save or toss bean broth

[CMD]

Do you save/consume the cooking liquid from your beans? It seems like it would add a lot of flavor and nutrition to a soup or stew but I've never even tried to use it. I'm afraid of digestive distress. I just cooked two pounds of black beans and feel guilty dumping the bean broth. I haven't dumped it yet.

[ch47gunnergirl1]

I save all manner of veg scraps for veg broth, but I never save bean soaking liquid on its own. Normally, I soak them long enough (overnight- or the quick method w/hot water) and then drain, rinse, and then when I cook them the liquid I use for cooking is part of the final recipe, like soup or something. Never had an issue. Do you soak and rinse, or just cook from dry?

[CMD]

I don't soak the beans for very long, more like a long rinse. I cook them in an Instant Pot so no longer need to soak.

[Jumpstart]

Toss the soaking liquid. Here is why.

http://www.vegancoach.com/why-discard-bean-soaking-water.html

[VeggieSue]

Do you save/consume the cooking liquid from your beans? It seems like it would add a lot of flavor and nutrition to a soup or stew but I've never even tried to use it. I'm afraid of digestive distress. I just cooked two pounds of black beans and feel guilty dumping the bean broth. I haven't dumped it yet.

I haven't made beans from scratch in ages, myself, so haven't done this. BUT, when Jeff Novick first started posting about his SNAP meals, people asked what to use if they're allergic to tomatoes, and besides plain old vegetable broth he mentioned bean broth and I asked what that was. He told me it was exactly what you're asking about, the liquid in the pot after making a batch of beans.

So if Chef Jeff says it's okay to use and you want to give it a try, go right ahead. There's nothing wrong with it, and you won't know if it gives you the toots until you try.

[CMD]

VeggieSue,
I'm glad to hear Jeff's thoughts on this. I decided to portion out the bean broth in containers for freezing and then try using in small batches of soup/stew until I get an idea if I like using it or not.

Thanks!

[JeffN]

Just to clarify, If you are referring to the water used to cook the beans in and not the water used to soak the beans in. And, that if you are soaking the beans, you are draining the soak water and rinsing the beans before adding the cooking water.

I would not use the water used for soaking

In Health
Jeff

[CMD]

Thank you, Jeff. I don't really need to soak with the Instant Pot. Here's what I do: I cover the beans with water after sorting, swish everything around to wash, dump the water, refill, swish and dump again. Then I cover the beans with fresh water and cook. Is that cooking water safe to consume?

[JeffN]

Thank you, Jeff. I don't really need to soak with the Instant Pot. Here's what I do: I cover the beans with water after sorting, swish everything around to wash, dump the water, refill, swish and dump again. Then I cover the beans with fresh water and cook. Is that cooking water safe to consume?

As an FYI, the reason it is recommended to discard the water used for soaking is that during the soaking process, certain indigestible sugars are broken down and/or rinsed away. This does not happen with a quick rinse but only during the extended soaking period and the longer you soak them, the more this process happens. This is why soaking beans, even extended soaking of beans, is often recommended as a helpful measure for those who get as from eating beans.

If you are starting with dry beans, and not soaking them and then rinsing away the water, these sugars will most likely end up in the final product and could be a source of gas and discomfort.

To be sure, I asked Jill Nussinow, who is both a Chef and an RD and teaches pressure cooking classes for the McDougall program.

Here is what she said...

"I wouldn't use it as broth but some people use it. However, they should only be using 1 cup beans to 2 cups water if they beans are unsoaked, cooked from dry. That means that you do not have a lot of broth left over."

In Health
Jeff

[cena]

I long soak and then discard the soaking water. After the beans are cooked I DO use the cooking water for broth. An interesting fact though, is that the broth doesn't last long. It goes bad/off before the beans do. So, I used to save the bean broth from white beans to use as "oil" in a salad dressing, but found it needed to be used and consumed within 2 days, otherwise it got a bad smell and taste. Whereas I can rinse cooked beans and have the clean beans last 5 - 6 days in my fridge for other recipes. Does that make sense?

I make a black bean soup where I cook the beans (after a long soak and rinse) with other veggies in the bean broth. It is our favorite black bean soup. (Check out Pioneer Woman's Black Beans, aka Ree Drummond. Just leave out the oil and salt and its great.) I also use the bean broth from cooking pink or pinto beans to mash into the beans for "refried" beans.

[CMD]

Okay, I will not use the bean broth unless the beans have had the traditional long soak. Thanks, everyone. I will toss with reckless abandon.

Cena,
I used to enjoy watching Ree's show (we were on the same homeschooling forum once upon a time) but I gave up a while back because almost everything she cooks is off-limits for our WOE. I no longer look at the recipes because there are so many compliant ones elsewhere. I think she's lovely, though. I love black bean soup and will take a look at her recipe.

[cena]

CMD, I don't watch or check out her site anymore either (butter, butter, butter!), but someone recommended the black bean recipe and it's one of those very simple recipes that has alot of flavor! I keep waiting to hear that she or her husband has had a heart attack...

[Charlie_H]

Is the only reason to do this (discard the water) to reduce bloating/flatulence due to the indigestible sugars?

Are there other reasons to discard the water (not that you need any more reason)? Just curious.

[GeoffreyLevens]

To be sure, I asked Jill Nussinow, who is both a Chef and an RD and teaches pressure cooking classes for the McDougall program.

Here is what she said...

"I wouldn't use it as broth but some people use it. However, they should only be using 1 cup beans to 2 cups water if they beans are unsoaked, cooked from dry. That means that you do not have a lot of broth left over."

In Health
Jeff

I could not get beans cooked with that small an amount of water, even in a pressure cooker at sea level. Far more intestinal distress for me from crunchy, partially cooked beans than from the cook water (with no pre-soak/drain/rinse). Really quite a bit of distress from under cooking. I experimented early on in my switch from critter to beans and never noticed any difference between pre-soak and not unless I drained and rinsed every 12 hours for a couple days or most to sprout them.

Maybe lentils will work at 1:2 ratio, never tried, but certainly not pinto, anasazi, garbanzo, kidney, etc beans. At least not in my world.

[JeffN]

To be sure, I asked Jill Nussinow, who is both a Chef and an RD and teaches pressure cooking classes for the McDougall program.

Here is what she said...

"I wouldn't use it as broth but some people use it. However, they should only be using 1 cup beans to 2 cups water if they beans are unsoaked, cooked from dry. That means that you do not have a lot of broth left over."

In Health
Jeff

I could not get beans cooked with that small an amount of water, even in a pressure cooker at sea level. Far more intestinal distress for me from crunchy, partially cooked beans than from the cook water (with no pre-soak/drain/rinse). Really quite a bit of distress from under cooking. I experimented early on in my switch from critter to beans and never noticed any difference between pre-soak and not unless I drained and rinsed every 12 hours for a couple days or most to sprout them.

Maybe lentils will work at 1:2 ratio, never tried, but certainly not pinto, anasazi, garbanzo, kidney, etc beans. At least not in my world.

My comment is only about the soak water.

I don't own a IP or a pressure cooker, never have and have no intention of getting one and don't know about the ratios. So, if you have a concern with the ratio's, etc, I would have a conversation with Jill Nussinow, who cooks at the McDougall 10-Day Program and is readily accessible and this is her specialty. I am sure she would be glad to discuss this with you.

Me? I just open the can, drain, rinse, drain again and eat.

In Health
Jeff