluble nutrients. The pretty color your soaking water turns is not due to the gas-causing stuff... it's lots of other GOOD stuff leaching out of your beans.

In short, don't discard the water. Instead, simply pick over the beans to remove stones and dirt, then rinse thoroughly -- I usually put them in water for 5-10 minutes, stirring them around a few times, then drain. And then rinse quickly with water and drain 2-3 more times to get as much dirt out as possible.

But then I go straight to cooking. Fill with cold water, put over a low flame, and by the time the water comes to a simmer, the beans will have soaked up enough to prevent later bursting, as long as a slow simmer is maintained.

Some recipes may benefit from the texture of pre-soaked beans, but I haven't soaked in a couple years, and honestly I think my beans taste better than ever.

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Thank you
by: Sassy

Big thank you to those of you who have shared your point of view regarding whether or not beans must be soaked before cooking.

As we have learned, there is more than one way to look at this topic. So I recommend we all do a bit of experimentation in our own kitchens...

For a week or two, soak your beans before cooking them. For the next week or two, skip the soaking before cooking.

How do they taste to you? Any difference to your intestinal comfort? Did the beans take much longer to cook unsoaked?

Would love to hear how your experiments go out there in your kitchen laboratories. ;O) xo

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Add Seaweed to your beans to make them cook quicker
by: Matt

I find that if you soak your beans in kombu seaweed overnight your beans will cook more than half the time (from 2-3 hours to 45 minutes - 1 hour. It also makes a great broth to the beans and adds nutrition. Try it out, it's delicious.

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I don't discard
by: Barb

My 93-yr old mother in our home wants beans and cornbread all the time. I fix a pot about once a week but insist she eats lots of other healthy foods also. I think if you don't throw out your soaking water, it may cause intestinal discomfort at first but after weeks of eating beans, your body adjusts. Now we just clean and cook and love the flavor.

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Thanks!
by: Sassy

Thank you Matt and Barb for sharing your bean stories with us. :)

So you are saying that you cook your beans in the water you also soak them in, is that correct? xo

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I keep the water
by: Claudette

I had always discarded the soaking water, because that is what I was told to do. Then I noticed that the flavor went with it. I don't discard anymore, they taste better, and there are no gaseous symptoms. I say keep the water-and the nutrients.

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My development of the beans
by: LarryC the OP

Thanks to you all for your thoughts. Claudette, I am with you. I tried throwing out the soaking water and the beans tasted so flat. The great flavor was gone and the broth looked and tasted like water, by comparison.

Update: My favorite way to cook and eat them now (Red Kidneys are what I use) is to cook a pot of brown rice (1.5 cups dry/6 servings) and a pound of chopped collards (6 servings) with the pound of red kidney beans (6 servings). NOT TOGETHER, lol.

I pick and wash the dry beans and then bring them to a boil with the added ingredients below, boil a few minutes then turn off heat (covered). Let them set for an hour or two. Then I cook the 1.5 C brown rice with 3 C water. While it simmers for 50 minutes, the beans boil very low, same time, 50 min.. After 50 min., I heat up (to boiling) a pound of frozen chopped collards in a corning ware bowl in the microwave, with 3/4 C water and 1/4 C vinegar.

A bowl, one meal is made as follows and I eat one every day. Makes 6 meals.:

From fridge (beginning on second meal) I put one serving 1/6 of total) of the brown rice in the bowl. Then one serving (again, 1/6) collards on top. Add a few tablespoons of ketchup, salt and, Original Juan's 100% Pain hot sauce. Microwave for 1:40 min. Then cover with beans (1/6 total) and microwave again for 2:40 min. That's it. Six great meals. Yummy!

Also, when I cook the beans, I add 2 big red onions chopped, a handful of ground Cayenne, black pepper and garlic powder (maybe 1/3 cup or more ea.). Also a tablespoon of olive or Canola oil to prevent foaming over.

BTW, I do not have more gas that normal. Maybe I am just used to this wonderful creation, lol.

Extremely nutritious and just gets better with age up to the 6th day. :) I plan to try tomato paste instaed of the ketchup next time. What a cook I have become! LOL :)

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Go Larry!
by: Sassy

Thanks, Larry, for sharing your easy recipes with us. I love the bold flavors you use as well. Although the sound of the 100% Pain hot sauce is making me wince slightly. ;)

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An afterthought...
by: LarryC

Yes, Sassy, the flavors are indeed fantastic and I have never tired of them. I used to put a bit of brown sugar in with the collards and that was awesome but, I quit doing that for I felt too guilty. And, I AM a heart patient.

A typical bowl/meal is a bit over 300 calories as I make it. Not bad. My last lab (blood) was perfect and I lost enough weight to please the doctor and look good again. He said I really did a good job. Point being, I owe it all (nearly) to the 'famous' beans, lol. And, it all started here! Thank you! :)

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YES!!
by: Sassy

Wow! Fantastic, Larry!!! You must be so proud of yourself. I am certainly cheering for you over here and am very happy that you took things into your own hands and made some amazing changes to your health. And proven the old rhyme is true, beans ARE good for your heart. :)

B.R.A.V.O.! xo

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Don't water the plants
by: Rod Flash

After reading the post we soaked some kidney beans, and then watered our plants with the soak water. We cut the soak water 1 to 1 with fresh water. The plants may or may not love it (remains to be seen), but we don't the whole house reeks now. It's been 24 hours, we've had the doors open and the fan on in 50 degree weather, and still can barely stand it. Maybe if we'd cut it 20 to one or something it wouldn't have been so bad. Just a word to the wise.

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WOW!
by: Sassy

ROD! That's a crazy story! Poor thing! Hope the house has aired out by now. ;)

I used to use my soak water all the time for watering plants, but never noticed any strange smells.

Wonder what the difference is? :-/

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How about after the beans are cooked?
by: Kris in Tacoma

I've taken to following Deborah Madison's pressure cooker garbanzos with onions, garlic, parsley, and asafoetida. Recently, I thought, why not use the bean water as stock? Any thoughts?

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Yes! :)
by: Sassy

Hi Kris!

Do you mean the bean cooking water? Yes, use it! It's filled with nutrients and VERY tasty. Soak your beans in the bean cooking liquid to store your beans in the fridge. You can use this liquid when reheating your beans, or in any way you'd like. Highly recommend. :) xo

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Musical fruit juices seemed non-musical
by: Kris in Tacoma

Thanks Sassy! We tried it yesterday and suffered no apparent (ahem) ill effects.

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The evolution
by: Larry

Hi to all, my old question about soaking is kind of moot now. Oh, I am still on the beans and love them dearly, every day. What I have been doing for a long time now follows:

Wash 1lb. Red Kidneys add to pot of water, 2 cut up Red onions, 1- 12 oz. can tomato paste, a half-handfull of Black pepper, garlic powder, ground Cayenne pepper (for the blood), ea.

Add some Oregano Leaves and Italian seasoning (just a little ea.), and some Canola oil (for the heart and to get the good fats). Note: The oil keeps the pot from foaming over too.

Add some Chili powder and vinegar (vinegar adds a wonderful flavor and makes it acidic-bateriostatic).

Stir as it heats to a boil. When it boils, I reduce the heat to a slow boil and cook/stir another minute. Then cover and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Cover, turn off heat and leave on stove for about an hour.
Bring back to a boil (never open lid). Then I stir one time and reduce the heat to a very slow boil and cook for another hour (min.) or two. Just before removing from stove, add 1- 15 oz. can diced Tomatoes (do not cook them so they have some body). Add 1- lb. of chopped collards (frozen is easiest). I like the collards just heated so they too 'have some body'.
Lastly, add cooked Long-grain Brown rice, 1 1/2 C. dry (with 3 - cups water). Done!

