The beans tag has no wiki summary.
29
votes
8answers
4k views
Why should I soak beans before cooking?
Every recipe says I should soak beans in water overnight before cooking. Why?
I did some experiments. I have tried soaked and unsoaked beans from the same batch. There was no difference in cooking ...
18
votes
10answers
8k views
What can you surmise about coffee beans that have oil on them at the time of purchase?
I find myself favoring the purchase of coffee beans that have visible oil on them. My inference was that this bean had some extra flavor or awesomeness.
Am I right, are beans 'better' if they are ...
18
votes
5answers
23k views
Should I rinse canned beans before using them?
Certainly, if I were making a salad with canned beans, I would thoroughly rinse them first. But if I'm making soup or chili with canned black beans or kidney beans, should I drain and rinse them ...
13
votes
3answers
3k views
Does adding salt when soaking dry beans toughen or soften the skin of the bean?
I have heard opinions on both sides of this. The the latest answer on this site, says salt softens bean skins quoted Cooks Illustrated (I can't see the article, but I trust CI), while another answer ...
10
votes
1answer
2k views
How do they get caffeine out in decaffeinated coffee?
Coffee beans naturally contain caffeine. At the store or in a restaurant, you can choose "decaffeinated coffee".
Is really all the caffeine gone or is there just a smaller amount?
How do they remove ...
10
votes
5answers
5k views
If a recipe calls for canned beans and I want to use dried beans, what do I need to do to the dried beans first?
This is for chili in a slow cooker and I'll be using red beans of some kind--kidney I suppose. I know I need to soak them, but do they need to be pre-cooked too?
10
votes
1answer
4k views
How long can I store soaked beans before cooking?
I've soaked some beans in room temperature water overnight, since 6pm (white navy beans).
How long can I keep them in water before I must use them?
Will they last a day or so at room temperature ...
9
votes
3answers
2k views
How much do dry beans expand when soaked?
I've got four cups of dry pinto beans. What will be their volume after I let them soak overnight?
8
votes
4answers
474 views
Bean selection for a chili recipe
I am planning on making a new chili using grilled venison, Great Lakes Black Out Stout, and roasted corn (I'm in Ohio and sweet corn is getting good right now). My least favorite part of making and ...
8
votes
1answer
974 views
Is it normal for the Chickpeas to develop white froth after being soaked for 12 hours?
Yesterday at 08:00 I had soaked white Chickpeas in water and left the container in the kitchen. Daytime temperature here is 44C.
At 20:00 the same day I saw the container covered by white froth. Is ...
8
votes
1answer
2k views
How does lentils' nutritional profile change in germinating lentils in water?
By the term "terminating lentils in water" I mean a similar thing to sprouting thing such as alfalfa in water. The crux difference is that lentils do not really sprout, they germinate because their ...
7
votes
5answers
517 views
What can I do to help prevent flatulence from beans?
I love the feijoada (typical Brazilian recipe). For optimal cooking, beans should be soaked in water for 12 hours, but it seems this is the cause of flatulence.
What is it in beans that causes ...
7
votes
1answer
1k views
Do canned kidney beans contain Toxins?
I'm attempting my first slow-cook today but, of course right after I started it, I read that there's some nasty chemical in uncooked kidney and cannellini beans that can cause vomiting. And apparently ...
7
votes
1answer
143 views
Can I cook two types of dried beans simultaneously?
My bean cooking method is to soak overnight, then cook in a crockpot on low all day. By dinner time the beans are ready. I have only ever done this with a single type of bean at a time. However, I ...
7
votes
1answer
177 views
Is it worth checking beans for stones?
I've heard from many sources to check beans for stones before soaking/cooking them. I've been cooking with beans for years (mostly black beans, chickpeas and lentils), and I've never encountered a ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
How do you peel chickpeas?
When making a hummus one of the key factors seems to be removal of chickpea white skins.
Are there any tips on how can I effectively peel the skins off in an efficient way?
6
votes
2answers
1k views
How does adding baking soda to soaking beans/lentils reduce the gas they make you have?
