The Scum on This Pot of Soaking Beans is About 2-3 Inches Thick!
I went on a bean soaking binge this past weekend and the amount of scum that came to the top of the large pot of soaking kidney beans was so huge, I thought it deserved its own blog post.
Soaking beans for many hours before cooking them produces a lot of scum which is course, is rinsed and drained away when the soaking is complete.
What is all that scum anyway? Anti-nutrients, that’s what! And those anti-nutrients such as phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors are going to be in your gut causing you gas, heartburn, reflux and whatever other digestive ills beset you when you eat something that isn’t particularly digestible unless you soak your beans before cooking them. Traditional cultures took great care to prepare their legumes with a long soak before cooking to enhance digestibility and nutrient absorption.
I love Mexican food but really try to avoid Mexican restaurants for this reason .. they don’t soak their beans before cooking them! After a meal at a Mexican restaurant, I will typically feel very bloated where eating the same meal prepared at home where I soaked the beans properly before cooking results in no digestive upset whatsoever.
Take the Soaked Beans Challenge!
If you think unsoaked beans don’t cause you any trouble .. take this challenge. Soak your beans next time before cooking and notice the difference in your stomach after eating. You may think that the unsoaked beans don’t cause you any trouble, but you just may find that soaked beans are infinitely more filling and that you eat less and enjoy the meal more as a result!
Traditional peoples were very wise in the preparation of their foods. They not only selected nutritious foods but they prepared them for maximum digestibility and nutrition. What good is eating nutritious legumes if the body is so whacked by the anti-nutrients that it can’t very easily extract and digest the nutrition?
So, the next time you make your beans, make sure you soak the beans first! I soak large pots of various types of beans every month or so and then cook them – freezing for easy, quick meals when beans are required like homemade chili.
How To Prepare Beans Properly
If you’ve never soaked beans before, it’s so easy. Simply take 2 cups of your favorite beans, put them in a pot and cover with filtered water. Stir in 2 TBL liquid whey, apple cider vinegar, or lemon juice, cover and let sit on the counter for 12-24 hours.
I always soak my beans for the full 24 hours and sometimes even 36 hours if I get busy and just can’t get to it right when 24 hours is up.
After soaking, drain and rinse the beans until all the scum is washed away. Fill the pot with fresh filtered water, bring to a boil, and skim away any additional foam that may come to the top at the start of the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer, add 4 crushed garlic cloves, and cook until the beans are soft (about 4 hours).
Drain beans and add to your favorite dish or let cool and freeze in large freezer bags for quick meals at a later date!
Bye bye Bean-o! You won’t be needing it or any other over the counter gas med again after learning to soak your beans before cooking!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
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{ 125 comments… read them below or add one }
Very good reminder! I have always soaked my beans, simply because “that’s how granny did it”… she always said it “removed the poison”. Very smart lady! =)
I always add a pinch of baking soda to my soaking water (have never tried vinegar!), again because “that’s how granny did it”. And who am I to mess with the way someone who lived to 96 yrs old and was never on blood pressure or cholesterol meds cooked things!
Smart Grandma! She didn’t need a double blind study to observe the obvious!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Indeed — smart granny!
Also, I learned at the most recent Weston Price conference cooking class that the baking soda method is best for some types of beans, and the acidic medium of whey/lemon/vinegar is best for others. Lentils, garbanzos & black beans get acidic medium, and every other kidney shaped bean plus split peas get pinch of aluminum free baking soda. Rinse and refresh the water and neutralizer once or twice during the soaking period.
I think she said this is information that is updated since Nourishing Traditions was printed. Perhaps either would work, and we could all experiment.
Ha ha, I remember soaking beans at a friends house and everyone was aghast at the fact that there was nary a puff that evening! (Pun intended.)
Er, make that flabbergasted.
Thanks Beth! Revisions are always good. Actually, I’ve found a few recipes in NT in the baking and meals that need revising. There are some errors and if I wasn’t an older, savvy cook, would not have noticed. I also chuckle at some of the spellings of Spanish named dishes and ingredients, for instance, page 438 should read Huevos, ot Heuvos. Also, page 437, a typo, yollks. You can tell, I really read this wonderful book! Everyone watch out for that Banana Bread recipe on page 483. Anyone else try it and not have it work?
AJ, I also put in baking soda when soaking my beans. I live in Central America where beans are the norm. I’ve tried soaking it with an acid medium and it didn’t work at all for us. A friend in Costa Rica suggested baking soda and I’ve been doing that with great success ever since!
Before I got into traditional foods I always soaked my beans overnight in water only. When I started adding whey I was amazed by the difference. You are correct, the beans seem to sit better when you eat them and there are almost no after affects the next day. I never make beans or lentils without fermenting them now.
