Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 SMI; site husky.uucp Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!rochester!ritcv!husky!mj From: mj@husky.uucp (Mark A. Johnson) Newsgroups: net.cooks Subject: Re: Draining soaked beans Message-ID: <163@husky.uucp> Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 08:00:46 EDT Article-I.D.: husky.163 Posted: Tue Jul 16 08:00:46 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 20-Jul-85 10:09:26 EDT References: <11450@brl-tgr.ARPA> Organization: Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY Lines: 33 I saw the PBS broadcast of The Frugal Gourmet where Jeff Smith (I think that's his name) discussed cooking with beans. He said that soaking the beans overnight and discarding the water makes the more socially acceptable. It literally knocks the wind out of the things. Soaking or cooking beans in baking soda water does NOTHING for beans in this way. Intestinal gas is not produced by an acid/base reaction, but by the fermentation of sugars called ogliosaccharides, which are found in beans. Human digestive chemistry cannot break down ogliosaccharides, but there are anaerobic intestinal bacterial that love the stuff, and cheerfully produce volumes of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, and sometimes methane, much to the distress of their hosts. Research into this area has been going on at least since WWII, when the Air Force funded studies on the development of hybrid 'Windless' beans. It seems Air Force pilots were developing cramps from the expansion of internal gases at high altitudes, where the atmospheric pressure is much lower. Ya learn something every day. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mark A. Johnson -- Eastman Kodak Company -- Information Products UUCP:...rochester!ritcv!husky!mj W:(716) 726-9952 H:(716) 227-2356 (The Name Says It All) -- Mark A. Johnson -- Eastman Kodak Company -- Information Products UUCP:...rochester!ritcv!husky!mj USPS: 450-D Northglen Drive Rochester NY 14626 W:(716) 726-9952 H:(716) 227-2356 (The Name Says It All)