Raw Legume Noob

[BlackLilyPanda]

So I’m new to cooking raw beans, and I wanna explore new foodie territory, both to save money and transition to zero waste. I’m aware some, if not all, beans need to be soaked and cooked, but searching the internet is has been unreliable to say the least.

Can any experienced bean cookers give me some tips and facts please!

How do I cook raw kidney beans and lima beans without violently emptying my guys from both ends like the internet implies?!
Do I need to cook chickpeas or just soak them?!
Do all beans need to be cooked?!
Is it over emphasised?!
Any constructive advice is welcomed!

 

[Lou]

I thought someone who is a better cook than me would answer this question but I'll take a stab at it before it falls off the first page.

I don't think you need to soak kidney beans or lima beans. I don't usually cook either but I have also never soaked them first. I don't think soaking them would hurt them at all. I've never heard of anyone IRL getting sick from either. but I am aware that red kidney beans are toxic when raw.

You can just google for good cooking instructions. But since you found the internet to be unreliable I will include some tried and tested pages on the bottom.

I think you have to cook chickpeas and it is usually a good idea to soak them first.

I'm pretty sure all beans need to be cooked. Some beans may be toxic without being cooked. Maybe soybeans can be eaten raw. Isn't that what endame is?

I'm also pretty sure that you don't have to soak beans first. but it is usually a good idea.

For years I just bought canned beans. Then I too decided to cut costs, waste, and salt so I switched to buying raw beans in the bulk food aisle. * the issue that I had was that stovetop beans take hours and maybe the first hour or so doesn't require constant monitoring but most of the rest of the time does. And the time and attention was too much for me. Plus I never was sure when the beans were really done.

My old crockpot has a busted cover then I had a really big crockpot that was handed down to me. the new big crockpot was taking up too much space so I gave it away and bought a little tiny one. but it was so small you had to cut recipes in half. I also had a really old rice cooker and it appeared the non stick coating was starting to come off. So I decided I could replace the crockpot and the rice cooker with an Instant Pot and use the pressure cooking setting for beans.

The Instant pot takes up more space than a rice cooker and a crockpot. And in my kitchen space is on short supply. So the IP ended up living on the counter. It's fine, tho. I use it a few times a week.

But the beautiful thing about the IP is that you can literally set it and forget it. And the beans come out perfect every time.

* I found these 4 cup plastic "jars" at the dollar store. I had the grocery store lady weigh one. Now I just take an empty one to the bulk food aisle. fill it up and pay for the contents. Right now I have a whole bunch of them lined up above the fridge. Black beans, chickpeas, peas, rice, oatmeal, sesame sticks, cashews, sunflower seeds, and almond slivers.

How to Cook Dried Chickpeas Perfectly

Ultimate guide for how to cook dried chickpeas! I've shared everything you need to know, including 3 cooking methods: stovetop, slow cooker, & pressure cooker.

www.inspiredtaste.net

How To Cook Beans on the Stove

This foolproof technique results in, creamy, tender beans at home.

www.thekitchn.com

 

[Nekodaiden]

So I’m new to cooking raw beans, and I wanna explore new foodie territory, both to save money and transition to zero waste. I’m aware some, if not all, beans need to be soaked and cooked, but searching the internet is has been unreliable to say the least.

Can any experienced bean cookers give me some tips and facts please!

How do I cook raw kidney beans and lima beans without violently emptying my guys from both ends like the internet implies?!
Do I need to cook chickpeas or just soak them?!
Do all beans need to be cooked?!
Is it over emphasised?!
Any constructive advice is welcomed!

This is an important question and please be very careful about taking advice without doing further research.

Eating raw/undercooked red kidney beans can/will make you violently ill. If you get them in a can, and they are soft, then they are usually already cooked. Otherwise - SOAK THEM for at least 8 hours!

http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/food-poisoning/red-kidney-bean-toxins.html

Soaking all legumes that are not ready to eat is a good idea because it not only reduces cooking time dramatically, it also removes most of the negatives from consumption (illness and locked up nutrients of uncooked/undercooked beans). You can get away with just cooking many of them, especially if you know a few tricks, but otherwise you'll be waiting quite a long time cooking them from their hard/raw state.

I eat beans regularly and I also soak overnight if they aren't in a can / are dry/hard. This doesn't have to be a chore, especially if it's done in batches - you can put them in freezer bags in the freezer after soaking. Or let them sprout slowly in the fridge.

As for whether one just needs to soak, or to soak and cook - I can speak for chickpeas and lentils - once they have sprouted, I have eaten them raw with no bad effects, however I usually cook them after soaking. Again, once soaked you can freeze for quick cooking later. It's important that this is for at least 8 hours.

It is not over-emphasized - it's just that many people are accustomed to canned beans already cooked, and do not have experience with hard/raw beans so the advice they give can reflect that and also in some cases be dangerous.