What does the salted vs plain bean soak experiment test?

It tests one variable: salt in the soak. The idea is that dried beans soaked in salted water cook up with softer skins than beans soaked in plain water.

45-minute experiment

Salted vs plain bean soak

Does salt toughen or soften?

The idea

Dried beans soaked in salted water cook up with softer skins than beans soaked in plain water.

The one thing you change: Salt in the soak

You need

1 cup dried white beans, split in two
Two bowls of water
1 tbsp salt
Two pots

Steps

Soak half the beans in plain water and the other half in water with salt overnight, somewhere cool.
Drain, rinse, and boil both hard in fresh water for 10 minutes, then simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Undercooked beans can make you sick, so taste only when they are soft all the way through.
Compare the skins and the creaminess.

What you should find

The salt-soaked beans have softer, more intact skins and a creamier middle.

From the app

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The science behind it

Soaking beans in salt water

Soak dried beans 8 to 12 hours in water with about 1 tablespoon of salt per liter. Sodium takes the place of calcium in the skin's pectin and loosens it.…

Read the explainer

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