Beans contain a complex sugar called an oligosaccharide which is very difficult to break down, both through kitchen preparation and in the digestive system. It is this starch, along with a few other anti-nutrients contained in all legumes and seeds, that causes the most grief. Neutralizing or eliminating these starches and anti-nutrients can reduce digestive issues caused by legumes and beans.
One way to neutralize the embarrassing side effects of eating beans is to sprout them. Another option is to ferment them. All legumes contain a fair amount of starch. It is this starch that will allow the beans to ferment. Many people soak beans and legumes in preparation for cooking them. If soaked long enough, in a warm location, the beans will begin to ferment in the soaking water. If you want fermented beans then this is good. On the other hand, you will be fermenting them using a wild strain of bacteria instead of a more controlled strain.
Furthermore, beans tend to stink when they ferment. It is not the pleasant sour smell that grains give off when fermented. It can be so bad that you would be hard-pressed to delineate between fermented soaking beans and a pot of rotten beans. Another thing to consider is that beans must be cooked before they can be eaten. They are very tough, and need rehydrating, and the cooking process further breaks down those hard-to-digest starches and anti-nutrients.
So even if those beans ferment while soaking, you will still have to cook them in order to make them edible. That cooking process will eliminate any beneficial enzymes or probiotics that have been added to the beans through the fermentation process. In fact, the age of the bean may be the most important factor. Dried beans continue to lose moisture as they sit. With very recently picked beans -- say, the Scarlet Runners I pick and shell in the summer in my back yard -- a quick simmer is all that is necessary.
Actually they are quite good even raw when doused with a little olive oil, mint or basil and salt. On the other hand, those dried flageolet beans you bought on a whim a couple of years ago that have been sitting in the back of the pantry ever since may be quite dry. In fact, with these beans, soaking may be necessary to bring the cooking time down to a matter of hours, rather than days. Finally, it was time to put the beans to the final test -- cooking them in recipes. What good is science, after all, if it is not in the service of mankind?
The results were gratifying: In every case, the dishes were done in almost the same amount of time as the originals.
And the textures and flavors of the beans were much improved. There is no getting around it -- beans cause flatulence. The degree to which different beans affect different people varies, but the truth is inescapable. And there seems to be little a cook can do about it. Whether to soak beans prior to cooking or not is simply a culinary question. Louis B. Rockland, who has been studying beans even longer -- first at Albany and now with his own research firm, Food Tech Research in Placentia, concurs.
The problem with beans is well documented. At its root are two factors. Second, beans contain complex sugars called alpha-galactosides. The human body does not produce enzymes to digest these sugars. Mainly raffinose and stachyose, they pass through the stomach undigested until they reach the large intestine.
There they ferment, producing gases -- hydrogen, carbon dioxide and -- in some people -- methane. The rest is faux pas. It was thought that soaking beans in cold water leached these sugars out of the bean. Throw away the water and you throw away the gas -- it has a simple appeal. These sugars are part of what the bean uses for nourishment as it grows into a plant, and the bean does not part with them gladly.
Gray and his colleagues developed a method for extracting most of the alpha-galactosides from beans. The beans are boiled for three minutes effectively killing the bean and allowing the sugars to pass through the cell walls , then allowed to stand for two hours.
That water is poured off and the beans are covered and soaked for another two hours. This casts doubt not only on this particular pre-soaking method but also on the effectiveness of enzyme additions, such as Beano, which supposedly supply the chemicals necessary to break down the problem sugars.
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Download Article Explore this Article parts. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Get everything you will need. Before you begin, you should complete your shopping and get everything you will need to ferment the beans. You don't want to get started and realize you don't have something essential on hand. You will need: A pound of dried soybeans or other beans A colander or strainer Seasonings to cook the beans, including salt, garlic, onions, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, or whatever else you like.
These are optional but tasty! A stockpot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker A culture to ferment the beans, which you can purchase online or in health food stores or obtain by straining plain yogurt this will be discussed more in the next section. Rinse the beans first. You will need a pound or so of dried soybeans you can use more, but you'll have to adjust your cooking times. Rinse the soybeans thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt or debris.
You should also pick through them to remove any shriveled beans, and to make sure there are no rocks or twigs in the beans small rocks in bags of dried beans are very common, but you must remove them to avoid breaking a tooth. If you have a colander or sieve, you can put the beans in it and then rinse them directly in the sink. Otherwise, you can put them in a large pot, fill with water, and swish it around, then drain out the water.
Do this a few times to rinse thoroughly. Soak the beans. Beans are hard to cook, and soaking them in water before cooking helps to break down their structure and soften them up for cooking.
Allow the beans to sit in the water for 24 hours. You can change out the water periodically to eliminate some of the starches in the beans. Drain the beans and rinse once before cooking. Cook the beans. There are a few methods you can use to cook the beans, depending on what equipment you have handy.
Beans can be cooked in a slow cooker, boiled, or cooked in a pressure cooker. You can also add various herbs and spices for flavor; [3] X Research source garlic, onions, oregano, and cumin is a delicious combination.
Add a teaspoon of salt if you like. Set the slow cooker to "low" and cook for six to eight hours, depending on how firm you want your beans. Add another teaspoon of salt toward the end of cooking time. Add enough water to cover them by one inch, and turn on the burner to the medium-high setting. When the water comes to a boil, turn the burner down to low so that the rapid boil turns to a gentle simmer the water should be moving, but just a bit.
You can decide if you want to leave the lid on or off of the beans depending on how firm you like the beans; no lid will result in firmer beans, but a lid placed slightly ajar will result in softer beans. Cook for an hour or so until they're tender, and then add salt to taste usually about two teaspoons for a pound of beans. Secure the lid tightly and turn heat to high. When it reaches high pressure, turn the heat down to medium low.
You'll need to increase your cooking time if you are at an elevation above 2, feet above sea level. Don't overcook them, or they will be mushy. Part 2.
Taste the beans for seasoning. Before you begin to ferment the beans, you should taste them to know what you're working with. If they are already well flavored and seasoned from your cooking method, you won't need to add any more seasonings. Otherwise, if they taste bland, you can add seasonings like salt, garlic, herbs, or onions to taste. Add a culture to the cooked beans. After they have cooked and cooled, you need to add a bacteria culture to the beans to begin the fermentation process.
There are several ways to add a culture to your beans. Two convenient options include: Purchase a dry culture powder. These are sold at health food stores or online search for "powdered starter culture for vegetables". The package will tell you how much to use.
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