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Aerows

(39,961 posts)
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 08:41 PM Aug 2015

I read an article that stated that beans don't need to be soaked.

And that is bullshit. Red kidney beans contain phytic acid which is rarely lethal, but certainly nothing you want entering your system. Pinto beans need to be soaked, too.

This is just a PSA to mention that YES you should SOAK your beans overnight, particularly if they are pinto and kidney.



/off soapbox

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Kali

(54,990 posts)
1. I NEVER soak beans
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 08:53 PM
Aug 2015

and I mostly use pintos. I have intended to try it so many times but always forget and resort to my normal way - pick and rinse, cover with a couple inches of water add a chopped onion, some garlic, black pepper and either some bacon, a hambone, or salt pork. bring to simmer and stir occasionally until done - 4 to 6 hours or more as needed. if water gets low, turn up to a boil and slowly add hot from the tap or preheat some water in another pan or the micro (for some reason if you lose the simmer the beans stay hard) then turn heat back down to simmer. add salt when done, not before.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
4. Do you have seizing cramps
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 09:44 PM
Aug 2015

in your stomach after you eat them?

Phytic acid needs to be flushed from dried beans to prevent stomach cramps, muscles aches and kidney problems.

If you are regularly cooking beans without soaking them, then I hope you are the only person that eats them. If you *are* the only person eating them, then that right there should tell you why nobody wants to eat them.

It's a simple step - there is no reason to be stubborn and not take it.

Kali

(54,990 posts)
7. no and I am the third gen (at least) in the family to do it this way
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:07 PM
Aug 2015

AND we eat a hell of a lot of beans around here.

my interest in soaking is to cut down on cooking time, but I just never remember to do it before the day I want to start a new pot.

beans have always been a "morning procedure" not a "day before" thing to me

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
8. I think you're confusing phytic acid with the indigestible polysaccharides
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:20 PM
Aug 2015

that some people have a great deal of trouble with. Soaking and discarding the water will decrease the amount of polysaccharides as some are water soluble, however the amo0unt of decrease is small.

In any case, phytic acid doesn't cause cramping. It does bind to some vitamins and minerals, causing it to be classified as an antinutrient in countries where malnutrition, especially in calcium and iron, is a severe problem. Get the whole scoop at Wikipedia without too much Medicalese: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytic_acid

If you're really concerned, eating lactobacillus in yogurt or capsules will help break it down.

Pre soaking beans is not absolutely necessary, especially if you're going to be pressure cooking them like I do.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
11. Pressure cooking actually reduces phytic acid by about the same amount as soaking for 12 hours
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:48 PM
Aug 2015

It's a great way to cook beans even if you aren't worried about phytic acid (and most people in the US shouldn't be).

Soaking beans and discarding the water unquestionably diminishes flavor. Cooking beans for long periods also breaks down the indigestible sugars even better than soaking. I cook my beans all day at sub boiling temperatures, which breaks down the polysaccharides into simple sugars. The results are better texture, better flavor, and no cramping.

Warpy

(110,900 posts)
12. If I did that, they'd never get done--I live at 6000 feet
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:51 PM
Aug 2015

so I end up pressure cooking everything bigger than Navy beans. It's just easier that way, it's predictable, and more of the flavor stays with the bean.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
13. Your boiling point is actually higher than my pinto bean cooking temperature
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 11:01 PM
Aug 2015

I cook pinto beans at 190F for 12 hours minimum. So it does take a long time, but for me it's worth it.

Major Nikon

(36,814 posts)
9. Those aren't the symptoms of phytic acid
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:42 PM
Aug 2015

The trouble with phytic acid is it's an anti-nutrient that blocks the absorption of certain nutrients, which is not really a problem unless you are subject to nutrient deficiency, and derive a high percentage of your daily sustenance from foods that tend to be high in phytic acid, like kidney beans. Outside of developing countries, this isn't an issue for very many people. Perhaps vegans, but even then not so much in the west.

I know of no studies that suggest the symptoms you listed with phytic acid. I do know of some that suggest phytic acid is useful in the prevention of several acute and chronic health conditions like kidney stones, calcification, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.

GoCubsGo

(32,061 posts)
10. I usually use the "quick soak" method.
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 10:45 PM
Aug 2015

Mostly because I forget to soak them overnight. The instructions are usually on the bag. Cover the beans with water, add some salt, and bring them to a boil for a couple of minutes. Then I let them sit for at least an hour, change the water, and cook them via the same method you use, although without the pork, garlic, and onions. I make them plain, because I usually freeze some of them. (Talenti Gelato containers make great containers for freezing beans and other things.)

I think it was on "America's Test Kitchen" where said that salt should be added only to the soaking water. It helps soften them. Adding it to the cooking water makes the beans grainy in texture. No salt in the cooking water until after they're done makes them creamier.

bif

(22,558 posts)
15. I did that once on a camping outing
Fri Aug 14, 2015, 10:10 AM
Aug 2015

And I ended up puking my guts out. Never again. You must have a cast iron stomach.

d_r

(6,907 posts)
2. I always soak beans
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 09:27 PM
Aug 2015

sorry kids, we can't have beans until tomorrow because we didn't start any soaking last night.

I always look them first too.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
6. It's wise to do so
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 09:46 PM
Aug 2015

I don't get this whole "I deny phytic acid exists, so I don't need to soak my beans" movement.

 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
5. You should.
Thu Aug 13, 2015, 09:46 PM
Aug 2015

I don't know if this is some campaign to kill bean eaters, but eating dry beans that haven't been soaked is going to either do people in or put them off of beans forever.

dem in texas

(2,672 posts)
14. Cooking Beans for 50 Years, Makes NO Difference!
Fri Aug 14, 2015, 08:42 AM
Aug 2015

I have cooked dried beans once a week for years and years: navy beans, white northern, pinto beans, lima beans, black beans. Also cook split peas for soup. Don't like kidney beans, so don't cook them. I have soaked them overnight and not soaked them. Nobody in my family has ever had stomach cramps from eating them. In fact, I have never heard of this.

The soaking makes them cook faster. I am now cooking mine overnight in my crockpot and do not soak them. I put the temp on low and put the beans on about midnight and by 6:00 AM beans are perfectly cooked. I turn them off, then reheat when I prepare the meal.

japple

(9,772 posts)
16. I generally do not soak my beans--just rinse, pick through and
Fri Aug 14, 2015, 06:15 PM
Aug 2015

cook for about 3-4 hours. My Texas granny and my Georgia granny didn't soak their beans overnight either. My late father always said: "If they don't rattle on the plate, they're done."

Diana Kennedy, who had a cooking spot on PBS for a few years, and who was an expert on Mexican cooking, said that soaking was not essential. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Kennedy

nadine_mn

(3,702 posts)
17. I always thought soaking was to reduce gas
Fri Aug 14, 2015, 10:39 PM
Aug 2015

so I always soak my beans overnight and cook them in the crock pot the next day - because really who needs more gas?

I have heard that you have to make sure you cook your kidney beans well because under-cooked or raw kidney beans can make you overly friendly with your toilet

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