A question about bean preparation.

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leosmith66
leosmith66 Posts: 69 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been following Fuhrman's diet for diabetics, and he advises eating lots of beans. I've been eating them regularly for over 6 months now. Before cooking, I soak them for 24-36 hours, at cool temperatures so they don't sprout, changing the water every few hours. When I cook them, I skim off the foam after they start to boil.

My question is regarding changing the water. Sometimes I forget, and end up changing only right before I cook them, so I'm wondering if there have been any studies showing how frequently we should change the water. Obviously doing it just before cooking is the most crucial, but will changing it more frequently leech off more of these oligosaccharides (the indigestible sugars in beans that cause gas), and if so what is optimal changing pattern?

From what I remember of chemistry, I cant imagine that pure water has much more leeching ability than water with a little bit of sugar in it, but I'm curious to hear what the facts are.

Replies

  • BZAH10
    BZAH10 Posts: 5,710 Member
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    I'll be interested to see if others respond with facts on this topic. I make beans regularly and I do the same as you: soak them for 24 - 36 hours and I change the water every 4 - 6 hours approximately. It's hap-hazard (whenever I happen to remember / am home) and not scheduled at all. But, it works. No digestive issues when using this procedure.
  • jennybearlv
    jennybearlv Posts: 1,519 Member
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    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.

    Some food writers hold that changing the water will reduce the oligosaccharides (gas-causing substance) in beans. But my understanding is that there is not good evidence that this is true.

    http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
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    I soak overnight (12 hours), rinse, and slow cook.

    They always turn out fine and no gas.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.

    Some food writers hold that changing the water will reduce the oligosaccharides (gas-causing substance) in beans. But my understanding is that there is not good evidence that this is true.

    http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html

    I eat prepare and eat a lot of beans...I haven't noticed any difference between soaking them for about 12 hours and then just draining and rinsing them vs soaking them longer and changing the water multiple times. I don't think the water needs to be changed multiple times to reduce the oligosaccharides...at least that's my experience.
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I soak overnight, pour off the water, rinse well and cook in fresh water. My Greek parents/grandparents always did it this way and it always worked for me.
    With lentils, I just pick through them, rinse well, then cook in fresh water. No soaking necessary.
    For added flavor, I sometimes cook in low sodium chicken broth!
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    I rinse, sort and soak beans overnight then drain, add fresh water and cook and don't have problems.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    It depends on which beans and how sensitive you are.
    Kidney beans have a toxin:
    http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/cooking-cookware/cooking-with-legumes-kidney-beans/
    Be aware that raw kidney beans contain a toxin called phytohemagglutinin, which is destroyed by boiling the beans for at least 10 minutes prior to slow cooking. Therefore, kidney beans cannot be enjoyed in their raw, sprouted form (as some other beans are). If you are going to slow cook them at a more moderate temperature please remember to boil them first for the required 10 minutes.

    http://extension.psu.edu/food/preservation/faq/raw-kidney-beans
    Red Kidney Bean Poisoning is an illness caused by a toxic agent, Phytohaemagglutnin (Kidney Bean Lectin). Different types of lectins are found in many species of beans, but are highest in concentration in red kidney beans. The unit of toxin measure is the hemagglutinating unit (hau). Raw kidney beans contain from 20,000 to 70,000 hau, while fully cooked beans contain from 200 to 400 hau. White kidney beans, another variety of Phaseolus vulgaris, contain about one-third the amount of toxin as the red variety; broad beans (Vicia faba) contain 5 to 10% the amount that red kidney beans contain.

    As few as 4 or 5 kidney beans can bring on symptoms within 1 to 3 hours. Symptoms include extreme nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Some persons have been hospitalized, but recovery usually occurs about 3 - 4 hours after symptoms appear.
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
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    I don't cook the type you need to soak that often, these days (tinned is so much easier for the small quantities we consume) but I tend to pour on boiling water, the night before, soak until the water is cold, then change just once and soak until I need to cook them, the next day.

    When I cook them, I boil hard for the first 10 miutes, which addresses the toxin issue, skim any gunk off, if necessary, ad any flavourings such as bay leaves, parsley stalks etc (but not salt) then simmer until soft.

    I find that black eyed beans are the best behaved and most reliable, but I love freshly cooked chickpeas, even though I used to end up tossing the occasional panful which simply wouldn't yield.
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,052 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.

    Some food writers hold that changing the water will reduce the oligosaccharides (gas-causing substance) in beans. But my understanding is that there is not good evidence that this is true.

    http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html

    Thanks for the link! I have never noticed a difference re: gas after effects. I have noticed a difference in bean texture, though. Like others, I never soak lentils. I quick soak pintos, garbanzos and black eyed peas (unless they're fresh, in which case I don't soak). Small red beans, though, turn out tough with quick soak and do much better with overnight soak (I never change the water).

    One time I had a store bought black eyed pea sprout while soaking. Inspired by its will to live, I planted it. It actually produced one lone pod. I planted those peas the next year and, my oh my, it has been the heat hardiest plant my yard has ever seen. Evidently an heirloom vs. hybrid, as each generation is the same. Rows of black eyed peas all summer and fall. From one little sprout.
  • girlinahat
    girlinahat Posts: 2,956 Member
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    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.

    This. Since I learnt about no soak beans I always just cook them straight away. Takes a bit longer but retains the flavour. Kidney beans I boil for 10 minutes first, others just go straight in the slow cooker for a few hours.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
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    jennybearlv wrote: »
    I boil beans in their soaking water or cook without soaking. What exactly leeches out besides delicious bean flavor? I rinse and look through my beans to remove dust and any foreign material before cooking or soaking.

    me too. I soak white beans with a garlic clove and a sprig of rosemary and cook it in the water. I often use the water as a stock in soup etc as well.

    I don't bother soaking black eye peas or lentils, they don't need it.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
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    I just finished a college biology class a few months ago and was interested to find out the bean shell is cellulose and that human beings lack an enzyme to digest cellulose. That explains the gas problem people have with beans.

    I've gotten around this by cooking the beans until they are mushy/very soft and then saute them in olive oil for taste and add spice. I don't soak lentils, my favorite bean, but I do simmer the heck out of them.

    http://science.jrank.org/pages/1335/Cellulose-Cellulose-digestion.html

  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
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    ahoy_m8 wrote: »

    One time I had a store bought black eyed pea sprout while soaking. Inspired by its will to live, I planted it. It actually produced one lone pod. I planted those peas the next year and, my oh my, it has been the heat hardiest plant my yard has ever seen. Evidently an heirloom vs. hybrid, as each generation is the same. Rows of black eyed peas all summer and fall. From one little sprout.

    I love this story!

  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
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    I just throw em in my Instant Pot and cook them dry.
  • Cahgetsfit
    Cahgetsfit Posts: 1,912 Member
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    well, coming from a country where we have beans every day (Brazil) what gets done is just wash the beans in water, then stick them in a pressure cooker with clean water and cook until tender.

    Then you take them out of the pressure cooker and fry up garlic and/or finelly chopped onions and/or bits of pig (whatever - bacon, sausage...) and put beans in the pot where the tried stuff is and generally add a bit more water and simmer down until a nice thick yummy liquid is formed.

  • Madelinec117
    Madelinec117 Posts: 210 Member
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    My husband eats beans almost every day and likes a variety of beans (black eyes, kidney, pinto, great northern, baby limas, etc.). I don't soak them but did invest in a pressure cooker. I started with one to use on the stove, now I have an electric one I can program and walk away from. It will cook a large pot of beans in 40 to 50 minutes. Since they cook so quickly in the pressure cooker, I don't find a need to soak them before cooking.

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