My Mom soaked navy beans overnight and then we knew we were going to be treated to her homemade bean soup! She didn’t soak them because of the “poisons” or the anti-nutrients either. She soaked them because if she hadn’t they would have been hard as little rocks and would never have made soup. I’m pretty sure that soaking beans was originally done for this reason and the removal of anything nasty was a by-product of the process. How many of our ancestors would have known about anti-nutrients?? When were anti-nutrients discovered? I mean I highly doubt that my great grandmother (from the mid to late 1800′s) would have known about them at all.
Nevertheless, whatever you think the reasoning was, soaking beans and other legumes first is the only way to go.
they soaked them because they could tell they felt better when they did. Hello.. why do we assume everyone before us now were stupid. Granny knew her kids thrived on it .. so they did it. They may not have known “names” we NOW give to things they have done for thousands of years.. but that doesn’t mean they don’t know why they did what they did. We could use a ton of that old fashioned common sense. Diet is one of those things we must look back in order to successfully move forward. Our lives have evolved much faster than our diets and bodies. We must realized..after all our ancestors were pretty good at getting us this far.
Cool the attitude. I can make out a stank face while reading your response.
“Attitude?” I found Crystal’s reply to be intuitive and thoughtful. The idea that we might value the wisdom of previous generations is both valuable and wise. And that’s no bull!
Definite attitude. I agree that trial and error was mostly the learning method of the day
Crystal, I couldn’t agree more. I think we have lost so much conventional wisdom. Case in point. My granny used to have little tubs of tomato seeds sitting out in the sun fermenting. I thought it was gross & wanted to throw them away one day while I was cleaning up. She told me no, those were her tomato seeds. I though it was weird. Fast forward a few decades & I read in a seed book that to save tomato seeds you need to ferment them to kill diseases. Now I had to read in a book what my granny just knew from experience dating back to the 1880′s.
I wish my granny was still around. There is so much I am ready to learn from her now. If it weren’t for the internet, much of this wisdom would be gone forever.
Crystal couldn’t agree more. Also whatever is supposedly ‘discovered’ now has been discovered by ancient peoples long long time ago. Infact, Ayurveda (traditional Indian medicine) has written about soaking beans to remove harmful nutrients as far back as 1500 bc. How would a country mainly surving on beans and pulses survive without knowledge like that?
Is this necessary with canned beans? I buy cans of white/cannelini beans to make Gaida de Laurentis’ chicken and white bean chili -which is delicious. But I have never soaked the beans after taking them from the can ,,,
Melinda\’s last post: Read Melinda’s charming- funny- shocking memoir FREE!
Beans from a can were not previously soaked – only cooked. If they’ve been cooked already, soaking won’t do any good. Best to buy your beans and soak and then cook them yourself. Canned beans would have little to no nutritional value plus plenty of anti-nutrients to irritate the gut. Not to mention the BPA the cans are lined with which are hormonally disrupting.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Amen …
Beans must be on the mind because I just posted a chickpea recipe. I don’t usually get that much scum, though. Do you think the soaking agent affects the beans differently? I always use lemon juice.
I always use organic beans but different beans produce more or less scum. Kidney beans produce a lot I’ve found.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Are you referring to canned and dry?
Definitely dry beans. Don’t buy canned if you can possibly help it.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Strange. I always soak my beans like that ,but never have a layer of scum. They soak and plump up, I rinse and cook – usually in broth.
Tara, do you add any lemon juice, apple cider vinegar or whey? Soaking just in water produces little to no scum from what I’ve been told.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Yep, every time. Wonder what the difference is?
I don’t get much scum, practically none – using Apple Cider Vinegar – the black beans I soaked last night are organic – would that make them less scummy, the organic part???
Maybe the “warm” water and “warm” environment would make the scum – dehydrator in this cold weather? Love reading all the comments – thanks for the topic Sarah!
Sarah, I’m a little confused. I have always soaked my beans for about 12-24 hours in just water. They seem to digest well for us. After reading today’s post and using whey, I looked in NT and Sally Fallon’s recipes for beans don’t always call for whey or lemon juice or vinegar. Some do, some just say to soak in water. What is the difference or the reason do you think? I never get the scum either without the whey, so will try the whey. It would be nice to know I was ridding my beans of ant-inutrients!
Not sure the reasons, Mikki. My NT says to soak with whey, lemon juice, or cider vinegar (basic beans recipe).
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
For instance, go to Baked Beans on page 497. She says, “Cover beans with warm water and leave in a warm place for 24 hours.” Nothing about whey or lemon juice. There are some other too like, French Bean Casserole and Beans and Rice Jamaican Style.
Please see the latest info on this in my comment at the top.
Hi Sara, thanks for the info on beans.
