How Do You Rehydrate Dried Beans? – Make It Soft In 5 Steps

Beans are perfect for long-term storage, but you need to rehydrate them for use. So, in this article, I am going to explain how to rehydrate dried beans to prepare any dish of your choice.

Let’s get started.

You can rehydrate all types of dried beans like black beans, garbanzo beans, vanilla beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, fava beans, and green beans by soaking them in a container filled with water and leaving them overnight for 8 to 12 hours.

As an alternative, you can also quickly rehydrate dried beans by simmering for 2 to 3 minutes and allow to soak in the warm water for an hour.

Steps to rehydrate dried beans

Removing foreign matter

The first step is to clean and sort through the beans for a foreign matter like small stones.

Start by taking a scoop of beans and spread it on a tray.

Now work through the beans picking out any unwanted materials and put the cleaned beans in a glass bowl or a plastic container.

Repeat the process until you have enough beans for your recipe.

Soak in water

The next step is to soak the cleaned beans.

Fill the container with water such that the beans are completely submerged under the water.

And the water level should be at least 2 inches over the beans.

Refrigerate the beans

Close the container with the beans using a lid and place it inside your refrigerator and leave it overnight.

You can also soak the beans in the morning and come back after work and use them for cooking. However, you should make sure that you allow the beans to be soaked for at least 8 hours.

Strain the water

Now take out the beans from the refrigerator and strain the water and rinse the beans with fresh water.

Simmer the beans

Transfer the beans with water from the container to a pan or cooker and simmer it for an hour.

That’s it.

You have successfully rehydrated the dried beans and now the beans are ready for cooking.

Related Questions:

What is the best time to soak dried beans?

The best time to soak dried beans is during the night when the temperature is cooler and less water will be lost when you drain them.

What are the benefits of soaking beans?

As mentioned, soaking your beans can help them get softer and cook much faster.
It can also improve the digestibility of beans especially if you do not cook them enough. This is because moisture could make bean protein more digestible than it was before soaking.

Can I roast beans before soaking?

Some people roast and then soak the beans for faster cooking. However, this will not work with any type of bean since they do not contain enough moisture to absorb much water.

Can you freeze dried beans?

Yes, you can freeze your dried beans. However, be careful not to freeze them too crystallized after being frozen.

For example, if you want to use the beans in a recipe that requires a long cooking time such as mujadara (a Middle Eastern dish with meat or rice), you could thaw the frozen beans first and then re-cook them until tender.

How can you quickly rehydrate beans?

You can expedite the rehydration process by directly simmering the cleaned beans for 3 hours before cooking.

This way you can cut down 6 to 8 hours of soaking the beans.

Why won’t my dried beans soften?

The most common reason for dried beans to remain hard after cooking could be an inadequate amount of soaking time.

You must soak your beans for at least 8 hours for them to becomes soft.

Can you soak beans too long?

Soaking beans for too long is not recommended. If you soak your beans for more than 24 hours, it will lose its texture and become very moist and sticky after draining.

So, do not soak the beans too long.

Can you soak beans and then store them?

You can soak beans and store them in a refrigerator to rehydrate. However, leaving them soaked for a long time is not recommended.

If you are planning to store and use beans for a longer duration, you should store them dry.