Cook Dry Beans in Minutes With Any Electric Pressure Cooker
Preparing fresh, perfectly cooked beans doesn’t have to be an all-day event. Between soaking beans for hours before even cooking them and your busy family schedule, there isn’t always time. But did you know that you can prepare fresh, perfectly cooked beans in minutes with an electric pressure cooker, all without soaking your beans? You can!
Do You Need an Instant Pot™?
While we won’t undersell the value of this cooking appliance, you can prepare perfectly cooked beans using any electric pressure cooker. If you have an Instant Pot™ available to you, great! If not, that’s okay too. The same principles apply regardless of the electric pressure cooker you are using.
Here’s What You Need
When you have your electric pressure cooker and dry beans ready, here are the next steps:
Liquid Component
You’ll need six (6) cups of liquid for every pound of dry beans you plan on cooking. Generally, your beans will triple in size when cooked, yielding about six cups of beans! We recommend using chicken broth for the best flavor, but you can also use water. Set your pressure cooker to its saute setting and add your liquid component before the beans. Bring your liquid to a boil, then move on to the next step.
Adding the Beans
Once your broth or water is boiling, carefully add your dry beans (remember, it’s boiling!) You do not need to pre-soak your beans! You’re looking for your beans to be covered by about an inch of liquid. If this is the case, you’re ready to start the cooking process! Depending on the type of bean, it will take between 25 and 40 minutes on your pressure cooker’s “high pressure” setting. Refer to your manual for specific cooking times.
Cooking and Releasing Pressure
When the cooking time for your beans has passed and your cooker’s alarm sounds, it’s time to begin the process of releasing pressure. The key for good beans is to allow for a slow, natural pressure release. Do not quick-release your pressure cooker! Releasing the pressure slowly and naturally takes about 20 minutes, but results in beans that are perfectly cooked, tender, and perfectly al dente. Strain in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process, and your beans are done!
Preparing beans with an electric pressure cooker really is that simple! This is an excellent way to prepare a healthy quantity of beans quickly, which can then be added to a variety of meals to enrich your diet. Just a half cup of beans in your daily diet provides an excellent source of protein and fiber! Find your perfect bean in our online store, and get cooking!