Originally Posted by
boxo
I decimated 3 batches (2 cups ea) of dry cannellini beans this week.
The first batch I didn't soak and the second and third soaked with a few pinches of baking soda overnight+. Maybe half in each batch had broken their skins, broken into pieces, were a mess. The second batch was so mushy, as soon as they cooled, I took an immersion blender to them and made a bean dip with olive oil and a packet of taco seasoning. The third batch I drastically reduced the cooking time by half because I thought maybe I added too much baking soda in a too long soak. The remaining beans went into a vegetable minestrone, the starch from the broken beans thickened the soup to perfection.
Any dry bean gurus out there? I had a really hard time finding answers to my dilemma(s).
I don't have a IP but do have stovetop pressure cookers. I haven't had the mushy thing happen to my beans but I do try to not stir the beans too much when I drain the water out. Also, when i do use baking soda, it's about 1/4 teaspoon maximum per pot regardless of amount of beans. Some beans and pulses are more susceptible to mushiness (red lentils) because of their thinner skins. For timing, I usually refer to the timing charts in
. The charts show timing differences for soaked and unsoaked beans. If using baking soda, use the soaked beans chart because the baking soda helps break things down faster. If soaking and using baking soda, further decrease time of the soaked beans chart. Most importantly be very gentle when draining and rinsing when pressure cooking is done. Hope this helps.