Vegetarian cooking (rec.food.veg.cooking) Discussion of matters related to the procurement, preparation, cooking, nutritional value and eating of vegetarian foods.

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derng
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

What nutrients if any are lost in water used to soak dried beans if that
water is drained off and fresh water is then used to cook the beans? My
understanding is that this hydrates the beans and makes them more digestible
for some people. Is it starch that is removed that relates to digestibility?
Are any nutrients lost as well?
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usual suspect
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

derng wrote:
> What nutrients if any are lost in water used to soak dried beans if that
> water is drained off and fresh water is then used to cook the beans?


Nothing you should worry about.

> My
> understanding is that this hydrates the beans and makes them more digestible
> for some people.


Hydration, yes. Digestibility is a separate issue. Soaking in and of
itself is meaningless in terms of flatulence unless the beans are cooked
sufficiently. Another factor of digestibility is frequency of
consumption; people usually adjust to foods, so eating beans often will
cause less trouble over the long run. Another factor is enzymes, whether
your body produces enough or you add some in the form of foods (e.g.,
eating papaya with beans) or supplements (e.g., Beano). The herb epazote
is also considered helpful in reducing flatulence. Epazote is available
at Mexican groceries, and more grocery stores are carrying it as our
population changes.

> Is it starch that is removed that relates to digestibility?


The "offensive" starches are called oligosaccharides. Traditional
soaking or the "fast soak" method of boiling for two minutes and then
letting soak for a few hours or overnight helps to release
oligosaccharides. Changing the soaking water is essential in the process.

That said, I often slow cook or pressure cook my beans *without*
soaking. They don't cause any more "problems" than soaked beans in my
experience, but I often use epazote. The key to whatever method you use
is to make sure the beans are cooked until soft; avoid adding any kind
of acidic ingredient (e.g., tomatoes, lime or lemon, vinegar, salsa,
etc.) until the beans are already soft since acid stops beans from
softening. Any undercooked bean is going to wreak havoc on your body
(and friends and lovers and neighbors).

> Are any nutrients lost as well?


Not enough to worry about.
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derng
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

I am not concerned about the digestibility issue at the present time since I
cook for myself and don't have a problem with them cooked straight out of
the bag. I will remember the advice about waiting to add acidic items. I
usually pour in a can of tomatoes at some point. But even if I was to try
soaking them perhaps to try to get a softer bean, I was interested to know
if any nutrients are lost. Doesn't sound like there is. I know with
vegetables I try to save any cooking water and sometimes even use that to
cook beans. Would you happen to know if water saved from boiling potatoes is
particularly high in any nutrients?

"usual suspect" > wrote in message
...
> derng wrote:
> > What nutrients if any are lost in water used to soak dried beans if that
> > water is drained off and fresh water is then used to cook the beans?

>
> Nothing you should worry about.


[Excessive quoting removed by moderator - please trim your quotes and leave
in only enough to give context to your reply.]
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usual suspect
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

derng wrote:
> I am not concerned about the digestibility issue at the present time since I
> .... I was interested to know if any nutrients are lost....

==== mod snip ====

The water will have some potassium in it and maybe a little vitamin C.
There's really not much else in a potato. One caveat: the water will
have salt in it if you use it for cooking. The sodium from the salt
probably cancels out the benefit from the potassium. If you're worried
about losing nutrients, bake your potatoes and then mash them or use
them however you want. Steam your veggies rather than boil. I don't
think the loss is significant enough to worry about it.
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

On Sun, 9 Nov 2003 12:42:53 GMT, "derng" > took a
very strange color crayon and scribbled:

>Would you happen to know if water saved from boiling potatoes is
>particularly high in any nutrients?


It's got starch in it...dunno about anything else. (In very old times,
this was a source of starch for ironing. As I'm not into Victorian
survival rituals, I haven't got any more details.)


--
Therese Shellabarger / The Roving Reporter - Civis Mundi
/ http://www.concentric.net/~tlshell


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derng
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

I am aware of steaming being preferable and try to do that sometimes. Even
then there is sometimes liquid remaining from say steaming broccoli that is
green and I save that as well. It must contain nutrients. I guess the
question is one of degree. Whether or not it is worth even considering
saving cooking liquid. In the case of boiled potatoes, since they boil for
so long, that is why I thought that liquid might contain more nutrients. It
is very starchy, I tried boiling rice in it one time with interesting
results.

