Stop Soaking Your Dry Beans—Camellia Beans Says You're Wasting Your Time

There is a lot of bean cooking lore out there. Some of it good advice, and some of it bad. From the ongoing debate about soaking beans, to whether adding salt to beans before they're soft makes them tough, we decided to get some help clarifying what to do with dried beans from one of our favorite bean companies.

After 100 years in business, we figured that they had finally cracked the code on what to do (and not do, for that matter). True or false-style, we asked the CEO of the South's own Camellia Beans, Vince Hayward, to give it to us straight, starting with whether or not you need to soak dried beans before cooking. And as you may have guessed from title, the answer is no, but read on to find out why it's okay to skip that step.

True Or False: You Always Have to Soak Dried Beans Before Cooking

False.

"It’s absolutely not necessary to soak dried beans overnight (or any appreciable length of time) before cooking. Soaking will not speed up the cooking process by any measurable amount of time. What soaking your beans does do, is help pre-hydrate the beans so when you do cook them, you will have to add less water in the cooking process," says Hayward.

It's worth noting that you should always try to use fresh beans (i.e. ones that haven't been in the back of the pantry for years), as older beans, even if soaked, can often never become truly tender. With good-quality fresh beans, you should have no problem cooking them, and you can skip soaking.

There is one step you shouldn't skip with any kind of dried bean, however:

"Even though soaking is not essential, what is necessary is to thoroughly rinse and sort through dry beans, as they are a raw agricultural food that come straight from the farmers’ fields. Although we clean our beans many times over, there is still a possibility something from the field may make it through," he says.

True Or False: You Can't Salt Uncooked Beans, or the Cooking Liquid, as They'll Never Get Tender

False.

"I’ve actually conducted several test cooks on this very topic. Like most opinions on the subject of cooking beans, it’s hotly debated and fueled by hearsay and anecdotes from memories in family kitchens," says Hayward.

"In my personal kitchen and in the test kitchen at Camellia, we can tell no discernible difference between adding salt in the beginning or end of the cooking process. Actually, we tend to see the beans get tender slightly quicker when salting early, but this could be attributed to natural variances," he says.

The takeaway: Go ahead and salt your cooking liquid from the beginning. Since the mixture will cook and reduce slightly (although the liquid should stay above the beans the entire cook time), salt conservatively at first, then once fully cooked, taste the beans and adjust the seasoning before serving.

True Or False: Adding Baking Soda to a Pot of Beans Can Speed Up the Cooking Process

True!

"Simply put, baking soda has the effect of increasing the alkalinity (opposite of acidity) in the cooking process. When the alkalinity is increased, and acidity decreased, the tough outer skins of beans break down noticeably quicker than without the baking soda," says Hayward.

Although you don't have to add baking soda, if you have the pantry staple around, even a small amount can help tenderize your beans a little quicker. Just don't add too much, as this can negatively impact the flavor of your beans, leaving a soapy taste or residue.

"Most people use about 2 teaspoons per pound of beans, however if you are skeptical about adding baking soda to your pot of beans, try just one teaspoon and see the results for yourself!" he says.