I would like to ask a question that is off topic. Concerning water systems. I have looked in your resourse section but can’t find any info on suggested water systems for your home. I see the add on the life ionzeers. Is this the one that you recomend? Where should I go to find the best one for my kitchen? Thanks in advance for your help.
We have a Berkey & after much research felt it was the best choice. We have been using it 3 years now & love it. You put all the money up front, but in the end it is the cheapest for the life of the filters & produces truly pure water. If you are concerned about fluoride as well, there is a second filter to purchase. It’s well worth the $. And if there is ever a situation where you have a disruption in water service, you can use almost any water in this system to purify, so it’s a great thing to have around.
This is taken from the “Wild World of Bulk,” a little booklet about everything you buy in bulk offered for free from Wild Oats and Alfalfa’s Markets many moons ago…it is like a Bible in my kitchen:
………………………………………………………………..
Ogliosaccharides are the complex sugars in beans that cause gas. Humans cannot digest these sugars in their stomach, so they travel to the intestines where bacterial enzymes break them down, producing methane, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Presoaking and thorough cooking are vital for removing the majority of trouble bubbles.
Short Soak Method:::
This method reduces hard-to-digest complex sugars by 80%. The Long Soak Method does not remove the complex sugars as well as the Short Soak Method.
Boil beans n water for 3 minutes in a heavy-bottomed pot.
Cover and set aside for 2-4 hours {Soaking longer doesn’t help or hurt}.
Drain and discard water. Rinse beans. Proceed with cooking.
Many recipes call for baking soda to speed cooking and soften beans by reducing alkalinity. Use it only if you have extremely hard water. Baking soda will produce mushy beans and deplete minerals.
Add while cooking: Do your major seasoning 30-45 minutes before beans are due to be done. Spicing too early can cause flavors to break down.
*Chopped onion and garlic; digestive spices {bay leaf, cumin, epazote}; kombu
Do NOT add while cooking: Add only when soft: these ingredients will toughen uncooked beans and increase cooking time considerably.
*Unrefined sea salt, miso, tamari, soy sauce; sugars; acidic ingredients such as tomatoes, lemon juice, and wine.
……………………………………………………………………..
In answer to the canned bean questions: The need for soaking is with dry beans. It is still a good idea to rinse canned beans to remove the indigestible residues.
~~~~~ I am curious about soaking with whey, as I’ve yet to try it. What do you think about timing? I’m wondering whether to add the whey to the soaking water before it boils, add it after when the beans are soaking in it, or add to the cooking water….Hm..I sense an experiment coming on…
I always soak my beans like that as well, and ive never had scum like that! I cook mine in the crockpot all day.
Some beans produce more scum than others!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
I usually soak mine for at least 12 hours, but have read that you should for at least 48 hours. Are there more benefits to soaking for a longer time?
Mike Lieberman\’s last post: Where Does Your Food Come From
I have found that a longer soak does tend to reduce and gas from the beans should you eat a lot. I like to put tons of beans in my chili, so I opt for a longer soak.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
My mother always soaked her beans. Said it would make you toot less. She always thought low fat dairy products and margarine were poison too. Smart mama.
Soak believer here.
Sarah, I soak for 24 hours but I heard that fermented beans were the best for you. I tried soaking black beans for 36 hours, changing the water every 12. Nothing happened. I could get them to grow sprouts. (I followed the directions to cover the beans with water.) Is this true about fermenting beans?
Also, I cook my beans in a pressure cooker with kombu. I also avoid kidney beans and use adzuki’s (small red beans) instead since they are easier for me to digest.
If you are lactose intolerant can you use whey?
Raw whey is probably fine even if you are lactose intolerant. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice works fine too. If you soak with just water, you may not get much scum at all when you soak.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
I meant could not get them to sprout.
Anna@GreenTalk\’s last post: AO Smith Hot Water Heaters- Where Being in Hot Water is a Good Thing
Don’t you have to soak them and then drain them/just keep them moist to get them to sprout? I did not think they would sprout covered in water. When I sprout my wheat, I soak and then drain and keep moist and they sprout by the end of the day usually.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Yup- to sprout, you generally soak for about 12 hours (just plain water), then drain and keep damp, but ventilated. Rinse and drain every twelve hours until they’re sufficiently sprouted. According to SproutPeople.com, black beans are notorious for not sprouting well. According to them, even in good sprouting seed, you should only expect about a 50% turn out.
I read somewhere that black beans shouldn’t be sprouted for eating, but upon looking further, it seems that that’s only if you plan to eat them raw.
WordVixen\’s last post: Cost to Go To Disney World
Actually, I used black beans (ones that I grew.) Nothing.
Sarah, what are you thoughts on fermenting beans? Overkill?
On another subject, how do you get posts from your facebook to show up here?