I've heard a few times that adding a pinch of baking soda to the water you use to soak beans/lentils in, reduces the gas it makes you have. I've not do any measured experiments myself, but I have ...
6
votes
5answers
1k views
Grilling long beans, and a substitute for cooking twine
I've been experimenting with "uncommon" vegetables (in the US) and have recently fallen in love with long beans, which I buy at my local Korean market. Because of their length, I'm able to grill ...
6
votes
2answers
182 views
Chinese Hoppin' John
In the American South, Hoppin' John is a popular New Year's meal. In honor of the Chinese New Year, I would like to make a Chinese variation on Hoppin' John.
In place of bacon, I thought I'd use BBQ ...
6
votes
1answer
6k views
How long can I store cooked lentils?
I love lentils mixed with onions, spinach and tuna in the morning, unfortunately I am having a really hard time finding cheap canned lentils in my area. So I wonder, if I cook a big batch of dried red ...
6
votes
3answers
378 views
Is there a simple way to make refried beans?
This is a dish that I always eat when dining at Spanish style restaurants, but never seem to be able to replicate at home using black beans and olive oil. The main problem is that the beans seem to ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
How long should dry beans be soaked before cooking?
I'm guessing there are different answers depending on the type of dried bean (pinto, kidney, navy, white, etc.) and I am interested in all of them.
So: how long should dry beans be soaked?
Should ...
6
votes
2answers
741 views
Should dry beans be washed before soaking?
When making dried beans, generally I wash the beans, then soak them, then drain&rinse, then cook. I realized today that I started my soak without the prior wash (by accident), and then realized it ...
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Substitute for red bean paste?
I recently bought a book of Asian recipes. The author seems to have a huge crush on red bean (azuki) paste, since about a half of the recipes call for it. Unfortunately, the availability of red beans ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Cranberry beans on a slow cooker (crock pot)
I have only made a few stews on my slow cooker so I want to try a different recipe. I want to try cooking cranberry/cargamanto beans for a bandeja paisa (similar to a Brazilian feijoada) on a slow ...
5
votes
1answer
15k views
How do I convert a weight of dried chick peas to volume of cooked?
I'm following a recipe that calls for 200g of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight. I have two 28 fl. oz. (796 ml) cans of chick peas, packed in water.
This is made complicated by two things:
You ...
5
votes
1answer
233 views
Why refresh lentils before making lentil soup
I recently made lentil soup from a recipe that involved bringing the lentils to a boil and refreshing them before a more prolonged cooking together with the aromatics.
The soup turned out great, but ...
5
votes
1answer
877 views
How long can I soak dried beans before they are considered inedible?
How long (days/weeks) can beans that have only been soaked in the refrigerator last before they are considered inedible/spoiled? I found black beans in the fridge that had been soaking for approx 3 ...
4
votes
12answers
2k views
I inherited a can of chick peas. What should I do with them? [closed]
I have a can of chick peas, but I am unsure what to do with them. I have enjoyed them in various Indian dishes, but am entirely inexperienced at preparing Indian cuisine and have a great lack of ...
4
votes
4answers
433 views
Where can I find dried Great Northern Beans?
In a recipe I am trying to make this weekend, I saw the following:
"2 cups dried Great Northern Beans, soaked,
cooked and drained"
Where can I find these? I could not find them at my local grocery ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views
Undercooked beans in chili?
I made a bit of a mistake, being a lazy bachelor and inexperienced at cooking. I was making chili and when it came time to add beans I discovered I didn't have any canned beans. I did however have ...
4
votes
3answers
316 views
How to cook common bean in mess tin in campfire during hikers camp ? Possible?
How to cook common bean in mess tin in campfire during hikers camp? Each night would be in the other location. The challenge is to first soak the beans and then to cook them. Beans should be cooked on ...
4
votes
2answers
161 views
If I only want to use part of a can of beans, what are my options with the rest?
I typically cook eggs in the morning, and would like to add some legumes to add a little more heft. I'm looking for the easiest way to do this, so I thought of canned beans. However, I don't think I ...
