What to Do If You Forgot to Soak Your Beans Overnight

Dried beans normally need eight hours of soaking, but dinner does not always wait that long. Use the quick-soak method instead: cover the beans with water, boil for two minutes, then turn off the heat and let them sit, covered, for one hour. This does almost the same job as an overnight soak.

Drain and rinse before cooking as usual — they take a bit longer than pre-soaked beans, so budget an extra thirty minutes. If you are truly out of time, canned beans are not a failure, just a different tool; rinse them well and use them without guilt.