This makes the best beans in the world (imho). And, it is still yet evolving, lol. Keep covered in the fridge and it lasts me about 9 days (1 serving/day). Just nuke a bowl full (2 cup or 20 oz.) each day from the cold pot. Takes my nuker 3.5 minutes. Yummo! :) BTW, maybe it is just me, and adaptation, but there is little to no gas. :)

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Love the update!
by: Sassy

LARRY! How awesome to hear from you. Thank you for sharing your latest bean-cooking technique. I'm sure it will be helpful to all who read it.

Just a little FYI - I don't recommend using a microwave because I'm not sure they're entirely safe to use.

Giant hugs to you! xo

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Soak and discard the water
by: Anonymous

This helps to remove the inhibitors of iron absorption (phytic acid) that are part of the beans.

So soak overnight in warm water, drain and cook in fresh water.

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COOKING MIXED BEANS
by: GoodCarbLover

I just discovered your site while looking up bean storage and I am delighted with it.

My first question: When I cook beans, any beans, and store them in the freezer, I find, when I defrost them, that they are not exactly very appetizing looking. The "skins" have come off half of them, and they taste rather mushy. How do I fix that issue?

Second question: I like to cook up a batch of beans to use all week long. I like a mix that renders the whole with an overall fiber content of 5 mg per serving at least, as high fiber is my goal.

I've found that some beans cook a heck of a lot faster than others. Can you tell me the best mix possible to get a final high fiber count with all--or almost all-of the beans still having a healthy "tooth" rather than a mushy texture?

Again, I love this site. So much good information in such a friendly and caring atmosphere with apparently NO ONE berating anyone else for stupidity. Rare indeed.

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Bean Fiber Content
by: Sassy

Hey there!

If your beans are coming out of the freezer mushy and with the skins coming off, it sounds like you are overcooking them. Might this be the case? The freezing process has never caused my bean skins to fall off or get mushy.

I wonder though -- what are you putting your beans in to freeze them? And how are you defrosting them? I recommend vacuum sealing if you can. If you put the beans and bean cooking water in a container, be sure to leave about an inch of room at the top of the container to allow for the liquid expansion.) I also recommend defrosting in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

As to your other question, I guess it confuses me a little bit. Why are you measuring your bean fiber in this way? Do you know that beans are one of the highest fiber foods out there? And as long as you are eating beans, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and fruit that you are sure to get all the fiber you need?

It might be helpful to know that some of the longer cooking beans include black, kidney, and garbanzo beans, and some of the quicker cooking beans are pinto, anasazi, lima, and aduki. And of course don't forget about lentils, super great source of fiber and cook very quickly.

Perhaps I missed something, and if I am not understanding your note clearly, please restate your question. Thank you so much, and above all glad you're eating your beans. :) xo

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Watering Plants
by: Maria

I am so glad I found your website. I am fairly new at cooking dried beans. For the last month and a half, I have been draining my beans and using it to water my plants no ill effects to date.

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OK to drink cooking (not soaking) water?
by: Jane

I do discard the soaking water from beans, for all the reasons stated in this column. I refill the pot with fresh water to cook the beans in. After the beans are cooked, I like to drink the water as it is sweet and delicious, like soup. No gas problems, especially if I use a small piece of sea vegetable to cook the beans with.

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Yes Organic, no GMO, NO microwaves
by: Anonymous

I am not a vegan but love my beans! What bothers me about a lot of the comments is: no one talked about buying organic beans, and other items. There is still microwaves is use.....google an article titled, "The Hidden Hazards of Microwave Cooking", and pitch your microwave! Also soybeans and canola are often GMO, so be very careful with the oil you use....organic olive and grapeseed are my favorites, and always buy food products in glass! Toxins from plastic containers leach terribly in oil based foods, and tin cans are lined with a particularly bad plastic! Just saying..........

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Just my point of view
by: Anonymous

Recently I came across a website on the internet that warns against the high levels of chemical pesticides in various foods and dried beans were at the top of the list. Supposedly dried beans are heavily treated with a chemical pesticide called sulfuryl fluoride, actually most dried foods are (unless organic). So, I think you should discard the water that you soak them in seeing that it probably contains high levels of this toxic chemical.

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bean soak info
by: Daniele

Thanks for the info and plant water tip! You look like a girl I met in a office skills class 22 years ago in Scranton?

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ha!
by: Sassy

Daniele - Wasn't me. But struck me funny because my mom used to work in Scranton back in the early '70s. :)
xo
p.s. You're welcome!

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To soak or not to soak and are they really organic
by: Stormy

If the toxins are in the beans and soak water, they are still in the beans even if you pour the water off. Organic, I question that because of the years of pesticides remains dormant in the soil. Where does organic growers find unpolluted, non fluoridated run off water and such. How does that work ? Today, I am cooking in the soak water to see if I can tell the difference. I have been pouring off for years. But then tap water for cleaning, soaking, and cooking takes a person back to square one. I am not being sarcastic but I do think this is a legitimate question. I do not season my beans until they are done, I like a lot of broth in mine. If beans are watery just keep cooking them until you get gravy . Delish !!

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after soaking
by: Anonymous

Hi there,

After I soaked the lima beans overnight and cooked them in the first water for 20 or so minutes, they turned black, why?
Thanks for the comments that are very helpful.

Alex

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Strange!
by: Sassy

Hi Alex --

Sorry, my darling, I don't know. That has never happened to me. Maybe someone else will hop on and enlighten both of us. :) xo

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A comment relating too organic beans, microwave, etc
by: cassandra

In response to your comments, I understand the white plastic in the metal cans that you refer to is one of the most carcenogentic substances that is being used in food products.
I have wondered if that is reason for high incidence of cancer in cats and dogs. So many of the most costly pet meals come in little cans with the inside coated with the substance.
I love everyone's "bean" stories. Cassandra

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Soaking water is delicious
by: Anonymous

My original question about using the soaking water has certainly bloomed here. I guess I should say that my experience applies only to red kidney beans, which I eat every day. It has been interesting to see everyone's stories. A simple test will put "the proof in the pudding". Cook a pot with the soaking water and one without. I find the one with the soaking water to have much more flavor and a stronger body that is delicious. Happy cooking to all. :)

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Soak, Ferment, And Discard - Contains High Phytic Acid, Amylase Inhibitors, etc.
by: Thomas Meli

There are numerous indigestible compounds in beans that are only neutralized through the fermentation process that soaking starts. It has nothing to do with cooking time - it has to do with chemical processing.

Remember that beans are a seed, and seeds do not want to be eaten and digested. If they are eaten, they want to pass through the digestive tracts of animals so they can be planted in the soil and grow again as plants.

Plants are very intelligent and have loaded seed coats with all sorts of compounds, anti-nutrients, and defensive agents that make even edible beans, grains, and seeds not such a great idea to eat without soaking first.

The # of these compounds in different varieties of beans and seeds is astounding. Amylase inhibitors, Phytic Acid, Lipase Inhibitors, Protease Inhibitors, Oxalic Acid, Trypsin Inhibitors, Lectins, and a bunch of others as well.

If you plan to eat beans, seeds, and whole grains often (and I highly suggest you do because they are phenomenally healthy) Fermentation is necessary.