Anna@GreenTalk\’s last post: AO Smith Hot Water Heaters- Where Being in Hot Water is a Good Thing
I never soak my beans because I feel like they’ll be less flavorfull soaking up water rather than the seasoned water. What about soaking them, letting them dry out again, then cooking them? Will they spoil if you do that?
Anyway, I’d rather the benefits of soaking them….but it sure would be nice to keep that flavor too! =)
My soaked (in water only) beans are delicious, but every time I’ve soaked them using whey, the beans had no taste at all! I am from the south where beans (especially pinto beans) were a staple poor folks’ food in my growing up years – they were cheap and we ate a lot of them. We never had gas problems either! I’ve heard that when you eat them often enough your body adjusts somehow. Anyhow, I stopped soaking my beans in acidic water because of the resulting blandness.
As for sprouting, I soaked (in plain water), then drained and sprouted some chick peas (garbanzos) recently and they were the best chickpeas I EVER had! The skin on the beans was tender, the beans soft and very flavorful. I just cooked them with some coconut oil and salt. And another thing about seasoning beans with salt – I keep hearing about not salting until the beans are partially cooked, but I’ve always added my salt at the beginning of cook time and never have any problems. In fact, if I wait too long to salt them, it seems that the beans just don’t take the salt–they don’t taste salted.
I love beans and I want them to be nutritious, but not at the risk of good taste. We always just ate straight beans, seasoned only with salt and a little fat of some kind. If they’re bland you have to add herbs and seasonings and other things to try to add some flavor. Not me, I want the flavor of the bean. With nutrition if possible. Sigh . . .
Naomi,
Do you follow the 12 hour rules noted above to get them to sprout? And then how long do you cook them?
Anna@GreenTalk\’s last post: AO Smith Hot Water Heaters- Where Being in Hot Water is a Good Thing
Suggestions for realllly hard water? Tough beans and a sore tummy…
Soaking in acid is NOT enough.
I always soak my beans at least overnight, but sometimes up to 3-4 days, if I have time.
Thanks, I always just soaked in water. Now I will do it your way!
For the dairy-free among us, I’ve been using this method for legumes, it’s an alternate way to introduce bacteria to start the fermentation process. It seems to leave rice with a slightly sour flavor but I’ve never noticed the same with beans, I assume because the other seasonings with the beans overwhelm the sour.
http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-way-to-soak-brown-rice.html
The perfect beans are alway soaked and boiled with garlic.
Hi Sarah,
I so appreciate your insights and am wondering about canning the beans. I’m trying to ‘lighten the load’ in the freezer. I’ve canned beans in the past, but ended up with little or no water when they were done. I still use them, but wonder if I’m doing something wrong??
Blessings,
Sunny
Hi Sunny, I have never canned beans. Freezing would preserve more nutrition so perhaps getting a small extra freezer for an outside garage or shed might help? I have just a small one in the garage and it is perfect for my family of five. Got it on Craig’s List for $25. What a deal!
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
LOL! We’ve already done that, Sarah. I was thinking of trying to have things that are canned in the event of a long power outage.
After I started soaking my beans they don’t get soft. Also, they tend to fall apart. I read somewhere that adding a pinch of baking soda helps soften them. I did this the last time I cooked beans and it did help. But, one of the comments above says it will deplete minerals. Anyone know if this is true and/or if there is another way to soften the beans?
My MIL said she thought the beans were falling apart cause I was cooking them at too high a temperature so I’ll try lowering it next time.
Absolutely love your blog! Thank you!
Cooking at too high a temperature definitely makes the beans fall apart. My new favorite way to cook beans is in the crock pot on low. I usually use a combination of stock and water. You can leave them in all day or all night and they come out perfect, and they don’t fall apart. Salt them after they’re soft.
I’ve always soaked my beans, and since reading NT I add apple cider vinegar or whey. I’ve never used baking soda because I read ages ago that it depletes vitamins, but I think that was if you cook beans with baking soda. I am going to try soaking them with it and see what difference it makes.
I’ve also always read not to salt the beans until they’re soft, or else they’ll never soften. True, but there is a caveat to that: Cook’s Illustrated had an article about soaking beans overnight in salted water, then rinsing off all the salt, then cooking as usual. I tried that several times and liked it, but you get pretty much the same effect by cooking them in the crock pot on low.
In Japan I learned to soak beans with kombu. Some people cook the beans with it, as it adds minerals and may help the beans to soften and be more digestible.
Great post and comments!
I also soak for 24 hours.Mine has plenty of flavor i add spices after they have been in the crockpot a bit ,so i dont dry them out.I use cumin,garlic,onion powder yummy! Mine have NEVER produced scum so that pic was shocking to me!
