sous vide beans and pulses. What's the best temperature?

[benjamin163]

Hello,

I love cooking my pulses and beans and have used a pressure cooker, slow cooker and top stove to do so.

However, the results often vary due to my carelessness.

I enjoy the results of sous vide and wonder whether cooking beans and pulses sous vide would make them deliciously tender without falling apart and going mushy.

I have looked up a few recipes but the temperatures vary enormously.

I'm wondering if there's a more scientific approach. Like, at what temperature do the walls of a pulse break down without breaking apart? 

And does the amount of water the pulses are steeped in matter?

I'm gathering that pre-soaking is no longer the necessity it once seemed.

So I'd love an understanding of the optimum temperature to get fluffy, unctuous beans without the mush.

Any help or opinions greatly received.

[kayb]

Have no information, but would love to learn. Following.

[Shalmanese]

Cooking beans sous vide is potentially DANGEROUS and should not be attempted unless you have a very good understanding of the chemistry behind it!

 

Many beans contain a compound called Phytohaemagglutinin which is toxic in humans and causes vomiting and diarrhea. This protein is denatured after 10 minutes at a high boil but NOT at the 85C temperature typically used to soften pectins in vegetables. Eating beans that have been only been cooked sous vide is a recipe for a bad few nights on the toilet (ask me how I know this!).

 

In order to safely sous vide cook beans, you should first boil them conventionally for at least 30 minutes and then switch to sous vide. But, given the time and effort required to do this, it doesn't seem like much of a gain from just cooking them conventionally.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I have to say I'm with @Shalmanese on this.  Though if you vacuum seal your beans in a retort pouch you should be able to safely pressure cook them sous vide.  Not a bad idea, actually.  Modernist Cuisine has a technique of pressure cooking beans in a canning jar.

 

I tremble to think how long beans that require four hours in a pressure cooker would require at 85 deg C.

 

[kayb]

10 hours ago, Shalmanese said:

Cooking beans sous vide is potentially DANGEROUS and should not be attempted unless you have a very good understanding of the chemistry behind it!

 

Many beans contain a compound called Phytohaemagglutinin which is toxic in humans and causes vomiting and diarrhea. This protein is denatured after 10 minutes at a high boil but NOT at the 85C temperature typically used to soften pectins in vegetables. Eating beans that have been only been cooked sous vide is a recipe for a bad few nights on the toilet (ask me how I know this!).

 

In order to safely sous vide cook beans, you should first boil them conventionally for at least 30 minutes and then switch to sous vide. But, given the time and effort required to do this, it doesn't seem like much of a gain from just cooking them conventionally.

 

Well, that's worthwhile to know. Checking that one off the "H'mmmm..." list.

 

[MelissaH]

We'll cook beans (by conventional methods) in larger batches than we can eat at one go, and then vacuum seal and freeze the leftovers. SV works wonderfully for reheating the leftovers.