4
votes
2answers
110 views
Is it possible to make pan roasted garbanzo beans creamy in the center?
I've been messing around pan roasting garbanzo beans recently, and I'm wondering if it's possible to make them creamy in the center and slightly crispy on the outside, like good potato home fries.
I ...
4
votes
1answer
377 views
Cranberry Beans, probably any beans; medium-term storage options?
I am planning on cleaning out the lady at the farmer's market of her cranberry beans this Friday. I am hoping to use in three different recipes over the course of the next 6 weeks or so. They are sold ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views
How should I store beansprouts?
Bean sprouts are a common ingredient in stir-fry recipes, but they don't seem to last very long in my fridge.
How can I keep bean sprouts fresh for the maximum amount of time?
3
votes
2answers
243 views
Are these coffee beans unroasted?
I bought these coffee beans in Bali. I tried to grind them up to make a cup of coffee this morning, but they didn't grind properly, leaving lots of big chunks. It was more like grinding peanuts than ...
3
votes
2answers
138 views
'Phorons' for Dahls
I love dahl. In India (where my folks were from) there are an almost infinite set of combinations of dahls and corresponding phorons* (spice-seasoned anointing oil/ghee)
But I only know a handful of ...
3
votes
1answer
111 views
Beans Cultured with Yogurt
Is the store-bought yogurt a good "starter" to culture cooked beans to reduce the gas-producing oligosaccharides? Does it contain the right kind of bacteria to ferment the beans or is it only good for ...
2
votes
3answers
445 views
Are refried beans supposed to be slimy and nasty smelling?
I found a recipe in the local newspaper to make refried beans. It said to soak them for 36 to 48 hours, draining and using fresh hot water several times. After the time frame, the beans were so ...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
Is raffinose broken down into its component sugars when cooked?
Raffinose is a sugar found in legumes that is indigestible by humans. Which is great, because I'm looking for a sweetener that 1) won't raise blood sugar and 2) doesn't have a bitter aftertaste and ...
2
votes
2answers
4k views
How to quickly make refried beans (or thereabouts) using Kidney beans?
I've been trying for awhile now to make a bean-like paste for burritos/nachos/etc. akin to Refried Beans I so enjoyed while living in North America. What I've got so far isn't half bad, but I'd really ...
2
votes
1answer
973 views
Can you preserve canned kidney beans so that they still have their shape?
I buy kidney beans in a can, but the amount is always too big. Normally, I throw away the leftover beans, thinking that freezing them will turn them into mush (thinking the water will expand and make ...
2
votes
3answers
848 views
Is it problematic to use the water in which the Pinto beans are soaked, for cooking the Pinto beans?
I read somewhere on this site that Kidney beans contains toxins so it is necessary to soak them. I soak them too overnight, but then I use the same water for cooking them. The water in question turns ...
2
votes
1answer
250 views
What varieties of beans are high in calories?
Which beans have the most calories per dry-weight?
Note: This includes anything someone might refer to as a "bean" and excludes foods that are perishable.
2
votes
2answers
158 views
How To Get Flavour Into Dried Grains And Pulses
All those things you have to soak, you would think you could infuse some flavour during the soaking.
I've tried all sorts of ideas, vegetable stock, herbs, spices, yeast extract etc. but I find the ...
2
votes
1answer
122 views
How to take canned beans out of jar?
Is there any method to take canned beans out of the jar without spoiling the beans, as they are kind of sticking on each other?
2
votes
2answers
2k views
Best way to rehydrate dry black beans so the skins are not hard but beans are soft?
I have a recipe for rehydrating red beans that says you should boil them briefly (2 min) then soak them overnight (6-8 hrs) to rehydrate them so that the skins aren't hard.
Is this advisable? Is ...
2
votes
1answer
48 views
What are 'quick cook' beans?
I've been looking at recipes to prepare in bulk and store in mason jars for a few weeks. A company called Honeyville Farms sells a bunch of freeze dried stuff for this purpose, as well as 'quick cook' ...
2
votes
1answer
257 views
Soaking legumes and cooking another day
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 ...
