Learn To Cook: How To Brine Beans

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No one wants starchy, mealy beans in their soup or chili. In this clip from the America’s Test Kitchen Cooking School, Bridget Lancaster explains the science behind brining beans and demonstrates how to brine for tender and creamy results. Learn more in our Boiling and Simmering lesson.

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44 Comments

  5. This brining made the peels tough and the insides kinda' mushy. I think it depends on your water. I boil my water now for 5 minutes before using, however, salt kept the peels leathery. I tried it a few times and a few different ways, this advice is wrong. Just do nothing with salt until it's done, that's the best advice I could find.

  7. Tried your quick brine/soak method again a second time, this time with cannellini beans instead of pinto, and it did not turn out well. While cooking, the beans split, some of the skins sheared off and they were a mess. Tender inside though. Nonetheless, impossible to use in a salad because they looked awful.

  8. I just tried your quick brine method with pinto beans. The result? It did not work well. The Pinto beans did cook much more quickly, however they still fell apart and the skins were not soft. I saw no value in saving time by brining first because it took the same amount of time when combining the brining time with the cook time. My goal was to have a cooked bean with soft skins and perfectly cooked tender inside. I will try this with cannellini beans next time as this is how you tested it.. with cannellinis. Was wondering, however, why so much water for such a small amount of beans when brining? 4 quarts is an awful lot for that amount of dried beans and seems completely unnecessary and a waste of salt. Why not cut it in have to 2 quarts of water and one and a half tablespoons of salt?

  9. I guess I don't understand why it takes an entire gallon of water to soak 1 lb of beans. Why not 2 quarts to 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt? The beans are not going to begin to reach the top of 1/2 gallon of water and will receive the same amount of salt. Anyone?…

  15. 2/3 of the Earths surface is water yet there is only enough fresh water to support 1/10 of the world’s population. Thanks to the idiots at Cooks illustrated, more than three quarts of fresh water will become salt water just before it gets dumped down the drain after the beans have soaked, multiplied by each of the millions of home cooks who try this. All you need is 1 quart of brine to adequately brine a pound of beans, NOT 4 QUARTS!!

  19. I've been successfully using the ATK brining method for all kinds of beans for many years. However, I use a lot more salt in the brine, and then rinse the beans really well before cooking. This results in all beans, even old old beans, coming out great. The thorough rinsing results in me being able to control the amount of salt in the cooked product.
    This excellent video answers the "beans and salt" theories. But what about the "beans and acidy foods (especially tomatoes)" theories? Does cooking the beans with tomatoes cause the beans to not cook properly?

  23. I am IN LOVE! Tried this method with my pinto beans and added 1 Tbsp. of soda into the brine … next day after a thorough washing I cooked them with pork side meat in my WONDERFUL Cuisinart Pressure Cooker (Bobby Flay's Fav) and once it reaches pressure, I have the most SCRUMPTIOUS beans EVER in TEN MINUTES! (Normally takes 2+ hours!) The beans truly are SO creamy inside … THANKS SO MUCH!

  27. After many years of hearing "never add salt until the beans are (mostly) cooked", it is a pleasure to see that America's Test Kitchen took on the myth and came up with the better way to make beans…..Brine them…..add that salt right up front during soaking! Thanks so much!!
    Now, I will share something that has made my cooking of beans more successful: Using a Le Crueset "Chef's Oven", I cook the beans in the oven, at 305 F Using lima beans as an example, I find that they are more whole , yet tender on the inside. On top of the stove the skins tend to fall off and the cooked beans are less pleasant. By using the Chef's Oven, I don't have to stir them….and they don't get overdone. I cook the limas for about 90 minutes…..at least that is when I first check to see how they are doing. Yes, the lid is slightly cracked during the cooking & Usually there is a ham bone, tomatoes and so forth in with the soup. 305 F on this oven assures there is a reasonable gentle simmer.
    Going forward, I will add the brining technique to the repertoire .

  28. ok, I just HAVE to kick this out here: I have been wondering for decades why, when I use raw dry beans, they are so tough. No recipe ANYWHERE ever said to brine the beans. Even when cooking for 12 hours… still tough.
    I tried your method and IT WORKS !!! I had a cajun recipe for red beans and rice and it was PERFECT !!!
    (Oh, and I'm a great fan of your show)

  30. Thank you Test Kitchen! This was the episode that I was seeking like the great white whale. But your website wanted payment. Now here it is in all its Glory. Am I being too dramatic? I have a ton of kids, I needed to know how to do this very very badly.

  34. I've watched this video over and over…. so after brining them overnight can you cook the beans in a salty solution as in a smoked ham Shank stock / broth. I understand that cooking them in a salt solution cause them to become Mealy but does that apply when you also brine them overnight

  41. These were fantastic! I just tried this technique with 15 bean soup. I was worried the beans would be too salty because Id' be cooking them with a leftover ham bone (with quite a bit of ham leftover on it), but I took a chance. ATK hasn't let me down yet! I'll be using this bean brining technique from now on. I brined them a little over 12 hours. The beans were creamy and no blown out beans either. Thank you! Superb beans!!

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