Simply soak them in a huge jar or bowl the night before you plan to cook them, rinse them the next day, and then cook for the whole week.

This is an ancient tradition that every society that ate regular legumes, seeds, and grains did. Its a beautiful honor to carry it forward today.

Enjoy!
-Thomas Meli
http://www.thrivefromwithin.com

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Love it! :)
by: Sassy

Well done, Thomas. Thanks for sharing. :)

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Thanks
by: Larry OP

Thanks, Thomas. And thanks to everyone for sharing your thoughts and experiences. This has been a very interesting thread.

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Phytic Acid
by: Anonymous

Thomas Meli,
Does the phytic acid stay in the soaking water? That's one reason why the water must be changed?
Or is the phytic acid completely neutralized and it is safe to use the same soaking water to cook the beans/legumes?

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Soaking = Fermentation ?
by: Anonymous

I was taught to soak the beans overnight in a container inside refrigerator. Otherwise bacteria grows or something. Is that a good thing ? Should I be soaking them overnight at room temperature?

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Refrigerating soaking beans?
by: Sassy

Well, we've been soaking our beans overnight out on the counter (covered) for years and years and we're still here to talk about it. :)

I think it would work either way. Give it a try both ways and see if there's a difference you can detect. xo!

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Use jarred tomato paste in Larry's recipe
by: Wholly Hale

Larry's bean recipe is awesome! Just please use tomato paste from a jar. Any canned tomato products are not good for our bodies - whether the cans are BPA free, organic, or otherwise. All canned foods are lined with a petroleum based liner. Acidic foods, like tomatoes, will chemically react with the coating. Then you eat the coating. This is not good because you are giving your body some really strong estrogens to contend with. I use jarred tomato products. The lids are still costed but the surface area of exposure to the contents is significantly less.

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why does the color of the liquid in pinto beans change drastically?
by: Anonymous

why does the liquid of cooked pinto beans turn from a nice bright brown color to a dark brown color after the beans sit in the liquid for a while. I like the beautiful color when they have just cooked but then later the liquid looks real dark in color.

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Residue in the Remaining water?
by: shawnjohn

Correct me if I'm wrong but if the beans aren't organic and there is any pesticide residue, wouldn't that mean the remaining water is unfit for consumption?

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Washing dried beans lentils etc
by: Anonymous

They should be washed thoroughly and water discarded if they're not organic as all dried legumes are chemically treated . It is better to throw the water out after the first soak. Hour this helps. :)

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I don't discard the water
by: Evie

But, I do add a whole jalapeno to cooking/simmering pinto beans. It adds great flavor..

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Vegetable Broth and Beer?
by: Steven

Hello everyone, this has been a great read, ;-). I was googling around trying to find out about ditching the soaking water and read that someone was ditching the cooking water too... because of indigestible carbs I think... anyway I was curious and I ended up on this site. Oh wow! I just looked up and saw that it is a vegan site so I will not mention all the things in my recipe but I am curious about a few things. I should also mention that I am from Louisiana and we do things a little different there too... Anyway I usually soak my beans over night and then drain them... I think now I will use that water to water some of my outside plants, ;-), good idea. Then I replace that water with about half chicken broth (or vegetable broth) and half beer in a slow cooker on low. I usually also add a bunch of chopped onions, garlic, bell peppers, jalapenos, green onions, etc... and lots of spices... everything but salt. I add salt, usually in the form of Tony's Chachere's Spice n' Herbs, the blue top, not his cajun seasoning with the red top although it is good too... just not as good, ;-). I add some other things too that will remain unsaid... since I am posting on a vegan site... By the way, my dad just started eating vegan recently because of his heart and he immediately started seeing results, I may follow eventually...
Anyway, has anyone else tried replacing their soaking water with vegetable broth and or beer? What is there opinion?
Oh, and sorry if I offended anyone but I really enjoyed everyone's comments and didn't notice what site I was on until I started adding a comment.

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oh yeah... bean gravy
by: Steven

One thing I also like to do is take about 1/4 or 1/3 of my cooked beans and broth and blend them up and add them back... I love the bean gravy especially over rice of cornbread, ;-)

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Why?
by: DJ

I've seen comments on this post that talks about reducing the gaseous effect of beans. But why would you want to do that?? That's what makes it fun! That's the whole reason for eating beans in the first place... Right???

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Cooking beans in veggie broth...
by: Sassy

Hi Steven --

I love your post -- really made me smile. I think others who come across it will appreciate your kind sensitivity to those of us embracing the vegan diet.

Such an interesting idea, cooking your beans in veggie broth. My only hesitation would be the most veg broth contains salt, and salt slows down the cooking of MOST beans.

There are some exceptions where you would want the salt there to keep the delicate bean skins intact (such as with lima beans or black soybeans); but again these are the exception, not the rule.

So a fun idea to experiment with, but I would suggest no-salt veg broth.

Thanks for sharing!
xo
p.s. DJ -- to each his own! Have fun! ;)

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Soaked beans started in boiling water ok?
by: Claudia

I need to know if it is okay to put ones soaked beans in already hot stock or water. I know it is a total error to stop beans cooking mid way as they will not cook when re-heated, or so goes the tradition, but I don't know if they should be started always with cold water or not.
Any help?

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Yes :)
by: Sassy

You absolutely can add your pre-soaked beans to hot stock or water to cook them.

Hope this helps. xo!

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Kudos, all!
by: Joshua

Great comments! I was googling around to see whether I ought to discard my hot soaked beans (3 hours). I had rinsed them before soaking. I think I will not discard and see what happens. Lovely commenters, how refreshing to see people celebrating life's joys such as good food.

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discarding the water
by: Denise

Just a quick question:
I'm worried about toxins in non-organic beans (namely glyphosphate- aka roundup). Would discarding the soaking and boiling water help to get rid of any glyphosphate that is in the beans. It is supposed to be water -soluble.

Hard to find organic dried beans where I live.

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Here's an idea for organic beans shipped to you
by: Sassy

Hi Denise!

I'm not exactly sure what to tell you. I just don't know if pre-soaking and boiling would have any effect on the glyphosphate.

My inkling is it would have NO effect because the plants actually take in the pesticide so it becomes an inherent part of the plant itself; thus, it would be difficult to separate the two.

If anyone else has further thoughts on this topic, I would love to hear from you. :)

In the meantime, Denise, I did a little searching around and found this source for organic dried beans (Purcell Mountain Farms) -- and the MOST you will be charged for shipping is (at least as of the writing of this) $15.95. So the more you order, the better the deal.

I hope this helps! xo

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Discarding soak waters?
by: Anonymous

Bread, cookies, etc.,had the same question and after reading only found "watering plants with" so,had to use my own brain and although haven't tried it yet I say it will work! Great site,love the comments.

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I GOT A BEAN THEORY !!!
by: Johnny

Not so much a theory as an observation. I don't discard the soaking water and I'm talking about for good ol' red beans and rice, though I use quinoa, instead of rice and I mix black beans with the red. Beautiful color and some freshly ground turmeric ( added close to the end) creates another beautiful color! Very healthful, too, without altering the flavor too much. I used to discard the soaking water but I noticed thicker "water" toward the bottom going down the drain. In my opinion, discarding the water makes my red beans less smooth; less creamy. And I often go by my gut feeling and my gut feeling tells me there's nutrients being washed away if you discard. Just make sure you rinse very well and you'll be fine ... although, no harm in eating a little dirt now and then. LOL!

