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Lupini beans are an ancient and delicious snack food widely consumed around the Mediterranean and elsewhere. But they naturally contain high levels of toxic alkaloids, so they require special preparation. Allegedly people used to suspend them in a cloth bag in a stream. More usual these days is to soak them in water or brine for at least a week, frequently changing the liquid. Some recipes recommend boiling them first.

What's the most efficient (nonetheless safe) way to remove the toxins from lupini beans?

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The most efficient and safe way would be buying seeds from the newer cultivars of sweet lupins (e.g. "Australian Sweet Lupin") which contain so little alkaloids that they don't taste bitter any more - hence the name.

These cultivars are used as alternative protein source, especially in the vegetarian and vegan cuisine.

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  • Thanks! yes, there is that option. I'm curious, though, about tricks for preparing the otherwise toxic varieties. (The question is now slightly edited to clarify this.)
    – mmw
    Dec 24, 2015 at 23:44

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