How to cook beans: simple and straightforward instructions. How to quickly cook beans without soaking: tips for beginners What can be done to quickly cook beans

Beans are a delicious and popular side dish and an important part of many dishes. Legumes contain many essential trace elements and vitamins, which, unfortunately, are lost during cooking. But most of them can be preserved by expertly choosing, steeping, and boiling beans.

How to choose tasty and healthy beans?

Beans come in many different types and colors. Each type has its own characteristics, namely friability, texture, specificity of taste and compatibility with other dishes, which should be considered when choosing. Among the most popular and available types are white, red, black and motley beans.

• White beans is the most common variety. It goes well with almost all dishes, and can be used everywhere, since its delicate taste is quite familiar to everyone. When choosing this bean, it must be borne in mind that it is rather crumbly;
• Red color no less popular and familiar to everyone. Most often it is used for stuffing and in soups and salads. It has a pleasant taste and medium friability, as well as a bright burgundy color among its features;
• Black variety more exotic than the other listed types of beans. With a sweet, bitter taste, it is suitable for stews and salads. Has a fairly dense texture;
• Pinto or variegated beans universal due to its delicate and creamy taste. The main catch of this variety is that it needs to be soaked and cooked for a long time, but the taste of the pinto is worth it.

When choosing beans in the store, pay attention to the integrity of the packaging, the purity of the mixture, the absence of stains on the beans and free flow. Attentiveness and pickiness at the stage of selection will allow you to enjoy a really tasty dish at the end.

Preparing beans for cooking

Soak the beans before cooking. This is due to the shortened cooking time and softens the effect of the beans on the intestines.

Before soaking, the beans should be sorted out, removing the spoiled ones. You should never mix different varieties, as this will spoil the taste. After the grains have been sorted out, the beans should be rinsed.

The seeds are soaked from three to twelve hours, depending on the species. During the soaking process, the water should be changed regularly, preferably every three hours. The doubling of the grain volume indicates that they can be boiled. The beans must be rinsed several times before boiling.

How to cook beans quickly: ways

Beans are not the “fastest” product, you need to have patience to prepare it. But sometimes you just need to cook it quickly. There are several ways to do this.

Modern varieties are specially designed for quick boiling, so if you need "quick" beans, it is advisable to choose them. The variety must be indicated on the product packaging.

• Beans can change color during boiling. To prevent this from happening, do not cover it with a lid;
• To keep the beans from getting bitter, the water should be changed at least twice during boiling. Old beans are also bitter;
• There is a quicker but more laborious way to soak beans. In this case, the grains are brought to a boil over low heat and cook over high for 5 minutes. Then it settles for 3 hours in broth and 1 hour in clean water;
• To make the legumes cook faster, after boiling, add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water;
• Do not soak the beans for more than 10 hours;
• In the summertime, soaked beans should be refrigerated to prevent sprouting;
• One glass contains about 200 grams of grains.

As you know, beans are a source of vegetable protein. This is a great alternative to meat for vegetarians. Beans are used to make pate and sausages, which are no less tasty than ordinary ones.

Cooking beans is not quick, so it's best to plan ahead. In addition to an hour or two, which will take directly cooking, you need to take into account the time for soaking. The good news is that you hardly have to do anything.

How to prepare beans

The first thing to do is check the expiration date. Beans that have been in for over a year are likely dry. These beans will not become soft and tender, no matter how much you cook them.

Go through the beans (don't worry, it's quick) and discard any shriveled or suspicious beans, stalks, and other debris.

Then rinse the beans thoroughly in a colander under cold running water.

The next step is soaking, for several good reasons. First, presoaked beans cook faster. This, by the way, is not the main reason: without soaking, the beans will cook longer by only 15–20 minutes.

Secondly, during soaking, oligosaccharides are partially dissolved, which cause increased gas production in the intestine.

Thirdly, it is believed that during soaking, beans lose so-called antinutrients - compounds that interfere with the absorption of nutrients. In particular, legumes contain phytic acid, which interferes with the absorption of zinc, calcium, magnesium and iron.

How to soak beans

There are two ways to soak beans:

1. Slow, or cold, way

Proponents of this method of soaking claim that it eliminates the unpleasant side effects that legumes are famous for. Note, however, that it takes time. Place the beans in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

For 1 cup of beans, you need 5 cups of water.

2. The fast, or hot, way

If there is no time for prolonged soaking, then simply pour the dry beans into a saucepan and cover with water in the same proportion as in the previous method. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beans for 2-3 minutes. Then remove the pan from the stove, cover and let sit for at least 1 hour.

Keep in mind that the volume of beans after soaking and boiling will increase 2-3 times, so choose a larger saucepan.