I must say that I am surprised that so many of you don’t get any scum. I have always gotten scum soaking my beans and I buy organic ones too.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Ok, I’m thinking about this some more. Maybe the fact that our house has really really hard well water has something to do with the amount of scum I get off my soaking beans??? Any one else get as much scum as me?
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Sarah – I think the white stuff which you are referrring to as ‘scum’ does appear if you dont change the water for more than a 24-30 hrs. Not sure how long you keep them. I do get these when i forget to change the water (because i dont like when it stinks). Also if i keep them too long without changing the water the beans/lentils become a bit har the taste and texture change, which i s not great.
On an other note – I have recently read that soaking with warm water (120-140 degree) will help reduce phytic acid as much or more than soaking in an acidic base. I go by the reule – do what works for you.
I looked this up because I got something i usually don’t get. I didn’t know what it was. I’m fairly new, I’ve only been cooking this way for 2 years. before I’d only soak in water, then i read the NT and started soaking with lemon juice or whey when i had it, but never had this “Scum”. The other day I didn’t have any lemon juice, so i sliced up a lemon and squeezed it in with the lemon. It was a large bag of pinto beans, covered with filtered water (we are in the city,soft water) in a 6.4qt stock pot. 24 hours later, bubbles and a gel like substance was rising to the top. as I was removing it I noticed it was comming from the belly button of the bean. I asked my hubby and he thinks it was fat the lemon was digesting like a marinade. However after reading this I was wondering if this is the scum you were talking about? It was a clear gel like geliten (sorry sp?)
Julia Child always said to soak beans to get out the “rooty-toots!” LOL
Hi Michelle, we have well water at our house and it is REALLY hard water. Try adding a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water to soften them a bit.
Hi Andrea, I know someone who soaks and then dries and then freezes. Then she just cooks when she needs them. It seems to work well for her. I prefer to soak, cook and then freeze. Then I just throw the beans in whatever dish I’m preparing. They work great straight out of the freezer.
So many great ideas, Sarah. Thanks for sharing, as always!
I have switched from canned to dry beans a few years back and have been trying to add more beans and whole grains to our menus. I have yet to find a good cookbook that isn’t vegan. I’m sorry, but I need a little ham in my split pea soup and veggie broth isn’t the same as a good chicken stock. Does anyone have a omnivores bean and whole grain cookbook for a person who was raised on white rice and potatoes as the only side dishes available?
Kitchen Stewardship has an entire book on beans, for traditional cooks.
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama\’s last post: How to Purchase a Whole Animal
She (Kitchen Stewardship) also has a grains book: “Is Your Flour Wet?”
Michelle, you could try sprouting your beans after soaking. That might help. Or making sure you use baking soda instead of something acidic for kidney-shaped beans, as mentioned.
So, baking soda AND acid or just baking soda?
I’ve used apple cider vinegar, but apparently the newer and perhaps better way to do it is with a pinch of baking soda for kidney shaped beans. Still use acid soak for lentils, black beans, and chickpeas.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Calgary water: ~161-206 mg/L CaCO3 (depending on N or S Calgary). I think part of the issue is our altitude (1049m)? …or it is just my sensitive gut.
How do the soaked beans stand up to having been frozen? Is the taste and texture the same?
Apparently, the newer and perhaps even better way is to soak them with a pinch of baking soda and no acid (kidney shaped beans only). Lentils, chickpeas, and black beans still soak in water plus cider vinegar, lemon juice, or whey.
Split peas in addition to kidney shaped beans for the baking soda. This includes navy beans, my favorite.
Try soaking longer too. This may help with the indigestion.
I am so glad I read this article, I love beans but can’t eat them because ALL beans except for green beans give me a migraine! I only have tried canned beans and didn’t kn0w they weren’t prepared right. Could this be the reason for the migraines after eating beans? Oh this goes for lima beans too, should those be soaked as well?
One more question, I don’t have access to raw milk and from reading your other articles I need that to make whey. Can I soak them with out it, will it still work?
Jill, you could make whey using storebought organic whole fat plain yogurt and straining it through a cloth-lined mesh strainer over a bowl. The liquid in the bowl is whey. And I think lima beans also need soaking. Please leave a further comment on this post if your migraines improve by soaking your beans!
Could you tell me about soaking beans in warn/hot weather? We don’t have an air conditioner & it gets up to 80 degrees plus in the house. I’ve been told that the beans can sour & become very toxic. Any thoughts on this?
Hi Patrice, I have not heard about this. I am sure a shorter soak would be fine though .. 12 hours over overnight only when the house isn’t so warm.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
I’ve wondered about fermenting- what other foods are beneficial by this processes? My grandmother use to do this with fruit for her yearly christmas fruit cakes. I’ve also read that ” real” tofu is fermented and the Western tofu isn’t fermented. I’ve avoided all soy foods as they always seemed to make me feel really sick. I’ve read a blog about a young woman who struggled with several horrible cancers and she blamed her ” healthy foods of soy” for causing it. Do you have any thoughts on this? I’d appreciate any feedback!
