Legumes: Cooking Time by Variety and Cooking Method
There are three ways to cook your dry beans: not pre-soaked, soaked 8 to 24 hours, and short soak boil method.
As it is well known, most edible beans contain gas-generating polymers, as well as the harmful toxin Phytohaemagglutinin, which is eliminated while cooking. The complex sugars which make the beans hard to digest and generate intestinal gas, are about 80% eliminated by boiling beans in water for 2-3 minutes in a heavy-bottomed pot, then covered and set aside for 2 to 4 hours, after which the water is discarded, the beans are drained and rinsed before being cooked in fresh water. This method also shortens the cooking time considerably. Another way to get rid of the complex sugars is by soaking beans overnight. Though this method is not as effective as the short soak boil method in eliminating the gas-generating polymers, it shortens cooking time as well and it is definitely better than not soaking your beans before cooking.
Another trick which helps make beans easier to digest, is adding a couple of garlic cloves and a little onion to the pot when boiling the dried beans.
Below please find cooking time for various legumes using various methods. This is an ongoing project and will be updated as we try and record the data for new legume types cooked applying the various methods.
| |
Pressure Cooking |
Boiling |
| Legumes Variety |
Short Soak |
Long Soak |
Not Soaked |
Short Soak |
Long Soak |
Not Soaked |
| Beans |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Adzuki |
No Need |
No Need |
15 min. |
No Need |
No Need |
45 - 50 min. |
| Anazasi |
2 + 8 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Black-Eye |
2 + 8 min. |
15 min. |
-- |
-- |
60 min. |
-- |
| Cannellini |
2 + 12 min. |
25 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
90 min. |
| Cranberry (Organic) |
2 + 14 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Lima (white, large) |
-- |
8 - 9 min. |
-- |
2 + 15 min. |
60 - 90 min. |
-- |
| Mayo Coba Peruano |
2 + 9 min. |
17 min. |
-- |
-- |
11/4 hour |
-- |
| Mung (Haricot Mung) |
2 + 8 min |
12 - 15 min. |
--. |
-- |
-- |
75 min. |
| Navy |
2 + 12 min. |
25 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Pigeon Peas (Gandules) |
-- |
-- |
--. |
2 + 75 min. |
-- |
-- |
| Pinto |
2 + 8 min. |
15 - 17 min. |
-- |
-- |
90 - 120 min. |
-- |
| Pink |
2 + 11 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| Red Kidney |
2 + 15 min. |
20 - 25 min. |
-- |
-- |
90 - 120 min. |
-- |
| Red, small |
2 + 12 min. |
25 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| White, small |
2 + 15 min. |
28 min. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Garbanzo (Chickpeas) |
2 + 18 min. |
30 min. |
13/4 hour |
-- |
-- |
21/2 hour |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Lentils |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Green Lentils |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
20 min. |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
45 min. |
| Red Lentils |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
Not Adv. |
22 min. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Peas |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Green Split Peas |
Not Adv. |
-- |
25 min. |
-- |
-- |
75 min. |
| Yellow Split Peas |
Not Adv. |
-- |
25 min. |
-- |
-- |
75 min. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legumes Recipes
- Pasta e Fagioli (Bean and Pasta Soup) – January 1, 2011
- Marinated Beans with Caraway & Sesame Seeds – December 27, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Dried Lemon Mint – December 27, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Cilantro – December 19, 2010
- Brigit's Black Bean Stew (Guatemalan Night) – December 17, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Rosemary – November 17, 2010
- Hot Tuna Bean Salad – November 3, 2010
- Brigit's White Lima Minestrone – October 22, 2010
- Hot Mung Bean – October 19, 2010
- Mung Bean Purée – October 19, 2010
- Pear and Bean Salad – September 24, 2010
- Brigit's Catalan Style White Bean Tortilla (Omelette) – September 22, 2010
- Marinated Bean, Blueberry and Mushroom Salad – August 30, 2010
- Beans Marinated with EVOO and Anise Seeds – August 29, 2010
- Marinated Beans on Toasted Sliced Sourdough Bread – August 26, 2010
- Tuna, Olive, Caper and Bean Salad – August 23, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Basil – August 13, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Sage – August 13, 2010
- Large Lima Beans and Fig Salad – August 10, 2010
- Large Lima Beans with Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese – August 9, 2010
- Large Lima Bean Purée – August 8, 2010
- Raisin Couscous and Bean Salad – July 29, 2010
- Mint Marinated Beans – July 25, 2010
- Scrambled Eggs with Spicy Garbanzo – July 21, 2010
- Boiled Garbanzos – July 19, 2010
- Marinated Garbanzos with Caraway Seeds – July 19, 2010
- Sauted Garbanzos – July 19, 2010
- Two-Bean, Lettuce, Tomato and Orange Salad – July 13, 2010
- Grilled Smoked Mozzarella and Beans – June 25, 2010
- Boiled Beans – June 21, 2010
- Marinated Beans with Fennel Seeds – June 21, 2010
- Bean and Olive Salad – June 21, 2010
- Tuna and Bean Salad – June 21, 2010
- Two-Olive and Bean Salad – June 21, 2010
- Two-Bean, Sweet Pepper Salad – June 19, 2010
- Beans, Kelemata Olives, Rugola and Mint Salad – June 13, 2010
- Bean, Avocado, Cucumber and Cilantro Salad – June 12, 2010
- Marinated Fennel Seed Bean and Blueberry Salad – June 11, 2010
- Bean and Blueberry Salad – June 10, 2010
Back to Top |
4Lock: Use your iPhone everywhere safely |
Web Sites Dedicated to Italian Wine and Food
|
|