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uneven absorption of soaking water? solutions or remedies?
by: Anonymous

I have occasionally purchased beans grown in other countries that do not cook evenly. I soak, then cook for the recommended time and some of the beans are cooked and some are still tough and crunchy. (My guess is that they experienced some sub-optimal storage or handling somewhere en route.) Recently I found myself stuck with a lot of black beans that have this problem. Being hungry after cooking a big batch, I hand picked out the small, crunchy beans to re-cook, and they eventually softened though they tasted a little burnt. Does anyone have a suggestion for a less time-consuming way to get them to absorb more water or cook faster? I have been soaking 2C of these black beans for about 36 hours now and some are light pink-purple and some are still very dark black. I could cull all of them like I did before, but that is no fun. Does anyone have a suggestion for any way to get them to absorb more water or cook faster?

Thank you in advance for any tips you may have!

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Why do we need to soak beans
by: raine1200

That water is dirty, I have found stones soil and plant fiber in dry beans, we don't want to eat that.

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ALWAYS throw out the soak water!
by: Anonymous

You ALWAYS throw out the soak water. You always soak the beans in water for 24 hours like grandma alway did. WHY? Because beans made people sick for thousands of years if they didn't soak them. They didn't know why. But they learned how to prepare them so they wouldn't get sick. The traditions were handed down. Now we know beans, and grains have poisonous lectins in them that damage the intestines and cause other serious health issues.

It is best to soak the beans, throw out the water, soak them again. Do this a number of times in 24 hours. The lectins disolve into the water. You do not want to drink the poison water.

You cook the beans for a long time also. Why? This further reduces the amount of poisonous lectins.

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Why food is cooked
by: Anonymous

Why it is best to saute' (quick fry), steam, boil or otherwise cook food. All foods that we eat have lectins in them. Many lectins are the plant's natural pesticides that keep insects and animals from eating them all gone. Many lectins are poisonous to insects, animals and humans - even in all of the food we eat. Cooking reduces the amount of harmful lectins. Some "food" doesn't need as much preparation before we eat it. Potatoes and beans need to be cooked longer to reduce the amount of lectins. Soaking beans, nuts and seeds in water disolves very much lectins out and into the water. That is why you always throw out the water. You don't want to drink the POISON! Depending on the amount of lectins in the beans ("food") determines how long you soak and change the water before cooking. Some beans like kidney and black beans have alot of lectins. You never eat CASTOR beans because they WILL KILL you even if you soak and cook them. You NEVER eat beans or grains raw because they will damage your intestines and cause other serious health problems. Some will kill you if you eat too many raw. Many will cause damage and make you sick. Raw is another name for "more poisonous." Cooked is another name for less poisonous. Depending on the amount of lectins also determines how long you cook the "food." Grains, beans, nuts (all of which are seeds) contain poisonous lectins. This keeps insects, animals and humans from eating too many of them or they get sick and harmed. This ensures that some seeds survive to reproduce the plant species. Properly prepare and cook your food.

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Not just to get rid of gas
by: Theresa

I've wondered too if this was just one of those modern silly conveniences but sounds like tossing the water improves overall nutrient available once cooked. I learned to trust the research summaries found on WHFoods:
http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodtip&dbid=209

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Excellent
by: Sassy

Thanks, Theresa! That is super helpful. I love that website. I'm linked to it throughout my entire website practically! Such a wealth of information. :) xo!

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Bean Water
by: Dawn Acero

We discard the soaking water and keep the cooking water. My husband likes to drink it warm. Once in awhile I join him. I once read of a woman who used her cooking bean water to make her morning oatmeal. We tried this and did not care for it. And now, thanks to Sassy, we know to share it with the plants. Thank you.

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What To Do With Soaking Water
by: Trish

I love this discussion and the wide variety of answers! Vegan Coach is my go-to place for so many things! One of the things I love is that there is no one right way to do things. We are all on an adventure!
I have always used bean soaking water (and the water I use to wash veggies) to water my plants (both indoors and out). In the winter, it kills me to toss it when my plants are well-watered and I have more soaking water than I know what to do with! (I suppose this is a good problem to have?) I have never noticed odors from my plants, BTW. I always buy organic, and am of the belief that a little dirt can't hurt us, but still choose not to save this water for cooking, as I always heard that the gas-causing enzymes were leached into the water. Although I've been eating beans for so long, I doubt gas would be an issue for me, so maybe this is a moot point. Hmm...Food for thought, I suppose:)
[Sassy, is there a way to have the dates appear on the comments?]

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Pressure cooking beans in 10 minutes
by: Sonali

Hi all,

There is no need to discard water used for soaking or cooking beans as it has all the water soluble nutrients- vitamins, minerals, besides the oligosaccharides that may cause some discomfort. There are ways to take care of the discomfort by using spice powders or spices! :) However, if the discomfort is unbearable then, yeah, throw away the water, but do not rinse the beans again to save some nutrients.

Also, pressure cooking significantly reduces cooking time. Beans can be cooked within 10 minutes. More in my book to come.. :) I am a Public Health Nutritionist trained at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Hope this helps you all & makes eating beans easier. Happy Cooking! :)

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Why Discard bean Soak Water = GAS!
by: China Mike

The reason is as stated here, by pouring off the bean soak water, even though it has now a color similar to the beans, and also is fragrant, it contains those elements that give beans the gassy attribute, as well as releasing elements that will make them digest well. We don't have a second or third or fourth stomach as some animals do, so we digest less elegantly then many other mammals.

If you doubt this, compare how gassy you are from beans you cooked in the soak water vs fresh.

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slightly fermenting beans beneficial
by: Melinda

I soak my beans for 48 hours or until I see tiny bubbles forming on the surface of the bowl. I believe the natural fermentation improves the nutrient availability of the soak water. I do not pour off this water but cook the beans in it adding more water if necessary. The extra soak also helps to wake the beans up to let them know they are either going to be planted or eaten. Sprouting just this small amount improves digestabiity. I believe.

I use the Ringing Cedars/Anastasia method of adding some of my saliva DNA essence to the soak water so as to give the beans some information about my nutritional deficiencies and requirements. Just a small bit of spit will do. When I check the soaking beans I will stir them with my clean hand to add more information. Anastasia would hold the seeds in her mouth for several minutes before planting so as to impart this information, walk barefoot in her garden and use her hand and foot wash water to her watering can.

Since I have begun gardening I have grown a large stand of pole beans and allowed them to go to seed. Harvest and shuck in the fall. These organic fresh dried beans rehydrate much faster. Dry beans may be on the shelf and in storage for years allowing them to go in to deep hibernation. They may not rehydrate evenly. The fresh dried beans are very flavorful and if there is no time to soak and ferment can be cooked and on the table in an hour. The are also quite beautiful and fun to play with.

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More reasons for soaking beans
by: Anonymous

Soaking increases serving size. You can serve more people with less money.

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Thank you!
by: Anonymous

I thought this was a great forum for getting quality information and a range of perspectives. Thanks!

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Soak and cook with baking soda water
by: Anonymous

If a person soaks beans with baking soda and you forget to rinse and then cook with same water will baking powder change flavor or hurt them in anyway ?

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Baking soda
by: Anonymous

This is the last question ...I mean baking soda......not powder did not want to confuse!

