Masters's results with legumes. Masters, using London tap water (temporary hardness 12 parts per 100,000 parts of water and permanent hardness 5 parts per 100,000 parts of water) and cooking butter beans, found that soaking made little difference in time required for cooking, but that soaking with sodium bicarbonate in the soaking water did shorten the cooking time. Distilled water gave a shorter cooking time than tap water. Masters also determined the soaking and cooking losses of total solids. It is interesting to note that soaking with soda in the water gave not only a shorter cooking period, but also a slightly decreased loss of total solids. However, there was only a very slight difference. This was with the percentage of soda that she considered to give the best cooking results, 1 per cent (equivalent to about 5/8 teaspoon of soda per cup of water). With larger amounts of soda than 1 per cent, greater losses due to disintegration of the beans occurred. With a small amount, 0.25 per cent, the cooking time was shortened but the total loss of solids was slightly higher than for the other methods of cooking. Losses were also high when large amounts of soda were used in the soaking instead of the cooking water. When other types of beans were substituted for the butter beans, the results were similar, although the cooking time might be longer or shorter according to the nature of the beans, and the cooking losses higher or lower, varying with the thickness of the skins of the beans. The loss of solids during cooking of the butter beans was about 10.5 to 11 per cent if beans were not soaked. If beans were soaked before cooking the total loss was about 12.5 per cent.

One of the methods recommended by Masters for cooking beans is to add soda to the soaking water and salt to the cooking water. She found that discarding the soaking water gave no greater cooking losses than when it was retained and the beans cooked in the water in which they were soaked.

Class results with navy beans. The experimental class results for several years at Iowa State College show that, although some navy beans cook in a very short time, the majority require about the same time, which is close to the average given in the following tables. Some require longer cooking. To show this the minimum and maximum time as well as the average are given in the tables. The beans were washed and added to 1 pint of boiling water. If the water evaporated to dryness, boiling water was added. The soaked beans stood over night, usually 15 to 24 hours. All the figures are for 15 or more tests. The water is quite hard, averaging about 340 parts of carbonate per million parts of water. The mineral content as carbonate is as follows:

CaCO3 240 parts per million parts of water. MgCO3 100 parts per million parts of water.

For an end point in cooking the beans were cooked so that they would be as whole as possible yet soft all the way through. A common household way of testing when beans are done is to stick them with the point of a sharp knife or fork. This was the test used, but the experiments being done by students through different quarters give differences of opinion as to when the beans were done. For example, the minimum time for beans cooked with soda in tap water is shorter than the minimum time for beans soaked with soda in distilled water, but the averages are reversed.

Soda may be added to the cooking water and not discarded. This was tried in class, but the beans became mushy on the outside and disintegrated while the center was still hard.

In all varieties of beans, cooking with the vessel covered gives a shorter cooking period than cooking uncovered. This may be due to the cooling effect by evaporation of the water at the surface and possibly will not occur with a large quantity of beans and water.

Table 20 Class Results for Cooking Navy Beans by Different Methods

Method of cooking

Weight of uncooked beans grams

Weight of soaked beans grams

Weight of cooked beans grams

Time of cooking min.

Tap water

Minimum...................

50

___

92

80

Maximum...................

50

-

134

105

Average.....................

-

-

110

89

Distilled water

Minimum...................

50

-

91

55

Maximum...................

50

-

122

85

Average.....................

-

-

111

70

Soaked in tap water

Minimum...................

50

98

102

32

Maximum...................

50

106

131

85

Average.....................

-

100

116

60

Soaked in distilled water

Minimum...................

50

98

105

30

Maximum...................

50

105

133

64

Average.....................

-

101

118

46

Soaked in tap water, 1/8 teaspoon of soda added to soaking water, but no soda in cooking water

Minimum...................

50

95

100

21

Maximum...................

50

106

136

50

Average.....................

-

99

116

36

Soaked in distilled water, soda 1/8 teaspoon added to soaking water, no soda in cooking water. Cooked in distilled water

Minimum...................

50

96

111

25

Maximum...................

50

104

142

40

Average.....................

-

99

121

32

Salt 1/4 teaspoon added to tap water

Minimum...................

50

-

91

60

Maximum...................

50

-

116

108

Average....................

-

-

100

87

Soda 1/8 teaspoon added to tap water Boiled 10 minutes. Discarded

Minimum...................

50

-

95

30

Maximum...................

50

-

145

116

Average.....................

----

---------------------

118

56

Soaked beans are lighter in color and less strong in flavor than the non-soaked ones.

Lima beans. Although the work with lima beans has been limited in extent in comparison to that done with navy beans the results have been similar to those obtained with the latter.

Soaking to shorten the cooking period must continue until the beans have absorbed enough water to weigh nearly double their dry weight. When boiling water was poured over the lima beans and left to stand, swelling occurred more rapidly than when cold water was used. The time required for soaking with cold water is 7 to 8 hours or longer, but with the boiling water 4 to 5 hours is usually sufficient.

Pinto beans. Greenwood found that the degree of hardness of the water is the most important factor to consider in cooking beans. Satisfactory results were obtained by any method with very soft water, and no method was entirely satisfactory with very hard water. Boiling water 20 to 30 minutes to precipitate the calcium and magnesium salts before using for cooking the beans was beneficial. In using hard water better results were obtained if it was boiled gently and the vessel was well covered to avoid evaporation of water, thus preventing the necessity of adding more water and increasing the total salts added. For the shortest cooking period the beans should be soaked in hot soda water (0.5 per cent solution), 11/2 tea-spoons to 5 cups of water.

Dried soybeans. The use of soybeans for human consumption is constantly increasing, both the green and dry varieties being used to a greater extent than formerly. Some varieties are nearly impossible to cook but varieties easier to cook are used for edible purposes.

Work with dry soybeans indicates that soaking over night in cold water nearly halves the cooking time. Addition of soda to the soaking water further shortens the cooking time. But pouring boiling water over the beans and letting them soak in this water for 3 or 4 hours results in the shortest cooking time.