I’ve soaked pinto beans twice recently, and I’ve noticed a consistent issue: only about two-thirds of them expanded as expected. I soaked them for around 18 hours each time, but roughly one-third remained the same size. Does anyone know why this might be happening?
I understand that older beans can sometimes be challenging to cook, but neither of the bags I used seemed particularly old—one of them even has a best before date of December. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!
There could be a few factors at play here. First, even if the beans are within the “best by” date, they could still be older or have been stored improperly, which can affect their ability to absorb water. Occasionally, there might be discrepancies between batches, so one bag could have more older or less viable beans.
Another possibility is that the temperature of the soaking water might not have been optimal. If the water was too cold, it could slow down absorption. Additionally, if the beans were not fully submerged or if they were packed too tightly, it could also prevent some of them from expanding fully.
Lastly, if there are any cracked or damaged beans, they might not soak and expand as well. It could be helpful to sort through the beans before soaking to remove any that look irregular. If you’re still having issues, you might try a quick soak method—boil the beans for a few minutes and then let them sit in hot water for an hour before cooking. This can sometimes yield better results.
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