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plant intelligence
by: Colin

There seems to be a pretty even split on this issue of to cook or not to cook with the soak water. It's interesting to see what people are saying about plant intelligence here. Thomas Meli and the Johns Hopkins guy i think were talking about how the bean is a seed and wants not to be eaten so it is strapped with some anti-degistive elements which just seems right. But also the idea of there being a lot of nutritious things in the soak water seems right too so that makes me want to cook with it, not to mention the over all consensus that cooking with the soak water tastes better. And that thing Melinda said about spitting in the soak water to give it info about your needs got me hype, but i wonder if that't not something that would only work over a long period of time, and most effective in relation to a single crop of beans that the eater has personally grown. I have yet to even soak and cook my first bean (they are soaking now), after having racked up on some quality and diverse second hand knowledge, it's time to see about some first hand knowledge aka acquaintance. Thanks for all the posts. Shout out to the OG OP Larry, Sassy, and DJ- I feel you on the gaseous effect, but for that i just sip the frobscottle.

Snozzcumber Lumber Jack,

Colin

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Soaking water contains lectins
by: Ari

Grandmas used to soak all grains and discard the water. They might not known that what they were doing was great for our health and that was the main reason we barely had allergies in this country.
When soaking grains and vegetables in water & a tbsp bicarbonate it will help the lectins to dissolve in the water, which you will discard because you don't want to eat lectins. Lectins' structure do not change with the digestion process so they enter our blood stream and it will cause our immune system to go on defense mode to get rid of lectins...while our body is fighting it will cause bloating, gas, lack of energy etc.
Having allergies means that our body is trying to get rid of things we can't digest (lectins is number one enemy) and for that reason we feel nausea, vomit or get diahrea.
Search more about lectins and how they affect our body and avoid or soak food in water; some food high in lectins are all grains, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, milk and its derivatives (milk products contain lactose and dairy lectins and that's why there are so many people that cannot digest milk, the immune system goes into super defense mode trying to get ride of lactose and dairy lectins with only one food.
If you want to fell energized again, forget about stomach problems and basically have a better life....look into lectin avoidance diets.

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No gas beans... 😋
by: Billy

For many years now, I have bean using my pinto bean soaking water to cook my beans. Nobody seems to have had issues with gas after eating my beans. Here is what I do.. Using the bean soaking water or not, I depending on how many beans I am cooking. I drop 4 big carrot quarters in my 1 # of beans while they are cooking . When the beans are fully cooked, remove the carrot quarters and disregard them. They are now loaded with the gas from the beans!! Don't eat the carrot !! lol

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Wherehouse Rodent Waste
by: OldGringo38

Out of the bag I rinse the dry beans of any kind. Then place in a pan and cover them with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. At the boiling point I rinse the beans again Hopefully removing any Warehouse Rodent Waste. I then place the beans back in the pot cover with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to soak for 2 hours, I then thoroughly rinse the beans again. Now place the beans in a pressure cooker and cover with 2 inches of water and season to taste, bring the cooker up to pressure and cook for 20 minutes, Allow the cooker to drop pressure on its own. B I N G O best beans ever. I have tried other methods but find this one to be the best. Now keeping this in mind the FDA allows a certain amount of Rodent droppings to be packed along with the product, go cook yourself some beans.

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Changing soaking water and cooked water
by: Anonymous

I have a recipe book from a crock pot I got in 1984. It tells you not to cook the beans in the crock pot and tells you how to cook the beans before you put them in the crock pot . It also includes the statement that You should discard water after soaking or boiling.

I never did this when cooking beans. I threw them in the crock pot and slow cooked them all day and ate them in the juices. I ended up with Leaky Gut and all kinds of digestion issues. ( not saying that the beans were the only thing that caused my broke gut, but they sure played a role. ) For the past 3 to 4 years I have had a diet of about 10 to 15 foods. I am now able to eat cowpeas and lentils.

To prepare I hard boiled, about 30 minutes later, I rinse the beans in water, then boil till soft. I then thoroughly rinse them until the water runs clear. Then I put them in my food dish. Occasionally I can eat small red beans. I soak them over night, rinse the water, hard boil for about 1 hour, rinse, throw out the water, hard boil again until I can put a bean on the roof of my mouth and smash it with my tongue. Then I rinse the beans until the water runs clear. I can assure you that I get a lot of nutrients out of the bean the way I cook it. When you eat the anti Nutrients it blocks mineral absorption, I have all kind of problems when I am not getting minerals, ( teeth chip, hair gets frizzy, - body stealing minerals from hair and teeth) stop dreaming, ect... After I recently added lentils, I have some of the most vivid dreams and I sleep like a baby.

Oxalates - Beans also have a lot of oxalates in them, boiling and throwing out the water helps remove the oxalates and lectins and other anti nutrients found in them. Where do you think all those anti nutrients go? They stay in the water!

azure standard .com - This is an online Co-Op. They sell organic beans and other foods. How it works is, you sign up online, make your order and they deliver to a warehouse by you.. ( you have to call and see where that warehouse is) Then when you go pick up your food, you pay for it. They do not charge a delivery fee.

I hope this helps...

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Soaking removes Lectins
by: Anonymous

Soaking is also important as it removes Lectins. Lectins are proteins that do not break down easily, and they are resistant to both stomach acid and digestive enzymes. You can get sick grom eating just three uncooked kidney beans from the high amount of lectins in them. Lectins are able to bind to the wall of the gut and damage the gut lining. They can cause changes in the function of the gut which may be related to diseases such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, Coeliac-Sprue, and IBS. Because of the damage that lectins do to the gut, other proteins may be able to cross into the body undigested and cause allergic reactions within the body.

As lectins crossing the gut wall can bind to cell membranes in arteries and vessels, organs, and glands. This binding can create reactions which lead to auto-immune disorders or degenerative diseases. Different lectins are associated with different diseases. For example, dairy-based lectins are associated with juvenile onset type one diabetes.

Some other diseases that are thought to be associated with lectins include:

insulin dependent diabetes
rheumatoid arthritis
IgA nephropathy
peptic ulcers

So, throw out the soaking water and rinse the beans before cooking. Boil them at least 10 minutes to deactivate the lectins that are left after soaking. An additional help is to add a piece of Kombu seaweed about 2"x2" for each pound of beans while soaking and a teaspoon of baking soda. Throw it all out with the soaking water and you can add more seaweed while cooking. Season beans in the last 1/2 hour of cooking once they have softened.

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Discard bean soaking wateronsi
by: Anonymous

How about falafel ,beans are soaked 24hours rinced then ground up and made into patties with spices, onion,garlic,etct
Then fried? Do you think this is safe? Thanks

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You must cook your beans first...
by: Sassy

Hi there!

Sounds fun! But you need to cook the beans first. ;)

Sassy

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Discarding soaking water - a must!
by: David Storek

Discarding soaking water is the best and safest way to prepare beans. Here's the conclusion from the only scientific and published review paper I have found on the subject:
"Discarding the soaking water before cooking was
found to be advantageous. This procedure seems to
reduce some carbohydrate fractions of beans and can reduce, maintain or increase fibre content. Meanwhile,resistant starch content remains unchanged, whose function is similar to that of soluble fibres. This method also reduced phytates, phytic acid, total phenolic compounds and tannins. Even though mineral content was also reduced, the bioavailability of most studied minerals increased. Furthermore, the different preparation
methods do not seem to affect the protein content and digestibility of the studied beans.
Soaking before cooking and discarding the soaking
water also seems to be an effective way to reduce the amounts of oligosaccharides that cause flatulence. This is an important issue because an excess of these oligosaccharides can lead an individual to avoid eating beans altogether, because of the intestinal discomfort......As these factors will always be present, we suggest that beans should always be soaked and the soaking water discarded before cooking when preparing beans to improve their nutritional quality."

