Two Ways to Soak Beans to Reduce Gas | Bean Institute (2024)

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Two Ways to Soak Beans to Reduce Gas | Bean Institute? ›

Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production. But if you don't have time for a traditional overnight soak, a quick soak is just as beneficial. Rinse the beans and then place them in a pot with three cups of water for each cup of dried 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.

Soaking and cooking beans, increasing your intake slowly, drinking plenty of water, and taking digestive enzymes like alpha-galactosidase can help prevent gas caused by beans.

#3 - Soak and rinse beans

An added tbsp of vinegar in the water can also help, as can changing the water a few times [6]. Using hot water can speed the process too. Soaking can reduce the amount of oligosaccharides in them. Cook the soaked beans in fresh water (not the water they have been soaked in!)

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.

Add digestive aids: Certain herbs and spices can aid digestion and reduce the risk of gas and bloating. For example, add ginger, fennel seeds, cumin or coriander to your bean dishes. These herbs and spices can help to stimulate digestive enzymes and reduce inflammation in the gut.

Carrot – it's said that if you add this vegetable to your pot while you cook beans it helps reduce the gas. The carrot should not be peeled, but well washed to get all the dirt off it first.

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.

The easiest beans to digest (therefore less likely to cause gas), according to Country Life Foods, are lentils, black eyed beans, adzuki beans and mung beans. (Click through to learn more about the amazing health benefits of mung beans.) The harder ones to digest are red kidney, soy, black and lima beans.

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.

What spice reduces gas in beans? ›

A few bloggers use the spices ajwain (or carom seed) and epazote in beans to reduce the gas.

Beans soaked in salt or baking soda brines performed much better in comparison to those soaked in just water. Beans brined in baking soda performed even better than those in the salt brine. This was true across the board regardless of the type of the bean.

The apple cider vinegar breaks down indigestible sugars to help digestion and also brightens the flavor of the beans without the need for excess salt. With the apple cider vinegar, onions, garlic, and cumin in this flavorful pot of beans you may not want to add salt at all!

Try lying on your left. This follows the natural gas flow in the large bowel. So, it may help pass gas easily and lower gut discomfort.

A couple of commonly used over-the-counter enzymes have long been known to work. These include Lactaid and Beano, used by people who are lactose intolerant or who have gas or bloating after eating legumes, respectively.

Modern cooking websites often say it doesn't matter. In a way, they're both right. Soaking beans can help improve the texture of the final product once the beans are cooked and reduce the gas produced when the food is being digested. But it isn't necessary to soak them.

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. Sometimes, I'll let my garbanzo beans go as long as 24 hours because those little suckers take the longest. Keep the beans soaking in a bowl on the counter -just cover them with a clean dish towel.

Fun Fact: Discarding the soaking water and rinsing beans can help make cooked beans more digestible. Some people choose to save the soaking liquid because some nutrients are leeched from the beans into the liquid during soaking. We prefer to drain our soaking liquid but you can decide what works best for you.

A little bit of baking soda goes a long way, but if you use too much, it can ruin the taste of your beans.

Beans cooked with a tiny amount of baking soda (about one teaspoon per cup of dry beans) added to the cooking water cook in about half the time as beans cooked without.