By the way, some housewives claim that with this method of soaking, the dish turns out to be tastier.

How to cook beans

After soaking, drain the water and rinse the swollen beans in running water. Then place it in a large saucepan and cover with water so that it completely covers the beans. Bring the water to a boil and add a tablespoon of sunflower or sunflower oil to reduce the foam.

Simmer the beans. You may need to add water to the pot from time to time during the cooking process. Depending on the type of beans, their shelf life and water hardness, the cooking time can be from 0.5 to 2.5 hours.

You don't need to stir the beans during cooking, and you don't need to cover the pot.

To find out if the beans are ready, mash one of them with a fork or fingers. Ideally, the beans should be soft, but not mushy. If the beans are still crunching, then leave them to simmer and check for readiness every 10 minutes.

Subtleties

There is a fairly common myth that salt gives the beans their firmness and firmness, so add it at the end. In fact, salt does not affect the consistency of the beans in any way, unless, of course, you are going to pour them into the pan in handfuls. Herbs and also can be added at any time.

If your recipe requires you to add acidic foods such as lemon juice, wine, vinegar, or tomatoes, do so after the beans are cooked. Otherwise, the beans may not be as tender as you would like.

Cooked beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It is recommended to use flat, shallow containers for this.

Do you have your own secrets for making beans? Share them in the comments.

It is far from a secret that before boiling legumes, it is imperative to carry out a number of necessary manipulations so that enzymes that affect increased gas formation come out of them. Therefore, it will be useful to know how to quickly cook beans if you urgently need them as an ingredient for any dish.

Beans are one of the slowest foods to cook. But what to do if you urgently need it, and there is very little or no time for preparation? Then try boiling the beans without soaking. Cooking methods differ slightly, depending on the type.

Beans are one of the most popular members of the legume family.

There are also a few secrets to keeping beans tasty and appealing if that matters to you.

• Pour the beans with water at the rate of 1: 4. Add a tablespoon of sugar there. The most common white sand will do, not brown. Turn on high heat on the stove, and then, when the water boils, reduce to medium. The beans will quickly soften: red beans will be ready in half an hour, and white or black beans in 40-50 minutes.
• To cook the beans faster, place a small piece of dried seaweed in a saucepan. Nori seaweed, used to make Japanese rolls, is also suitable. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook the beans for half an hour.
• If you know you will need to cook the beans, but there is no time to soak, there is another method you can use. Divide the beans into bags and place them in the freezer. When it's time to cook, remove the beans from the refrigerator without first defrosting. Immediately put it in cool water, bring to a boil and cook for half an hour over medium heat. Do not forget to check the readiness half an hour after boiling.

Red beans

The red beans are washed and poured in a saucepan with water so that it covers the beans for a couple of centimeters. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. After that, the water is drained from the pan, and a new one is drawn instead. The beans are brought to a boil again. Turn off the stove and soak the beans for half an hour under the lid.

After the specified time, change the water and boil the beans again over medium heat for fifty minutes. You don't need to cook too much, so cook the beans in unsalted water. The beans are then ready to be served or added to other dishes.

White beans

There are two ways to boil white beans. The first involves pouring cold water and boiling over medium heat. After the water boils, change it and bring to a boil again. The procedure is repeated as many times until the beans are fully cooked. This can be determined by its softness: if the beans are freely pricked on the fork, then they are ready.

White beans have a higher protein content than any other product.

The second way is even easier. To achieve the desired result, add a pinch of baking soda to the water where the beans are boiled, and then at the very end a little lemon juice to neutralize the action of the alkali. This is necessary so that the taste does not deteriorate.

Remember to add salt to the beans only at the very end of cooking. Otherwise, cooking will slow down and you will waste time.

In the microwave without soaking

Place the beans in any microwave safe container. For example, this could be a deep glass bowl or plate. We wash the beans under cold water, fill them and cook the beans in the microwave for ten minutes at the highest power of the device.

After the indicated time has passed, remove the bowl, stir the beans well and put them back in the microwave for 15-20 minutes. Then remove the plate, salt and cook for another 5 minutes. Remember that salt tends to delay the cooking process. Therefore, you should not add salt to the beans earlier.

In a multicooker

Undoubtedly, the owners of the multicooker are more fortunate than others. Indeed, in this unique device you can cook almost any dish. It can also cook beans without presoaking them.

You can cook absolutely any beans in a multicooker.

This method is suitable for both red and white beans. Calculate the correct amount of beans to be cooked - 100 grams for each liter in the bowl. Pour the beans, set the "Cooking" or "Stew" mode for forty minutes. After this time, open the lid and check if the beans are ready. If not, change the water and set the previous cooking mode again. The check can be done in two ways: by biting or crushing the bob with your fingers. Finished beans will easily hesitate.

