Besides the advantage of economy, there is something homey about foods that require an overnight soak. It says you are cooking with forethought. It prevents the temptation to just get takeout, because the soaked food will want transformation into supper. It avoids sodium overload from canned food.
My Chinese roommate would often have a fragrant soak sitting on our counter- herbs or buds that she couldn’t identify in English but which went into soup. This, no doubt, is why her soups were flavorful and substantial even though so simple, with very few ingredients. I imagine that old-time Hispanic households would quite often have beans soaking for rice and beans. You can tell if beans have been cooked from dried rather than coming from a can- there’s a buttery softness to them. My mother would soak white beans for a bean and ham soup. In another post, I mentioned soaking washed brown rice in warm water for 20 hours or so before cooking, in order to sprout the grain for a softer, slightly sweeter end product. I needn’t elaborate on the glorious end product that results from a country ham soaking overnight and landing in some fragrant pot the next day.
-Gina
I’ve found that it’s good to soak steel cut oats over night before cooking them in the AM…they end up with a creamier texture in between the chewiness…
Sounds good, Laura! I have some steel cut oats and have never tried them.
I read that some people put oatmeal in a crockpot and cook it overnight, and that it makes it really creamy. I haven’t ever tried it, however, not sure of the proportions.
Overnight in the crockpot…hmmm…may have to try that. Maybe a little more water than the directions indicate.