A C Fernandes, et. al. "Influence of soaking on the nutritional quality of common beans
(Phaseolus vulgaris L.) cooked with or without the soaking water: a review"
International Journal of Food Science and Technology 2010, 45, 2209–2218

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Why to soak beans and toss the water...
by: Sassy

Thank you, David! Very interesting and helpful to all! :)

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Cooking in soaking liquid controversy
by: Cathy

Think about this...all the controversy about whether or not to cook the beans in the soaking liquid is unnecessary since you are able to cook beans WITHOUT soaking them first. Wouldn't all those nasty substances everyone is talking about still be in the beans because they weren't soaked first? Wouldn't we be warned in some way to ALWAYS soak our beans and discard the liquid instead of having the option of cooking them without soaking first?

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you must throw away the soaking water
by: Anonymous

Beans and legumes in general need to be soaked because they all contain enzymes that block digestion. Your grandma was throwing away the water for a reason. Soy has the highest content of digestion-inhibiting enzymes.

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Thanks!
by: Cheryl

When I was a child we always washed the beans because, even in the big city, the beans in the bag were dirty. Now that they are cleaned before packaging, I always added the soaking water to the cook. Thank you so much for this explanation! Even a 74 year old can learn and appreciate Google for finding this answer for me. So tomorrow, my house might not have such interesting odors.

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Black Beans/Green Water
by: Dr. Chef P

Picking, Rinsing & Soaking first is a MUST!
PICKING for Rocks,hard pecks of Dirt & foreign objects. I've found all of the above in my dried beans before.
RINSING to be certain to get off any gunk &/or pesticides.
SOAKING takes the GAS out & Reduces cooking time.

Once I picked some BLACK BEANS & as I was rinsing, I noticed the residual Water was GREEN! YES GREEN!
Soaking those GREEN WATER MAKING Beans for 10 minutes yielded me a deeper GREEN WATER.So I rinsed & washed again & again. 12 times; only to find the residual water still GREEN!

After soaking all night, the water was finally PURPLE/BLACKISH.

I STILL took them back...cannot explain BLACK BEANS MAKING GREEN WATER.
Houston, we have a Problem!

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Kidney Beans have toxins!
by: CreoleRaised

Either way, you're going to have to throw some water out. Kidney beans have toxins in them that are poisonous to humans that are released when the beans are boiled.
The overnight soak makes the beans more tender, and put spice in the soak so that they can absorb that flavor with the water. It alleviates that bland bean issue that happens when you eat it right after it's cooked. Beans always taste better the second day, though.

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Don't discard soaking water
by: Bev

I am 63 and have always soaked my white lima beans overnight. My mother always did the same thing. She'd pick the trash out, put them in water and soak them overnight. She would cook the beans in the same water she soaked them in. I asked her one day why she did that. She told me that if she drained the soaking water, she'd be draining all of the nutrients we need from the beans. She said we need those nutrients. Beans is a good source of iron and protein, I have always followed suit and done them the same way.

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Throw that stuff out!
by: Joto Grande

The wisely mentioned idea that you are presoaking to get rid of dirt and toxins and to saturate the beans is an important point. If you cook a lot of beans then you know it is an art to prepare them so your dinner guests don't fart all the way home and juice their underwear for the next day or so. And, if you're smart, you will put in lots of salt and baking soda in the soak water to be absorbed by the beans. My rule is rinse well (fill/spray and empty 3 times), soak with salt and baking soda, and rinse three times before cooking water and spices. You will feel nary a toot with this method. Of course, if you are in a water conservation mode (camping in the desert or in space) you might want to rinse once and then use the water all the way through to cooking. One of these posts talks about taking a hour off cooking time-are you kidding me?! Beans that are soaked 8-24 hours can be thouroughly cooked in half an hour on a high boil. I find it really helps to stand over your beans for the half hour most of the time and take off and discard the scum that comes to the top. Or not.

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life is a variety of spices
by: Stephanie

With my IBS, I am practically vegan now. Even lactose free. No cheese. So I am the extreme "soaker" beforehand. Adding Apple-cider vinaigre to the water helps for gases too. When cooking in the pressure cooker I add wrapped into a cheese cloth whole coriander seeds and bay leaves. A dash of olive oil to the water not clog the spout. Cook for one hour. Serve in hot or cold dishes. I leave any beans made in bulk, stored in larger Maison jars filled with cold water and keep in the fridge. Morning meals are 1/2 cup chick peas, 1/2 cup squash purée, and 1/2 cooked oatmeal. Spices as desired. Blend or purée, microwave... I make vegetable no flour muffins to jazz up my routines. I’m cooking and cleaning all the time now. But I am able too eat pain free most of the time.

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Bean water
by: Anonymous

Thank you for your answer! I have been wondering this same thing for a while.

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Kidney beans
by: Will

Is it okay to keep the presoaked kidney bean water when cooking? I know other beans can, but you will have to boil them on high heat for the first 10 minutes. Does it work the same way on kidney beans?
Thanks

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Vinegar and Broth
by: Joto Grande

Stephanie, above post, mentions apple cider vinegar. It adds a lot of taste to the broth (I also like Balsamic) but should not be added to the broth until the end when the beans are softened. Adding vinegar at first to the cook water can often harden the beans and keep them from getting tender. Also mentioned is oil-I would save this for the end, too, to keep the oil as raw as possible without breaking down its molecular structure with high temps.

This brings up the concept of the broth. My comment a few posts above is about throwing out rinse and soak water-this is to get rid of dirt and the germination toxins in the beans to ultimately improve the quality of the broth of the cook water. Rinse/soak water should always be thrown out before the final cooking water that produces a good broth that will not aggravate the gastrointestinal problems that make a lot of people avoid beans. Not only are you getting rid or dirt and germination toxins but also the copious amounts of salt and baking soda that should go into the soak. All that salty water that is being soaked up by your beans is too salty for broth. When you rinse your soak water down the drain and add the cook water, only add spices and NO MORE SALT. The beans have absorbed all the salt that they need from the salted/baking sodaed soak water. I also find a better broth when the scum that comes to the top under a hot boil is removed-often this will include pepper seeds and husks, cumin seeds, and other spice bulk that has already imparted its flavor to the broth. If you take the small bother to clean/rinse and soak/rinse, you will find higher quality beans and broth that don't bother you, your family, and your guests. They will love beans rather than feel tortured by them.

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No Soak Water on Plants
by: Joto Grande

Many, many plants are not resistant to salt so if you use lots of salt and baking soda (and you should) it should be thrown out rather than used to water plants-also a good reason to not use the soak water for the cooking water since the broth would be way too salty. Some plants (and perhaps people) could be dead in 24 hours from too much salt.

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Pressure cooking deactivates the lectins
by: CBPP

I read through the comments about to throw out the soaking water vs keeping it. If you are cooking in a crock pot or on top of the stove or over a fire, throwing out the water will help get rid of lectins and other undigestable plant protective compounds, especially if the beans are undercooked.

BUT pressure cooking is known to deactivate the lectins. Therefore the soak water is also pressure cooked so it changes that whole conversation of all the seed protective compounds.

This would also mean that beans in a can have had the lectins deactivated as it has been pressure cooked.

