Finally cracked the code on cheap dried beans, no more sad mushy ones

I kept seeing people say you gotta soak beans overnight or they get tough, but I tried a $3 bag of pintos from Aldi and just simmered them low for 90 minutes with a bay leaf no soak needed. They came out creamy and not falling apart perfect for a pot of chili I stretched across 4 meals for $1.50 each. Anyone else skip the soak step or am I gonna get roasted for this?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim_west1mo ago

I feel you on that, I had so many sad mushy beans before I figured out the bay leaf trick too.

shaneb1611d ago

Oh man, soaking is the way to go though, I've learned that the hard way too many times. Old beans in particular need that overnight bath to hydrate evenly, or you end up with a mix of mushy skins and chalky centers regardless of how long you simmer. $3 pintos from Aldi might work this one time, but it's a gamble every batch depending on age and storage.

jennys721mo ago

Wait, aren't you worried about undercooking them that way? I've had too many rock-hard pintos from not soaking that ruined my whole batch. Bay leaf adds flavor but doesn't fix the texture problem if the beans are old. Wouldn't you rather play it safe for a few extra hours?

-1