Garbanzo Beans

Presoaking

Soak 8 hours to overnight in about 3 volumes of water.  Do not add salt.  This toughens the skin.  If in a hurry, can do pre-soak in a pressure cooker for about 1 minute on high, quick release the pressure, transfer chickpeas to fresh water, and continue soaking for about 1 hour.

Removing skins - according to Paula Wolfert (The Food of Morocco), peeled chickpeas are more easily digested and taste better.  

1. After soaking o/n in cold water, drain, spread the chickpeas in a single layer on a kitchen towel.  Using a rollng pin, firmly roll it back and forth over the chickpease about ten times.  Almost all of the peels will roll off.   
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil, throw i the chickpeas and boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let sit for a few minutes.  The remaining peels will rise to the surface.  Remove them with a skimmer.
3. At this stage, the chickpeas can be drained and stored in the refrigerator for a few hours

Cooking

Once presoaked, garbanzo beans can be cooked in about 5-10 minutes in a pressure cooker at 5 lbs.  (Use the lower amount if you will be cooking further). It is good to add a little oil to the pressure cooker - supposed to keep the vent from clogging.   If not using a pressure cooker, the garbanzo beans require about 2 to 3 hours of cooking time.

Storage

Fully cooked garbanzo beans can be stored in the cooking liquid for about  1 week in the refrigerator.