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Salt is not eliminated by pressure cooking
by: Joto Grande

Heavy salt and baking soda, essentials in my bean book for mitigating the bean brine, will not be eliminated in pressure cooking-heavy salt and baking soda needs to be drained and rinsed after the soak. Also, some beans, like Limas, really need the cold soak to keep their integrity and not turn to mush-I have no idea what pressure cooking will do to Limas. I would ask, are the lechtins that are reportedly transformed with high heat, worth saving the water? Pressure cooking/crock pots are great ways to cook but I would still toss the soak water and rinse before adding a final cooking water for broth-absolutely with the use of salt/baking soda in the soak.

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on Pressure cooking
by: CBPP

Joto, with your process of heavy salt and baking soda, you would need to drain the soak water.

I already mentioned in my post above that pressure cooking deactivates the lectins. Oxalates are not a problem for most people, only people with a history of kidney stones that are oxalate compounds. As to pesticide residues, that would have been on the bean POD that is thrown away.

Since pressure cooking completely penetrates the bean and cooks it in a different way, under pressure, you do not have the undigestable compounds that produce gas, therefore I do not need the baking soda.

Throwing out the soaking water throws away minerals and all the good color compounds that are healthy for heart and eyes. The flavor is fuller and broth is more colorful.

For a pressure cooker process, I start the soaking my washed beans with hot water and let them soak 3 to 4 hours or overnight. Only after they have soaked do I add salt and seasonings and pressure cook them for 25 to 45 min, depending on the bean ( look at a chart to know the time). I prefer to cook my beans the day before as there are always better the second day, as the flavors and the salt get all mixed together well.

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Soaking removes indigestable oligosaccharides
by: Anonymous

Soaking beans results in various types of carbohydrates entering the water. These substances can't be digested by humans - unless you supplement with the enzyme. One source is Beano. If you cook the beans in the soaking water then you are not getting rid of these indigestable oligosaccharides (which are a type of carbohydrate). The result will be that you feed the bacteria in your intestines and they produce gas.

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Our Responsibilies as Bean Cookers
by: JotoGrande

Cooking beans is important! Did you know that beans, ounce for ounce, have the same amount of protein (not as complete but rice supplements it and makes it complete) as beef!? But beans have about 12 times less carbon footprint than beef, not to mention other environmental advantages. We owe it to our planet and fellow humans to make beans as often as possible and make them as appetizing and gas free as possible.

Beans are poison if not cooked-raw beans cause food poisoning! Some people claim the soak water is just fine. But if people are fed such beans, some more than others, they will have gas. Wash those beans, soak them, rinse them some more and cook them. There are other tricks to make them less gassy I've given in previous posts. Make a youghurt topping to help minimize gas. If the people you are cooking for do not get gas and fart all day and night, they might be a little happier when you tell them beans are for dinner. If you are in denial and looking for shortcuts about using the soak water then I don't know what to tell you-but you are not helping make beans the protein of choice. Of course, in emergency conservation situations, use the soak water, but otherwise, do your best to get those beans down without a problem as often as possible.

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I cook beans without discarding water
by: Beto

The way my mother taught me was to discard the water, but after doing that when I started cooking beans on my own, something (aka gut feeling, intuition) told me not to do that as I was throwing down the drain a lot of nutrients leached from the beans. I have been doing this so far, also noticed that the stock gets thicker and creamier. I usually soak them between 12h-24h, then after grilling some celery, onions, carrots, garlic and tomato paste, then I add the beans with the soaking water in a pressure cooker, add more water to cover the beans at least with like 4 to 5 ``fingers`` of water above them, add some bay leaves, black pepper and chopped bell pepper. I close the lid and after the pressure builds up I count 30min then turn off the stove and wait for the pressure to disappear, open the lid and turn on stove again, keep it on a boil reducing the water content and adjusting salt to your preference. I don`t feel any intestinal discomfort, perhaps some gas if I eat too much (because so yummy lol), but nothing that bad.

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Soak beans or not
by: Anonymous

I am in my 80s and always soaked my beans over nite and rinsed them before cooking. 30 years ago I married a Mexican girl who always cooks her beans immediately. The only difference to me is the time spent and fuel used, Except the spices put in later. She uses more veggies and I use lots of garlic, chili powder, seasonings, etc spices. Her beans are watery, mine are thicker. Regardless they all get eatten.

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Why Soak Beans? Phytic Acid Issues
by: Ann

This is a good summary of the phytic acid reasons that some (including me) prefer to rinse off the soaking water, sacrificing some nutrients in the water in order to mwtavolie better those in the beans, https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/vegetarianism-and-plant-foods/living-with-phytic-acid/.

I soak legumes and also grains longer than overnight - usually a day or two - to trigger germination/sprouting. Mainly for the additional nutrient value produced by the germination proceeds, but also some like quinoa must sprout or germinate in order to get rid of the phytate-nutrient -uptake-blocking issue.

Besides, they all taste better (to me) sprouted (& rinsed) before cooking.

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Aquafaba
by: Yogananna

I arrived at this site after reading something that said that Aquafaba from tinned chickpeas was dangerous. As I've used it quite a few times already, I had to check it out. Thanks for all the comments and shared experience. This is the conclusion I've come to about cooking beans in general, after reading all the comment. Throw away the soak water. This is something I've always done anyway. Cooking beans in a pressure destroys most of the lectins, so seems the best way. I've just bought an Instant Pot for this very purpose. Tinned beans are pressure cooked, so therefore Aquafaba is not harmful. Probably no more harmful than the sugar used to make meringues! I now believe the original article I read about it being dangerous to be connected to the egg industry, as their conclusion was that we should all carry on using eggs. Thanks for all this information that has alleviated my fears. Namaste.

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Good reason
by: Angie

As the one comment mentioned, in others words if you use the water your beans are being soaked in you're defeating some of the purpose in the first place, personally I would never use the water the beans were soaking in,never even crossed my mind.

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I don't soak
by: Pat

My pinto beans always have good flavor with a creamy consistency. When I tried discarding the soaking water beans come out more watery and no flavor. I have tried this several times because everyone says to do it but each time same results. I don't even like instant pot beans. Slow cooker is good and over the stove low and slow the best.

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Microwaves
by: Linda

For those of you who use microwaves ( which I never do)
Try microwaving water for two minutes let the water cool all the way and take a plant cutting place in that water and see what happens. I can only imagine what it’s doing to your body when you ingest food that’s been microwaved over a period of time!

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Soaking to remove lectins
by: Don

I soak beans to remove lectins from the beans. This is an unhealthy chemical in all beans, legumes and some other seeds. I add a small quantity of vinegar to the water, to help draw out the lectins. Then, I throw away the soak water, as it is filled with lectins.

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Never discarded
by: Simi

Hi,

I am from an Indian background.
After a wash and overnight soak.
We always use the pre soaked water for cooking the beans.
We believe the nutrients are in the water.
I also believe farming practices change with time. People from earlier days had organic beans because they did not add as many chemicals as today.
What is organic? Or should we say how organic is something really. Chemicals can be carried through the air.
I also come from an agricultural background.
We often hear the elders saying that the old methods were the best.
Chemicals are toxic to the soil too.
People often bore holes deaper into the ground to get to water.
Land is drying out.
I think maybe go organic and try using the soaked water.
Some people may be more sensitive.
I am fine. Maybe my body has adjusted.

Enjoy!

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For great flavor
by: outofq

For great flavor soak your legumes/ rice/ etc. for 2days.

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What about saponins?
by: John

I like to scoop out the white foam, which may be saponins, when the beans first start cooking. Does anyone else do this? Also when beans are soaking overnight I don't think they're leaching out much of anything. It seems to me they're just soaking up water. In other words things may be going only in one direction. But I always soak beans overnight before I cook them. Anywhere from eight to fourteen hours They cook faster and get softer this way. I used to cook them in their overnight soaking water. But the past couple of years I've been draining the soaking water and cooking them in fresh. Someone said they may be cleaner this way. Oh and I hand sort them before rinsing and soaking them.

