# Need answer fast: cooking beans after overnight soaking fail. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 28, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390 "2012-12-28T15:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/1 "2012-12-28T15:59:00Z")
I put a couple pounds of mixed black/red/pinto beans on to soak last night in a big canning pot. When I went to drain this morning I found that I had used insufficient water, and the top inch or so of beans was above the waterline. So. Put on to simmer and cook as usual? Cook as usual but a bit longer to make up for any beans that may not have been rehydrated enough? Toss the whole batch and start over? I have enough dried beans to start over and still have dinner ready, but I would really prefer not to waste the previous pot that got the ersatz soak. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/2 "2012-12-28T16:10:52Z")
Soaking doesn’t help appreciably, in my experience. I regularly cook unsoaked beans. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/3 "2012-12-28T16:22:04Z")
They’ll cook fine, as long as the beans are relatively fresh. If they’re really old beans, nothing will soften them. If you want, you can also do a “quick soak” where you bring them to a boil in a pot, cover, take off the heat and let sit for one hour. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/4 "2012-12-28T16:29:24Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > They’ll cook fine, as long as the beans are relatively fresh. If they’re really old beans, nothing will soften them. If you want, you can also do a “quick soak” where you bring them to a boil in a pot, cover, take off the heat and let sit for one hour. Do the “quick soak” offered here. They’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/5 "2012-12-28T16:30:30Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > Soaking doesn’t help appreciably, in my experience. I regularly cook unsoaked beans. This. I never soak the damn things. Takes a little longer to cook, but hell if I can plan ahead that far when I want beans. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/6 "2012-12-28T17:12:34Z")
Thanks. Will do a quick soak and cook as usual. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/7 "2012-12-28T17:23:18Z")
I always soak. I’ve had the same thing happen as the OP. I just went ahead and cooked them. They have to cook until they’re done anyway, so it doesn’t matter much. Soaking is more useful for things like split peas to get rid of excess starch. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-answer-fast-cooking-beans-after-overnight-soaking-fail/645390/8 "2012-12-28T20:39:40Z")
It’s kind of cute how all the people at low altitudes don’t think soaking matters. If “Denial” is above 5000 feet, you’ll want to be sure to do at least the quick soak.