Beans Beans Glorious Beans!!

Beans have been around since the beginning of civilization­­­. They have been found in the mid-East, Himalayan foothills, Egyptian tombs, Europe and the Americas. Beans are also referred to as pulse and legumes. Some seeds and pods of plants are called beans, such as vanilla, coffee, and cacao, because of their resemblance. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the name-calling. There are numerous documentations to their use all over the world for centuries upon centuries. Beans are great to use now because they are such an economical, low fat, low cholesterol protein source packed with essential nutrients.

Certain types of dried beans contain toxins and must be removed by soaking and cooking. Red kidney, runner, castor and soya are the most common. If you are using canned varieties, you are fine, they are already cooked. If you are going to soak and cook these varieties of beans, choose using the stovetop method instead of a slow cooker. Bringing them to a boil for a period of time will help better remove the toxins. Certain cultures decided to ferment the beans as a method of getting rid or the toxins especially soy, i.e. tempeh. Some people will even avoid eating soy unless it has been fermented. Edamame, which are fresh young s

oybeans do not fall into this category; steam or boil them and you are good to go. 

Then the flatulence issue. It is caused by the increased fiber in our systems and a sugar in the beans for which we don't have the enzyme to assist in the digestion process. There are a few ways to help with the gas issue: change the water frequently when soaking dried beans, scrape the foam off the top as the beans cook, cook the beans with kombu or epazote, use the canned variety instead, drink more water, and lastly Beano which helps with the missing enzyme.

The easiest way to know how long to soak and cook dried beans is to read the bag. If you are buying bulk, here is a quick list. I prefer cooking dried beans on the stovetop vs. pressure cooker (fastest way) or slow cooker (easiest way) because I can monitor how done they are through the cooking process. I don't like mushy beans. I prefer them a little firmer especially if I will be using them in a recipe in which they will be cooked more.

The soaking ratio: 1 pound dried beans to 10 cups water. The longer you soak, the shorter the cooking time.

• Longest soak - Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours.
• A little less time - Boil 10 cups of water. Add 1 pound of beans. Return to a boil. Remove from heat. Set aside for 2-3 hours at room temperature tightly covered.
• Still less time - Boil 10 cups of water. Add 1 pound of beans. Return to a boil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Set aside for 1 hour at room temperature tightly covered.
• Perhaps to help with a little less gas - Try the "Still less time" method but set aside at room temperature overnight. Or change the soaking water once or twice on the longest soak.

Before cooking the beans, rinse them. Cover the beans with three times as much water. Bring to a boil then simmer. Start checking at about 45 minutes. Cook until your desired texture. Lentils, split peas, and black-eyed peas don't require any soaking.

Let's turn focus to the numerous varieties of beans, their nutrition facts, and typical uses all in one easy place. Beans are an amazing source of protein and low in cholesterol, which makes them a superb alternative to meat. Beans contain folate, calcium, iron, and potassium too. The USDA recommends that adults eat more than three cups of beans each week for maximum health benefits. All the items in the list are 1/2 c cooked unless otherwise indicated.

Healthy Bean List	Calories	Protein (g)	Fat (g)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)
Adzuki (Field peas, Red oriental): soups, sweet bean paste, Asian dishes	147	9	0	28	8
Anasazi (Jacob's cattle, Cave, Aztec): soups, southwestern dishes, in lieu of pinto beans	150	10	0.5	29	9
Baked	119	6	0.5	26	5
Black (Turtle): soups, stews, rice dishes, Latin American cuisines, dips	113	8	0.5	22	7.6
Black-Eyed (Cowpeas, Crowder, Southern): salads, casseroles, fritters, Southern dishes,	99	6.6	0.5	18	5.5
Cranberry (Borlotti, Roman): Bean salad, pasta	120	8	0.4	21.7	8.8
Edamame (young soybeans): snacks, salads, casseroles, rice dishes	65	6	2.8	5	2.9
Fava (Broad, Horse): stews, side dishes, falafel	93	6.5	0.4	16.5	4.6
Garbanzo (Chickpeas, Ceci): casseroles, hummus, soups, Spanish and Indian dishes, falafel	134	7	2.2	22.5	6
Great Northern: baked beans, soups	104	7	0.4	19	6
Green Beans - fresh: Salads, stews, soups	22	1	0.2	5	2
Kidney (red or white - Cannellini): stews, salads, chili, rice dishes	112	8	0.4	20	7
Lentil: soups, stews, salads, side dishes, Indian dishes	115	9	0.4	20	7.8
Lima (Butter, Madagascar): succotash, casseroles, soups, salads	108	7.3	0.4	20	6.6
Mung: Indian dishes, stews, soup	106	7	0.4	19	7.7
Navy (Yankee, Boston, Fagiloi): salads, soups, baked beans	129	7.5	0.6	23.5	9.5
Pinto: refried beans, Mexican dishes, soups, stews, beans and rice	122	7.7	0.6	22.4	7.7
Purple Beans - (like green beans in a purple skin): cooked as a side, salads, soups, stews, raw	22	1	0.2	5	2
Pink: soups, stews, chili, refried beans	126	7.5	0.4	24	4.5
Runner Beans - (usually eat them when they are young and green)	22	1.2	0	5	2
Snake Beans (yardlong bean, similar to a green bean) (100g)	95	3	0	2	4
Soybean: as tofu, stews, casseroles	127	11	6	10	3.8
Split Peas: soup	116	8	0.4	20.7	8
White includes Navy, Cannellini, and Great Northern. See above.	127	8	0.6	23.1	9.3
Yellow (Peruano, Canary)	127	8.1	1.0	22.3	9.2

Have fun trying to incorporate more beans into your diet. Check out these previous That's Vegetarian bean recipes and look forward to some more. Happy tootin'!!!

Some previous TVeg recipes with beans include:

Chili Con Tofu, Spicy Black Bean Casserole, Spicy Hummus, Baked Falafel, Baked Stuffed Zucchini, and Kabocha Squash & Azuki Beans.  

What are you favorite recipes?  Comment below!!

Visit That's Vegetarian's website, blog , and YouTube channel for more information, videos, and recipes!!  You'll find yourself saying "That's Vegetarian?!"    

Bean Nutririon and Uses Table