gas-free beans

[platypus]

This came up in the "hardest parts of being orthodox" thread, and it seemed like it deserves a topic of its own.

The hardest part: eating large quantities of beans never ends well.

Gotta discard that soaking water and cook at high temp! Beans aren't supposed to hurt.

Thats right! Preparation is 9/10s of the battle.  Blanche the beans first. Discard the water than use fresh water and boil till tender..

My usual strategy is to soak the beans for about 24 hours, then dump the water and rinse the beans. After this, I put them in a pot with new water and the lid cracked, then simmer on the stove till they're soft. Two hours-ish. Last night I tried bringing them to a boil then simmering. They cooked fine, but still weren't anything close to gas-free.

I'm going to try cooking them at a boil the whole time next. I've got a few questions:
Do you guys turn the stove all the way up to cook beans?
Do you use no-lid, lid on, or lid cracked?
And how long does it normally take?

I'm very thankful for the advice thus far, and any other tips from successful bean cooks are also much appreciated.

 

[hecma925]

Soaking isn't really necessary; just make sure the beans are rinsed and picked over (picking out any grit).  Boil the beans about 20 minutes.  Strain the beans and pour cold water over beans.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until softened.  Depending on the bean the simmer time could be an hour or two.

Lid, no-lid, doesn't matter.  I usually keep the lid on.

 

[platypus]

Soaking isn't really necessary; just make sure the beans are rinsed and picked over (picking out any grit).  Boil the beans about 20 minutes.  Strain the beans and pour cold water over beans.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until softened.  Depending on the bean the simmer time could be an hour or two.

Lid, no-lid, doesn't matter.  I usually keep the lid on.

Thanks Hecma! I tried this last night and the beans were much easier on my stomach than usual. The skin of the beans was harder, though. I probably just need to cook them longer.

 

[Sethrak]

hecma ~ You're saying beans cooked this way are gasless

 

[hecma925]

hecma ~ You're saying beans cooked this way are gasless

No.  Some people will always have gas with beans, but this could lessen the effects.

 

[Sethrak]

Aaaah ~ I made a great bean aboor ~ set a pot on the wood stove ( the stove is going in this weather ~ if there is a pot on it or not ) it was great but it was a bit ~ like eating beans ~ even for me ~ I don't usually get effected that way ```

 

[hecma925]

If you can find it, epazote (an herb used commonly in Mexican cuisine) cooked with the beans can help reduce gas.

 

[DeniseDenise]

If you can find it, epazote (an herb used commonly in Mexican cuisine) cooked with the beans can help reduce gas.

I was just coming in here to say epazote, and you already did, oh wise Hecma

 

[rakovsky]

Soaking them in the open air uncovered for 2 days will do it.
Fermentation gets a head start.
Then dump the bubbly water, and rinse and refill the water a few times so the soaked water is gone. The soaked water gets some chemicals from the beans that you don't want.

 

[hecma925]

Soaking them in the open air uncovered for 2 days will do it.
Fermentation gets a head start.
Then dump the bubbly water, and rinse and refill the water a few times so the soaked water is gone. The soaked water gets some chemicals from the beans that you don't want.

If you want fermented beans, I suppose.  It will probably smell like fart.

 

[rakovsky]

The water you soaked it in smells awful because of the chemicals released, but then you rinse a few times and it's normal. If you only soak it 24 hours the water still smells bad, just not as much.

I prefer 30 hours in the fridge, but if gas free was important, I would choose the 3 day method, which I used before. The fermentation gets rid of gasiness, because it releases the bubbles in the water, and is not unhealthy. It also gets rid of the chemicals.

 

[hecma925]

The water you soaked it in smells awful because of the chemicals released, but then you rinse a few times and it's normal. If you only soak it 24 hours the water still smells bad, just not as much.

I prefer 30 hours in the fridge, but if gas free was important, I would choose the 3 day method, which I used before. The fermentation gets rid of gasiness, because it releases the bubbles in the water, and is not unhealthy. It also gets rid of the chemicals.

What chemicals?

 

[rakovsky]

Soaking beans allows the dried beans to absorb water, which begins to dissolve the starches that cause intestinal discomfort. While beans are soaking they are also doubling to tripling in their size.
...
Hot Soak or Quick Soak. “Hot soaking” helps dissolve some of the gas-causing substances in beans and most consistently produces tender beans.

https://food.unl.edu/cooking-dry-beans-scratch-can-be-quick

Beans have chemicals that cause the gas. The hot soaking helps release the gasses beforehand.

To Discard Soak Water or Not
Some people are more susceptible than others to the discomforts of the gas, or flatulence, sometimes caused by eating beans. Flatulence occurs when bacteria normally found in the digestive tract reacts on certain chemical compounds in beans. Some are water-soluble and will be partially removed when the bean soak water is discarded.
http://centralbean.com/storing.html

 

[hecma925]

Beans have sugars that humans can't digest.

Lol, "chemicals".

 

[NicholasMyra]

I'm going to try cooking them at a boil the whole time next. I've got a few questions:
Do you guys turn the stove all the way up to cook beans?
Do you use no-lid, lid on, or lid cracked?
And how long does it normally take?

I'm very thankful for the advice thus far, and any other tips from successful bean cooks are also much appreciated.

Buy a pressure cooker or instant pot and make your life a whole lot easier.

Step 1: Soak beans overnight, discard soaking water.
Step 2: Pressure cook for 1-3 whistles depending on your bean.

 

[hecma925]

In an old cookbook, one tip is to put 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the soaking water.  Strain and rinse the beans; then cook as you would.

 

[maneki_neko]

I also have noticed a 2-3 day early fermentation soak helps a lot. More than just a typically recommended overnight soak. THEN I put it in an electric pressure cooker.

 

[mcarmichael]

Try cooking them in broth maybe.

 

[Sethrak]

There is a bean I Love beyond all ~ Carbanzo ~ Garbanzo ~ I'll bet some call it a Pea ~ No matter ~ I love them ```

 

[hecma925]

There is a bean I Love beyond all ~ Carbanzo ~ Garbanzo ~ I'll bet some call it a Pea ~ No matter ~ I love them ```

Chickpea.

 

[JTLoganville]

There is a bean I Love beyond all ~ Carbanzo ~ Garbanzo ~ I'll bet some call it a Pea ~ No matter ~ I love them ```

Chickpea.

Primary ingredient of hummus.

Also a basis  for making a very quick, easy, and tasty Fast-friendly salad. 

Rinse one can, mix into bruchetta or fresh salsa. Stir.  Eat.

 

[hecma925]

In an old cookbook, one tip is to put 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in the soaking water. Strain and rinse the beans; then cook as you would.

In another old cookbook I have, it is advised to not use soda as it destroys the vitamins and results in mushy beans.