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That tip about soaking dried beans overnight was a game changer | Budget Friendly Meals - Discusd

That tip about soaking dried beans overnight was a game changer

My neighbor kept telling me to stop buying canned and just do dried beans, said I was throwing money away. After 3 months of ignoring her, I finally tried it and saved about $2 a can on the black beans I use for burrito bowls. Anyone else have a friend who was annoyingly right about something in the kitchen?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_ben2mo ago

My roommate swore by pressure cooking dried chickpeas for hummus and I ignored her for a solid year. Finally tried it and yeah, the texture is way better than canned, not as mushy. But honestly I still use canned beans 80% of the time because the time and effort of soaking and cooking just isn't worth it for my schedule. The canned ones work fine for burrito bowls and soups, and for $1.50 a can I'm not breaking the bank. Plus I've messed up dried beans before and ended up with hard ones or burnt ones, so I'd rather just pay the extra buck and not have to plan a day ahead.

the_fiona2mo ago

I gotta push back a little there @the_ben, because I was the same way until I realized you can skip the overnight soak entirely with a quick soak method. Bring the beans to a boil for 2 minutes, cover and let them sit for an hour, then they're ready to cook in like 45 minutes. That's barely more effort than opening a can and rinsing them. And yeah, the texture difference is huge for things like bean salads or chili where the beans need to hold their shape. Canned ones turn to mush way too fast for those dishes. Plus I've found that dried beans actually taste better, like they have this earthy flavor that canned ones just don't have. Once you get the hang of cooking times for different beans, it's pretty foolproof. I'd say give dried another shot with the quick method, you might change your mind on the time thing.