Baking Soda and Beans

Why do some recipes add baking soda when cooking beans?

Dried beans can take hours of simmering to achieve a tender texture. Over years of cooking beans, we’ve learned that adding a little baking soda to them can speed up the cooking. Baking soda’s alkaline nature is at work here: Alkalines help break down the cell structure of the beans, resulting in tender beans in less time. Baking soda also helps to set the color of some legumes, such as black beans. But use it sparingly (just 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda per pound of beans), as too much can lend a bitter, soapy flavor to the beans.

If you find yourself with a pot of beans that will not soften after the recommended cooking time—even with baking soda—your water may be the culprit. Mineral deposits in pots and green rings in porcelain sinks or tubs are signs of “hard water,” which can prevent beans from softening.