Sincerely
Fola
Soy is quite estrogenic and can indeed encourage cancerous growth. I myself only consume small amounts of fermented soy in the form of miso (natto and tempeh are fine too). I would suggest reading The Whole Soy Story by Dr. Daniel. Excellent read on the subject.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Sarah, I know this off the subject a little. My hubby is a diabetic 2 but a vegetarian. He was told to stay away from grains and carbs which leaves not much but soy. I generally only eat tempeh and love miso. He eats organic sprouted tofu. Any suggestions or this another post?
Anna@GreenTalk\’s last post: AO Smith Hot Water Heaters- Where Being in Hot Water is a Good Thing
This is a TED video. It’s talks about what’s allowed in our food supply. Totally stunning and Terrible. I thought I was pretty well informed but there are surprises …unpleasant ones.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/14/why-are-there-so-many-food-allergies-now.aspx
i love beans and i always soak them overnight . but i didnt know that they could be put in the freezer after cooking them. that would be great if i can do that with kidney beans and garbanzo beans. sometimes, i decide last minute to make something for a meal. and then i will get a can of beans out, which i hate to do, but when i didnt plan it ahead of time, that is the only choice. it will be great just to grab a bag of cooked frozen ones! thank you.
If you had a pressure canner, you could also home-can properly soaked, cooked beans…even faster. I am considering this.
Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama\’s last post: How to Purchase a Whole Animal
Hi Sarah,
I’ve been soaking beans with whey for years (usually pinto beans, and I don’t get nearly as much scum off them). Never had any problem with it until we started eating white navy beans for GAPS. But with the white navy beans, adding whey to the soak water seems to make the beans get hard and then they stay hard even if I cook them all day. The last time I made them, I left out the whey and they were great (they did soften nicely). Do you know why the whey would make the beans get hard, and is it really detrimental to leave it out? I can’t stand hard beans…
Sarah Smith\’s last post: Grape Vanilla Water Kefir Soda GAPS-legal- gluten-free
HI Sarah, it seems that kidney shaped beans even small ones like navy beans may do better with a soak in plain water with a pinch of baking soda (see Beth’s comment above on this).
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
Baking soda depends on your water. If you use baking soda and your water is already soft, your beans will be mush!
I do this with peanuts, soak for 24 hours and then boil. But since you make nut butters out of peanuts, I roast them after I boil them and then grind them into nut butters… do you think this is a good technique for peanuts or no?
Meagan\’s last post: Nut Mix
Nuts are treated differently .. they should be soaked in salt water according to NT. Then dry them in a warm oven to retain the rawness.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist\’s last post: The Weekly Comment Spotlight
I soak mine, too. But this picture made me want to puke! Thanks for the reminder if I should ever think to skip this step!
I have never had scum of any kind when I soak pinto beans. Am I doing something wrong? I’m looking at a batch right now that I soaked last night in water with lemon juice.
I did not know to add anything to the water. But we have no issues as long as I soak the beans at least 18 hours. Shorter soaking does not go well. I have also never noted that sort of scum at the top…. Hmm…must consider.
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I never knew that anyone cooked beans without soaking them…I was taught that they always have to be soaked first! I’ve never heard of using the acid, though. I’ll do that when I soak my black beans tonight!
I have always had a bad tummy ache after eating beans. But I tried lentils and had no problem
I keep trying, I have also found the white navy beans stayed hard and crunchy even when I cooked them all day, so I’ll try the baking soda. Does the cider vinegar need to be raw?
Hi Sarah,
Is there any added benefit to sprouting them first? Will that further reduce phytic acid or is it an unneeded step?
Thanks!
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Hi Paula, you don’t need to sprout them first unless you want to. Sprouting will add some extra nutrition especially B vitamins and vitamin C but I am thinking the vitamin C would not survive the long cooking. Most of the vitamin C in raw milk is destroyed by pasteurization for example.
I have tried pretty much every bean soaking method there is: short-soak, long-soak, acid medium, baking soda, boil for two minutes and soak for 24 hours. They all soften up nice, release tons of scum — but I still have terrible gas! I also get gas from eggs, onions, all kinds of things. Is there something wrong with my bean method, or with me?
P.S. The gas doesn’t really bother me any … but it drives my husband to want to sleep on the couch! It’s that bad.
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Sheila, you may just have ultra sensitive digestion. There is no food even if whole that works for everyone 100% of the time. If it bothers you, try eating just the amount that gives you no symptoms. If it still bothers you, then beans just may not be for you.