How to quickly cook beans in a pressure cooker?

The pressure cooker is another miracle of modern kitchen technology, which allows you to significantly save time allotted for cooking. Rinse the beans with cold water by discarding them in a colander. Remove all broken beans and unnecessary debris.

To prevent the skin from bursting during cooking, add one teaspoon of salt and 4 cups of water to one cup of beans. The following steps will depend on which type of pressure cooker you are using.

1. If it is a mechanical (pouring) device, pour the beans inside, fill with water and close the lid. When the pot is under pressure, turn off the heat on the stove and hold the beans for a couple of minutes. Then open the lid and pour cold water over it. At the same time, try to do this so that moisture does not get on the steam valve.
2. The following method is suitable for cooking in an electric pressure cooker. Put the beans inside, fill them with water and put the valve in the "Pressure" position. Use any program that can hold the beans this way for two minutes. After completing the mode, immediately release the pressure using any method available on your device. Open the lid, place the beans in a colander and rinse with cold water. The beans are completely ready for further use, as with the usual soaking for several hours.

The beneficial and nutritional properties of beans have long been described and described in many sources. But many hostesses refuse to cook beans. Why? Because no one likes the tedious actions of long soaking and hours of cooking.

However, there are several secrets that allow you to quickly boil beans without soaking.

Granulated sugar

The washed and sorted beans are poured with cold water at the rate of 1 cup of grains to 4 cups of water. And add 1 tbsp. l. granulated sugar. They put on a strong fire. After boiling, the flame is reduced to medium. The beans will soften very quickly. You can try red after 30 minutes, white and black after 40 minutes.

Advice. Don't use brown sugar. It's too much. The most ordinary white will be enough.

Cold water

The grains are sorted out, washed thoroughly. Pour cold water so that it only covers the beans. Put on high heat, bring to a boil. At the strongest seething, add cold water to stop bubbling. As soon as the water boils again, the operation is repeated. After the third time, the legumes are left over medium heat for 40 minutes. If necessary, add more water. The main thing is that it should be no more than 2 cm higher than the beans.

Advice. It is even better to toss ice cubes instead of cold water.

Seaweed

Put the beans in a saucepan, add a small leaf of dried seaweed and pour in cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer for an average of 40-50 minutes. Usually by this time the grains are already quite soft.

Advice. If you don't know where to get a dried leaf of seaweed, take the most ordinary nori leaf for sushi and rolls. This is the same.

Soda

Bean grains are poured with water at the rate of 1 kg 3 liters. Add a pinch of ordinary baking soda. Boil over medium heat for 45 minutes. At the end, add half a teaspoon of lemon juice or citric acid. As soon as the reaction has passed, the grains must be washed. And the beans will be ready by that time.

Advice. Don't add more baking soda. Otherwise, your entire culinary preparation will go to the trash. Even garbage dogs won't eat it.

Freezing

If you know that you will have to cook the beans a lot, but are not sure if there will be free time for soaking, then do so. Divide the beans into portioned sachets and place them in the freezer. Let them lie there until cooking time.

When you need to quickly boil beans without soaking, simply place the beans in cold water. Turn on high heat and bring to a boil. Then cook over medium heat. For such beans, an hour is enough to cook completely.

Advice. Do not thaw these beans before cooking.

Without salt

The usual cooking time for white beans in salted water until cooked through is 4 hours. If the water is not salted at all, then it is quite possible that the grains will be soft after 2 hours. Therefore, salt any beans only at the very end of cooking.

Advice. Red and variegated beans will cook even faster because the initially white beans are denser and harder than the colored beans.

Microwave

Modern technologies are good at helping hostesses in the kitchen. With the help of a microwave, it is quite possible to reduce the cooking time of beans to 30 minutes. To do this, you need special ovenware that is suitable for use in the oven. Grains are put in it and water is added. Set for 10 minutes at maximum power. After the timer beeps, the beans are mixed and sent back to the microwave. Now for 18-20 minutes. After this time, the grains will be ready for further consumption.

Advice. It is best to take glassware. If there is no special bowl, then a regular can will do. The main thing is that she gets into the microwave while standing and can spin freely there. Do not cover the container with a lid!

Pressure cooker

The pressure cooker allows you to reduce the cooking time of beans without soaking to 40 minutes. Just keep the usual proportions of grains and water: 1 to 4. Time should be counted from the beginning of boiling. Salting is not advisable.

Advice. Take your usual precautions.

Multicooker

The invention of the technical industry, already beloved by many housewives, will help out here. Just put the beans on the simmering mode. You can even salt it in full measure. Time on the timer is set to 40 minutes. Take note of this.

