My dried beans took 3 hours to soften last night | Budget Friendly Meals

Reese Lee · 2026-04-09T11:10:03.818117+00:00

I soaked them overnight like the bag said, but they were still hard as rocks after boiling for an hour. It took another two hours on the stove before they were finally edible. Anyone know a faster way to cook dried beans that doesn't use a pressure cooker?

graygonzalez6mo ago

Ugh, that sounds like the worst kind of kitchen marathon.

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umamartin6mo ago

Did you add salt to the soaking water? I heard that can actually make them tough. Try just plain water next time, and maybe give them a full 24 hour soak if they're older beans.

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the_margaret6mo ago

Wait, did you start with cold water or boiling? If you put beans into already boiling water, the skins can toughen up. Always start them in cold water and bring it up to a simmer slowly.

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