Don’t eat those foods you listed. Eat meat, non starchy vegetables, fruit,…
Update on my pinto beans: I decided to soak them longer to see if it would make a difference “scum-wise”. Going into day three (with a water change halfway through), and we have scum! I’ve never soaked them this long before, so maybe thats why there wasn’t any scum before. Not sure how the extra long soaking time will affect the cooking/texture in the end, but I’ll know tonight.
I now realize what I have been doing wrong with my beans. I have been soaking but apparently not long enough. So beans were indeed causing me to have a heavy and bloated feeling. I have been soaking overnight, but that has obviously not been long enough. Thanks for this article! We buy beans in major bulk from a food coop so I am excited to start cooking them again.
Nickole @ http://www.savvyteasandherbs.com
Do you know by any chance a website that lists minimum times to soak various nuts? I saw it once but lost track of it. I tend to overdo it. Thanks.
I’ve been soaking my beans, but I use plain yogurt and leave the beans overnight in the crockpot. I’ve recently began soaking my oatmeal and brown rice as well (you don’t rinse, so it doesn’t get “bad” stuff off, but it does make the nutrients absorb into your body better!
I fully agree with a nice long soak. Though I disagree with the addition of the acidic element. Here is my logic. Forget the soaking part. What happens when you cook beans in a pot with tomatoes or anything else acidic? The acid prevents the bean from softening and keeps it closer to it’s original state. I’ve cooked black eye peas with tomatoes added at the start of cooking and no matter how long you cook them the peas keep a sort of granular unappealing texture and seem to not be fully cooked. When you soak in acid you’re not letting them do what their intended to do. You are holding them back. In nature can you imagine a seed or a bean ever falling into an acidulated pool of water. In my opinion you should trust your senses and go with what is natural and feels and tastes good. I think you should just soak beans and seeds in salt water like the Indians in Central America would do.
I have a question. Do you need to soak fresh beans? I do soak dried beans, but my roommate will also buy fresh beans at the farmer’s market. She tried to get me to eat some, but I was uncertain of the effects, and so I refused.
I didn’t realize kidney shaped beans needed to be soaked in a more basic pH. I soaked some red kidney beans with vinegar (the skins broke open). I also soaked rice (in vinegar and water, again), and then I made beans and risotto, which was very good. Did the skins break open because of the vinegary water? And how should I soak rice?
I go through a package of Hurst Hambeens soup once a week, and I stopped soaking my beans about 2 months ago as part of an experiment. I have not soaked them since. I rinse them to get excess dirt off the surface, but that is all. I have actually had fewer problems with gas and digestion since I stopped soaking my beans. Plus, I find they retain more flavor and have more of an al dente texture.
I’m not sure if your experiment varies by the beans you use, but I have never had film on my beans after a soaking period of 24 hours. The only time film appeared was during the initial boiling phase. When I soaked my beans for 12-24 hours, my beans would emit about 2-3 inches of film during the boiling process. When I did not soak them at all, there was less than an inch of film during the boiling process, and the film wasn’t as thick.
I make sure I eat a lot of fiber at every meal to keep my digestive system running smoothly. I found that when I started skimping on my daily fiber, I had a more challenging time digesting fiber-rich foods. If you eat low fiber most of the time and then hit your body with a big shot of fiber, digestion problems will be inevitable.
Perhaps this varies from person-to-person. I suggest that everyone reading this should try eating beans that haven’t been soaked. Do it for a week or two and see if your body adapts to the change. Also, try exceeding 100% of your daily fiber requirements. It might make your digestive system less susceptible to gas and digestive problems overtime. Finally, exercise more often, even if it isn’t a moderate or heavy pace . Just walk more. Exercise will help to keep your system moving at a steady pace.
After my experiment I completely agree with this post!
I covered my beans with water, added some vinegar, and the next morning the water had been soaked up and the beans were sprouted, I was delightfully surprised, but not exactly the results I was looking for, help?
I think that’s what happened in my case. I went ahead and cooked them but then experienced the worst gas ever!!
I know this is an old post but do you know about boiling beans to remove lectins? I soak my beans for 24 hours in water with whey but I usually just thrown them in to a crock pot with a meaty bone, stock, and water afterwards. I recently found out that it should be boiled for 10 minutes before slow cooking. Have you ever heard this? Would slow cooking overnight destroy lectins too?
Hi Sarah and everyone,
What about that bean broth that’s leftover? I’m so tempted to put that back in my chili after cooking those beans or perhaps freezing it. I can’t find any info online about if it’s nutritious or not – keep it or throw it out? Thanks!
