Cooking the perfect beans…
Cooking the perfect beans…
Well, cooked these are fabulous food, poorly cooked they are a disaster to both eat and digest. Here is a method for ensuring they are soft and digestible.
1. Measure the amount required
2. Pour them into a bowl or pot and pick out any rocks or discoloured beans
3. Rinse well under cold, running water
4. Soak covered by 3 cms of tepid water to which you have added 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or whey
5. Soak for 8 – 24 hours
6. Discard the soaking water except with adzuki beans
7. Wash and cover with fresh cold water
8. Bring to a boil uncovered
9. Skim off any scum/foam that rises to the surface
10. Once the beans have stopped producing scum add a small strip of kombu sea vegetable which will add minerals and flavour and assist beans in softening
11. Continue to simmer until all beans are tender. Do not eat undercooked beans they taste awful and produce explosive results – best avoided
Keep covered with water during the entire cooking time.
Do not leave out of the fridge once cooked as they ferment easily.
Black-eyed beans, red lentils, brown lentils, adzuki beans, mung beans, and urchad dahl need a minimum 8hours soaking prior to cooking.
Lima, chick pea, kidney beans, Navy beans, butter beans, black beans, yellow and green split peas are best when soaked for 12 hours.
