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If you soak legumes (in this case split chickpeas, aka chana dal), but end up not cooking them when they would be "finished", what is the best way to store them? In water or without? And how long can you store them? Soaking time for my chickpeas are only 3 hours.

citizen
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  • I found a similar question: http://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/13340/how-long-can-i-store-soaked-beans-before-cooking – citizen Jan 18 '13 at 15:48
  • For chana dal in particular, I find that I don't need to soak them beforehand unlike chickpeas or kidney beans. Just curious, why do you soak them? – Dharini Chandrasekaran Jan 18 '13 at 22:11
  • @DhariniChandrasekaran: No reason. It's the first time I use them and it said on the package. Plus, I've read legumes need to be soaked to remove any stuff that might cause flatulence. What's the cooking time for unsoaked chana dal? – citizen Jan 19 '13 at 09:23
  • sometimes after holding legumes in their water overnight in fridge, I noticed a bit foamy funny smell. Now I always change the water (coldest tap) before storing: more pleasant but eh, cooking them anyway – Pat Sommer Jan 20 '13 at 04:55
  • If I use a pressure cooker, chana dal can be cooked in 25-30 minutes..otherwise I would say 45 min to an hour on the stovetop.. – Dharini Chandrasekaran Jan 20 '13 at 05:06
  • If you don't want sprouts, be sure to refrigerate soaked chickpeas. I just intentionally sprouted chickpeas, it is amazing how fast they developed sprouts and how quickly those sprouts grew. If left unrefrigerated for 12 hours, soaked chickpeas become an entirely different ingredient. – Jolenealaska Oct 20 '13 at 22:54
  • I boil chickpeas for 30 minutes, cover and let sit overnight. Drain and add water the next day. Boil for 30 minutes. Cover and let sit overnight. Repeat for a third day and the beans are done. Many of the skins will float off with water flowing in, and a little stirring. Freezing works well as storage for making Falafel. – Wayfaring Stranger May 24 '19 at 22:59
  • Possible duplicate of [How long can I store soaked beans before cooking?](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/13340/how-long-can-i-store-soaked-beans-before-cooking) – Luciano May 27 '19 at 15:14

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If your soaking time is 3 hours, and after 3 hours you are not going to cook them....
then you should take them out of the water and put them in an air tight container and keep them in the refrigerator.
I usually do this and use my soaked pulses for over 3-4 days.
In case you leave them in the water even after their soaking time.. they get extra soft and won't taste good.

Zeba
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After soaking, I thoroughly rinse the beans, drain and then pat dry with paper towels and store them in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Then they need to be cooked within the next one or two days or they don't smell fresh. If that happens, I throw them away and start over.

Gail Geary
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