"usual suspect" > wrote in message
.. .
> derng wrote:
> > I am not concerned about the digestibility issue at the present time

since I
> > .... I was interested to know if any nutrients are lost....

> ==== mod snip ====
>
> The water will have some potassium in it and maybe a little vitamin C.
> There's really not much else in a potato. One caveat: the water will
> have salt in it if you use it for cooking. The sodium from the salt
> probably cancels out the benefit from the potassium. If you're worried
> about losing nutrients, bake your potatoes and then mash them or use
> them however you want. Steam your veggies rather than boil. I don't
> think the loss is significant enough to worry about it.

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Dr Engelbert Buxbaum
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

There are several issues he

1) legums (beans, peas, lentils) are soaked in water over night to
reduce cooking time and to leach out certain toxic compounds
(haemagglutinins). In some species the haemagglutinins are heat labile,
and the soaking water can be used for cooking as well. In other species
haemeagglutinins are heat stable, and the soaking water needs to be
discarded and replaced with fresh water for cooking. I find it too much
trouble to remember which legums belong into which category, so I
routinely discard the soaking water, so I am always on the safe side. A
good cooking book however should contain this info, if you are
interested.

2) The soaking water will contain a small amount of minerals, and may
be some water soluble vitamins. Amounts will be limited however, and if
you add some root vegetables (carrots, tunips, celeriac, potatoes and so
on) after the legums are almost done, that should take care of it. Note
that not only acids, but also salt should be avoided until legums are
soft.

3) Flatulence from legums can be reduced by certain spices, most notably
caraway seeds and the leafes of Satureja hortensis (Labiatae), (does
anybody know the Englisch name?) In German it is called *Bohnenkraut*
(bean spice), as it goes particularly well with beans. In the garden
even a small patch of that herb will emanate an intensive, pleasant
fragrance, and attract a lot of butterflies, bumble bees and the like.

4) If need be, flatulence may be treated by drinking a tea from equal
parts of caraway, anis and fennel seeds (2-3 cups per day, between
meals, using a good tea spoon of seed mixture per cup of boiling water
and soaking for 10 min).

5) Potatoe boiling water does contain some minerals and vitamins, and
also a lot of flavour, if potatoes are boild after peeling. The potatoes
are then rather bland, with a slight salty taste from the salt added. A
better procedure is to peel them after boiling, the water-impermeable
skin protects most of the goodies from leaching into the water. There is
no point in adding salt to the boiling water in this case, as it would
not get into the potatoes either. But because the natural flavour of the
potatoes is protected, salt is not required, which is beneficial for
health.
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Natarajan Krishnaswami
 
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 17:51:28 GMT, Dr Engelbert Buxbaum > wrote:
> 3) Flatulence from legums can be reduced by certain spices, most notably
> caraway seeds and the leafes of Satureja hortensis (Labiatae), (does
> anybody know the Englisch name?) In German it is called *Bohnenkraut*
> (bean spice), as it goes particularly well with beans. In the garden
> even a small patch of that herb will emanate an intensive, pleasant
> fragrance, and attract a lot of butterflies, bumble bees and the like.


It's called "savory" in English. Epazote (Teloxys ambrosioides) and
hing (Ferula asafoetida) are used for a similar purpose in cooking
legumes in Central American and south Asian cuisines, respectively.


HTH,
N.
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Default Soaking beans - nutrients in water?

On Sun, 30 Nov 2003 17:51:28 GMT, Dr Engelbert Buxbaum
> took a very strange color crayon and
scribbled:

>3) Flatulence from legums can be reduced by certain spices, most notably
>caraway seeds and the leafes of Satureja hortensis (Labiatae), (does
>anybody know the Englisch name?) In German it is called *Bohnenkraut*
>(bean spice), as it goes particularly well with beans.


According to here, it's called Savory:
http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katz.../Satu_hor.html


--
Therese Shellabarger / The Roving Reporter - Civis Mundi
/ http://tlshell.cnc.net/
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