My 'fancy' bean soup turned into a science experiment

I was trying to stretch a bag of dried beans in my apartment kitchen last Tuesday. Forgot to soak them overnight, so I tried the quick boil method I saw online. Left it for 20 minutes, came back to find the pot had foamed over like a volcano, covering my entire stovetop in a weird bean goo. My roommate walked in and just said, 'Is this dinner or a biohazard?' I managed to salvage the beans and finish the soup, but it was a sticky mess. Anyone have a foolproof way to cook dried beans fast without the kitchen turning into a crime scene?

2 comments

2 Comments

ward.mason24d agoMost Upvoted

My grandma always adds a tablespoon of oil to the pot before boiling beans. It supposedly breaks the surface tension so the foam can't build up as much. I tried it with chickpeas last week and it actually worked, no overflow at all.

mary_wells24d ago

Wait, you tried the quick boil without any oil or anything? I mean, that's basically asking for a foam explosion. I always add a splash of vinegar to the water now, maybe a couple tablespoons. It cuts the foam way down and doesn't change the taste at all. I had the same sticky bean goo disaster once and it was the worst to clean up.