This reduces the amount of gas-producing sugars. (It also cuts down on sodium.) Soak twice and discard the water. If you're cooking beans from scratch, place them in hot water and allow to soak for several hours before cooking.
But most people can enjoy more beans with less gas with the help of these tips: Soak beans overnight in water, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water. This decreases the oligosaccharide content. Cooking the beans in a pressure cooker may reduce the oligosaccharides even further.
While soaking shortens the unattended cooking time of beans somewhat, the time saved is marginal and there are no other labor-saving benefits. Finally, soaking does absolutely nothing to reduce the gas-producing properties of beans.
Soak for 8 hours and then cook: Using the same ratios as the control above, soak the beans in the water and the salt for eight hours before cooking. The cooking, in this case, only took about an hour. I added salt to the soaking water because salt helps beans absorb more water while they are soaking.
Soak: in plenty of cold water. Beans will absorb many times their weight in water so aim for more than less. 5+ cups of water for 1 lb of beans is about right. Soak for at least 4 hours but I recommend overnight up to 12 hours.
Before I began making beans at home, I couldn't argue for one side or the other. But in the past year I've experimented with soaking and not soaking my beans. I noticed that when I soak the beans for at least 12 hours with an acid medium (such as organic apple cider vinegar) that I experienced hardly any flatulence.
However, some of the minerals beyond sodium and certain vitamins (such as folate and other B vitamins) that are soluble in water also leach into the liquid part of canned beans. So, portions of these nutrients are lost by draining and rinsing (example, right).
To cut down on the gassy properties, you can add a little baking soda to your recipe. The baking soda helps break down some of the beans' natural gas-making sugars.
The quickest way of getting rid of the gas is really simple. It is a vegetable ingredient that no one ever expects to use; a carrot. When boiling the beans throw in a well washed carrot skin into the water and this will absorb the gas efficiently.
Bottom Line. If beans make you uncomfortably gassy, sprinkle a little baking soda into their soaking water. It will reduce the volume of gas produced by the legumes, plus, they will cook quicker. If you're even shorter on time, you may want to try some of our favorite recipes to make with a can of black beans.
Disadvantages of soaking beans
Beans soaked are also known to lose color pigment if soaked and the bean water is drained and replaced with fresh water. Another disadvantage of soaking beans is that it can cause them to lose some of their nutritional value.
"Research indicates this type of sugar found in legumes is healthy for your gut," Grosse said. One popular theory as to why beans cause gas is the soapy liquid you find in canned beans. "When legumes, for example red lentils, are boiled in water, the liquid they are cooking in becomes higher in oligosaccharides.
Thankfully, soaking your beans in water can help. Some of the indigestible fibers will leach out and transfer to the water, which leaves the remaining beans easier to digest. Next, soaking has an additional benefit for beans as well as grains, nuts, and seeds.
According to several articles, soybeans are the fartiest and also contain the highest percentage of sugars. Navy beans and pinto beans are the next top offenders. And other worthy contestants include black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, and chickpeas.
Drinking plenty of water after eating high-fiber foods, like beans, can aid in digestion and help reduce bloating. "It may sound counterintuitive, but staying hydrated discourages water retention because your body isn't struggling to hold on to the water it has," Jessica Cording, M.S., R.D., CDN, says.
For instance, the Mayo Clinic suggests opting for canned beans for gas prevention; the canning process helps break down some of the carbohydrates in the beans, making them easier to digest and less likely to cause gas.
7 ways to Decrease Intestinal Gas From Beans
Eat lots of vegetables, particularly green ones with your beans (75% of the meal should be vegetables). As beans are slow to digest: Eat fruit or sugar foods 2 - 3 hours away from a meal with beans.
As far as foods that reduce gas go, celery is a great option. It has a high water content and is potassium-rich, which helps control the water retention associated with bloating. It can also support healthy bowel movements and regulate constipation and diarrhea.
If you're the impatient, bean-hungry type, you can cook your beans from dry without any soaking at all. Here's the thing: Beans that have not been soaked ahead of time will always take longer to cook, but they will, indeed, cook.
As a former Epicurious food editor, I myself tested many methods and found that soaking wasn't really necessary, but that if you have time, a quick soak (bringing beans and water to a boil, then letting them soak for 1 hour before cooking) can boost the final flavor.
The addition of baking soda to the cooking water does two things: It adds sodium ions that weaken the pectin as explained above, and more importantly, an alkaline environment causes the pectin molecules to break down into smaller molecules that greatly weakens the pectin causing the beans to soften much more rapidly.
Soaking beans in a solution of salt and baking soda yields creamy, cooked beans in less time.
Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish.
The outlet concurs that the simple act of rinsing your canned beans before using them will cut down on that excess salt. The starch in the canned bean solution has its own implications in your cooking. It can alter the texture, composition, and liquid ratios of the recipe you are creating.
Using dried beans lets you control the sodium.
Beans are super healthy, full of vitamins and minerals, protein-packed, and fiber-rich. But canned beans can be high in sodium, which is a problem for those with high blood pressure and those who want to avoid it.