Expert: Carol Schlitt - 1/8/2007

Question
I was wondering if it's possible to oversoak dried kidney beans.  put them in the fridge several days ago to soak and forgot about them...it's been almost a week. am going to make minestrone soup.  should I throw them away and start over?  

Answer
Hi Rachelle,

Yes -- you can oversoak beans but usually the effect is that the beans ferment rendering them unusable.

What I assume you are meaning by soaking beans and putting them in the fridge is "will they soak up too much water?" The answer is yes -- some beans will become mushy when over soaked causing them to become like refried beans when cooked. While this is not unsafe, it does not produce the best quality product.

Test the beans first before deciding if you want to go ahead and cook them.  Are they soft, skins split, etc? If so -- I would pitch them and start all over as your minestrone is worthy of better beans!!!

I hope this answers your question, If you have additional questions, please let me know.

Carol