Modern breeding

Bean varieties have already been developed and comprehensively tested, which are completely ready for use in 30 minutes after cooking. You need to look for information about this on seed bags or on the Internet.

1. To prevent the beans from discoloring during cooking, never cover the cookware in which they are cooking.
2. Some beans taste distinctly bitter in the finished dish. To prevent this from happening, it is advisable to change the water in the saucepan to clean at least once. Better to change it twice.
3. Do not boil the beans in the broth that is meant for soup. It will become cloudy and odorless. Cook the grains until cooked in separate water before adding them to the soup.
4. How to taste beans for readiness? You can taste it with your mouth, but few people like the taste of semi-raw grains. Therefore, it is enough just to catch a couple of things out of the water and try to crush them with two fingers. If the beans are ready, then they easily give in and knead. Accordingly, dampish ones will spring.
5. Be sure to sort and wash the beans thoroughly before cooking. Even if they are collected by you with your own hands on your personal plot. This is much easier than trying to catch the unwanted beans in a saucepan later.

How to quickly cook beans without soaking? By following our recommendations, it is easy and simple to reduce the cooking time by more than half. Only in order to avoid stomach problems and increased gas formation is it better to soak beans after all. Of course, not for 12 hours, during this time it can germinate and become unsuitable for eating. But at least three hours. This will allow you to fully enjoy its wonderful taste and beneficial substances.

Video: how to quickly cook beans without soaking in water

Let's reveal a few secrets of fast cooking vegetables and legumes.

How to quickly boil beets

We share the secrets of how to quickly cook beets, and not spend 1.5 or 2 hours on their preparation. And at the same time preserve color, nutrients and taste?
Prepare beets for boiling - wash well. Do not trim the tails, do not cut out the eyes, and try not to disturb the integrity of the root vegetable, otherwise the beets will lose color and taste.

Option 1.

Cook beets in the microwave quickly in a bag for 10 minutes.
To do this, put the beets in a plastic bag, twist them tightly to achieve tightness and send them to the microwave. We turn on for 8 - 10 minutes (depending on the size of the tuber). Done.

Option 2.

Put the beets in a saucepan with cold water and add 1 tbsp. l. vinegar (to preserve color), bring to a boil, cook for 30 - 40 minutes. After that, remove from heat, drain the boiling water and place under cold water until the tuber is completely cooled. As a result of the temperature drop, the beets reach readiness.

Option 3.

You can quickly cook beets in another way. Pour the beets with cold water (with 1 tbsp of vinegar) and let it boil. Boil a little and add cold water. And so several times during cooking, until the root vegetable is cooked. This takes 30 - 40 minutes.

Advice! When cooking, always add 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. This will speed up the cooking process.

How to cook beans faster

First, decide what color of beans you are going to cook. The fact is that colored beans are cooked less than white beans. And also, if possible, soak it overnight. This will speed up the cooking process.

Method 1.

Put the beans in a saucepan and pour in water - just to cover the top of the beans. We put on fire and let the beans boil a little (5 - 10 minutes). Then add cold water. And so we repeat several times. Due to the temperature drop, the legumes cook much faster. This cooking method is also suitable for boiling colored beans.

Method 2.

While boiling, put some baking soda in the water. On the tip of a knife, no more, otherwise your beans will boil down. You can also reduce the cooking time for white beans in the same way.

Method 3.

When the water with beans boils, pour out all the boiling water from the pan and pour cold water. Let it boil and repeat the procedure.

Advice.
The beans are salted at the end of cooking, otherwise they will be hard;
During cooking, do not cover tightly, otherwise the beans will darken.

How to cook peas faster

Peas are legumes and are cooked like beans.

• It is advisable to soak overnight.
• The temperature drop will cook much faster.
• Add a little baking soda (0.5 tsp for 3 liters of water).
• You can add 1 tablespoon to the water. sunflower oil - a protective film will appear on top and this will help cook the legumes faster.
• You need to salt the peas at the beginning of cooking.
• And yet, the peas swell in halves and are not cooked as slowly as whole peas. Chopped is cooked - 40 - 60 minutes, and whole - from 1 hour. 20 minutes to 1 hour. 40 minutes.

Use our, which will tell you how much to cook this or that product.

How to cook potatoes properly

There are little secrets to fast cooking potatoes too!

To quickly boil potatoes for salad, you need to peel them, cut them into small cubes and put them to cook. When the water boils, add vinegar or citric acid. And the potatoes will cook for about 7 or 10 minutes. But that's if you need sliced ​​potatoes.

To boil whole tubers, add a spoonful of oil (any) to the water and close the lid tightly. It will cook faster.

If you have your own cooking secrets, share them in the comments.