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ALWAYS SOAK and BOIL BEANS!
by: Neil Crowder

I'm a scientist and I'm AMAZED at the dangerous posts all over the internet about how soaking beans is not necessary or, even worse, misstating the reason for soaking beans (AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY COOKING THEM THOROUGHLY at 180 degrees or higher for at least 15 mins). You don't soak beans just to make sure your guests don't get gas! You soak, rinse AND BOIL to detoxify a poison called Phytohaemagglutinin that's present in most dried beans (Kidney beans are the worst). Unsoaked and under cooked beans can cause a trip to the ER and in rare cases even death. Under cooked beans are responsible for as much as 20% of food borne illness!

NOW THE GOOD NEWS. Just soak the beans overnight, drain and rinse to start getting rid of some of the toxin...then BOIL the beans (NOT LOW TEMP SLOW COOKING) for at least 15 mins to completely degrade any remaining toxin. Now enjoy your perfectly safe bean dish. Grandma knew more than you thought!

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How about discarding cooking water?
by: Anomymonus

I soak and then discard the soaking water. But how about the cooking water? A doctor says that we should discard the cooking water after fully cooking (boiling) the beans with plain eater. And then with the fully cooked beans cook a dish from start again with fresh water, with onion, vegatables spices etc. Discarding the cooking water anybody?

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Soak vs No Soak
by: DPA

I trust the Cleveland Clinic. They are great in areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, oncology and diet. Here is their take and results of a study done on exactly the topic of your question.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/the-musical-fruit-what-you-should-know-about-beans-and-gas/

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True
by: Anonymous

Comments about Tossing Soaking Water are Legit ! I used to be a Care-giver and this woman's daughter came over and Cooked Beans for us. She did Not throw out the Soaked water but continued to cook them in the Same water and I thought they were the Best Beans I ever had UNTIL I was up ALL Night with I thought was Food Poisoning. I Will Always Throw Out the Soaked water. Thanks for the Education people!!!

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Pinto beans split open during cooking
by: Dolores Milera

Actually a question. I bought another brand of pinto beans. They tend to split open when cooking them. Is this because they are old beans? I am not overcooking them.

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Beans
by: SK

Discard soaked water coz it causes gastric problems so bf cooking beans change water add ginger piece and boil it will not give any problem to ur gut.

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Research on soakung
by: David

This thread has already provided links to research that shows that:
The most effective way to process legumes is to soak, discard soaking water and then cook. This maximizes the bioavailability of the nutrients and minimizes energy use. Basically, it maximizes the availability of proteins in legumes and minimizes the amount of certain chemicals that inhibit uptake of nutrients. Please google on research papers for this but you can start here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878450X15000207
A laymans summary of the most recent research can be found here:
https://sharonpalmer.com/ask-sharon-prepare-dried-beans-avoid-antinutrients/
Anecdotal stories about how one has cooked beans since grandma's times are interesting but don't answer the basic question of how to cook beans properly. Soak and change water folks. That's it.

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SAVES. $$$ ELECTRICITY
by: Marths

1 - SAVES ELECTRICITY EQUALS $&$
2 SAVES TIME
3 AND THE KITCHEN DIES NOT GET HOT
4- SAVES AIR CONDITION $$$. KWH ELECTRICITY

BESIDES THEY TASTE BETTER

A BOWL OF BLACK OR PINTO JUST COOKED IT IHAS A GREAT DEAL OF NUTRIENTS....
THEY ARE DELICIOUS !!!!

BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL....

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My Question
by: Pramit

What would happen if we kept red kidney beans in sugar solution overnight?

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Rinse BEFORE you soak, drain when soaking..
by: IBSGal

The comments about lectins, antinutrients and the toxins ( phytohemagglutinin) in Phaseolus species beans (kidney, navy, pinto, turtle, navy, lima..) are correct.

ALL Phaseolus spp. beans should be boiled at least 10 minutes and best pre-soaked and rinsed.

Lentils and many smaller dals don't always need to be soaked first, but they all should be rinsed if possible.

I have to follow a low fodmap diet because my gut pain is intense otherwise, and I had to remove legumes for a while and add back in-- 1/4 cup dry (1/2 to 3/4 cup cooked) maximum a day.
Lentils are easiest to cook, but I rinse them in a few changes of water if cooking any large amount.

There's less flatulence if you soak 12-24 hours first than if you use the quick boil/soak methods. (I refrigerate if soaking more than 12 hours though.) Carminative spices help, but only so much. If your beans are badly cooked nothing will help.

For very hard old beans that won't plump up when soaking, drain and try again with baking soda in the water. I never soak beans with salt water (that would indeed remove more nutrients into water- you want to salt only if you're planning a really long fermentation like making miso, which takes years.)

Do beans lose some flavor if you drain the cooking water? Yes which is why I never drain ALL of it even with Phaseolus beans. I add in extra water and let the beans sit in the new broth and they'll be fine. I routinely COOK beans with spices and herbs and some stock veggies (and a little broth or bone sometime.) so they start with more flavor than plain cooked beans. Problem solved.

Never had any problems with flavor loss from the SOAKING water (again, don't use salt, only use baking soda as needed.)

The main problem really is with black beans, which shed that lovely black color full of anthocyanins so I just rinse well, and then change soaking water after 30 minutes to 1 hour and then let it finish the soak, drain only quarter to half of soaking water and add more water for cooking.

I do get some bad gas issues even so. I love black beans, so I'll be working this out somehow. In general I've been switching to non-Phaseolus spp beans (chickpeas, black eyed peas, lentils, and such) for most of my legumes, as well as green beans (quite safe in slightly larger amounts)

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To soak or not to soak...good question.
by: peterson

You sometimes don't realize, or forget how great things are, here in the USA.
Some of the most simple things, like soaking beans, comes very important, when you have small problems, like soaking beans.
I have spent, over 40 years, living in Mexico. If you asked the average cook down there, this question, they'd look at you like, "you must be kidding".
You go to the corner market to buy beans, and the first thing you do, is pick out the rocks, twigs, dirt lumps, and other unidentified objects. Then you proceed to start a series of bean baths. You then hope you have ended up with a clean buncha beans.
It's getting a lot better now days, especially from the large markets that have arrived, like WallyWorld and Leys, but some of the charm has disappeared too.

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Best way to deal with beans is to soak them properly, discard the soaking water, and cook in fresh water
by: David

There is no need to guess, as so many of you seem to want to do. Researchers have already figured out what is the proper way of cooking beans and legumes. Please read this survey from "International Journal of Food Science and Technology 2010, 45, 2209–2218": https://www.academia.edu/2220766/Influence_of_soaking_on_the_nutritional_quality_of_common_beans_Phaseolus_vulgaris_L_cooked_with_or_without_the_soaking_water_a_review

It says that the best way to deal with beans is to soak them properly, discard the soaking water, and cook in fresh water.
The reason for soaking and changing the water afterward is to significantly decrease antinutrients such as phytic acid, tannins,
phenols, a-amylase and trypsin inhibitors. All these antinutrients are perfectly natural in beans and need to be there, but it is easier for humans to digest when these are decreased. Moreover, this processing improves the protein digestibility of legume.
All this has been posted in this thread before so don't start questioning it all over again.

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