Hi All,
Being that Native Americans added ashes(an alkali) to their corn in preparing the corn for eating in order to make the corn healthy to eat as a primary staple(Niacin being made available by the processing), what about adding Baking Powder to grains, whether Oatmeal, Kamut/Wheat/Spelt, Brown Rice, and so forth….
Does that improve the quality for human nutrition as compared to without, especially in grain preparations that aren’t yeast cultured?
Btw, it seems I usually do best healthwise with whole grain products, than with ‘white/refined/fractionated’ grain products, as long as they’ve been adequately prepared with grinding, cooking, and culturing, as appropriate. ‘Refined whites’ tend to reduce my ‘libodo’ in a way that doesn’t seem healthy. If refined whites are substantial in ones diet, one must be sure to get adequate nutrition from animal and/or bean products, and leafy greens/vegetables, in order for the isolated starch to be a healthy part of the diet.
Well, we’ve been following GAPS, so this past week I soaked both limas and split red lentils overnight, then rinsed and covered with water and whey and let ferment for 5 days (limas and lentils separately). I’ve been cooking them for hours (and hours, really) and they are HARD. Pre-GAPS we soaked overnight in water and they cooked happily. I am very curious that others have soaked with whey and/or lemon juice and have not had this problem. ????
ok, this post made me feel sooo good..because…i hate to say this: but if i left my beans soaking for more than 12 hours i would throw them away because i worried they would go bad! (can you tell i’m new to cooking with whole foods??) so it’s WONDERFUL to know that soaking 24-36 hours is actually better! by the way, can you soak beans and THEN freeze them without cooking? sometimes i fully intend to throw them in the crockpot but then something distracts me and i forget to..so can they be frozen post-soaking, pre-cooking?
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Sarah, or anyone who remembers…I’ve been trying to find the video where you add what I think was kombu to a pot. I thought maybe it was for your beans… How do you use your kombu in cooking and what does it add?
I prepared a large batch of black beans tonight. I soaked for about 22 hours. I had read on a different website that buttermilk is also a good acidic medium so that is what I used. My beans produced very little “scum” or foam on top. I rinsed and filled pot with purified water & put on the stove top to start a boil. When the boil started, tons of foam came up to the top!! I scooped off as much as I could.
Maybe next time I will try ACV as a medium to see if it works better.
Here’s something for everyone to think about. I read on another website a tip about cooking beans in the oven instead of on the stove top which is supposed to drastically reduce cooking time. Now this person was saying you don’t have to soak the beans with this method & was cooking in 1.5 hours with no soaking. He obviously did not see the value of soaking, but the method works great. I decided to try it with soaking. So I soaked the 22 hours, started the boil on the stove, removed the additional scum that came to the top & then placed my dutch oven in the oven at 250 degrees.
My full pot of black beans were done to perfection in just 65 minutes! The time on the package for black beans said 1 1/2 – 2 hours after soaking. So I cooked them in about 1/2 the time!
I was so happy because they were so perfect. I have always had a problem ending up with mushy beans, but cooking them in the oven produced perfectly cooked beans, and in such little cooking time!
Am I correct in thinking that the less cooking time the more nutrients the beans retain? If so this oven method is great for a more nutritious end product!
Has anyone ever created “instant beans” by dehydrating the ones they have cooked for long term storage or quick cooking later?
I’m about to try that. I’ve done it with brown rice & it comes out great. Add a little boiling water & it reconstitutes in a few minutes.
I want to make some dehydrated homemade soup & stew mixes using the veggies from my garden, but would like to include rice & beans as well. Dried pasta is easy enough to add as well, so with the beans, the possibilities would be endless!
I did this and it gave me terrible gas! It was better before when I didn’t soak them!
I tried something different, since I have type 2 diabetes, my blood sugar rises from eating pasta, I tried soaking my pasta in some apple cider vinegar and water. Cooked it for a few minutes because it becomes soft while the soaking. I noticed my blood sugar did not shoot up this time compared to just cooking it straight. I believe the starch and sugars were removed during soaking the pasta which made it easier to digest. I can now eat pasta!
Mind you I do not eat it often, maybe once in a week, since my diet is SCD. I can eat bread now too, that is a Sourdough Rye bread and my blood sugar does not go up then too. Lately I have also added greek yogurt to my diet (which I make at home, its cheaper) I eat about 6 to 8 oz a day. I always use to get bloated all the time and now I do not bloat at all, in fact I have lost some weight. I also do the same with lentils and beans I always soak them over night before cooking it.
For the pasta soaking (regular white pasta) 1 portion, I use 1/2 cup of pasta, 1 tablespoon of ACV and 1 cup of water, soak it for 3-4 hours then drain, rinse and cook in a fresh pot of water for 5 minutes. The taste of the pasta was not affected from the vinegar soak. Thanks for your blogging on soaking, it was great information, it has helped me alot. I suggest trying it!
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