All praise the beans!

[AxelHeyst]

Related, DIY Haybox out of left-over foam insulation:

[jacob]

No need to build anything. Given that pressure cookers are hermetically sealed, you can just put them in bed under the blankets.

[theanimal]

Has that worked for you? Whenever I've done it, I end up losing pressure earlier than desired (even with 20* sleeping bag and multiple blankets). There is also the issue of moisture from the steam.

[guitarplayer]

That sounds just like a thermal cooker. You can do the same for stews, soups, legumes, grains, meats, and so on. Really anything.

Okay @theanimal, challenge accepted.

Separately, yesterday I scavenged sourdough pizza base and now thinking about making sourdough pizzas and breads again (I used to regularly in 2016/17).

Pizza or bread with legumes, any creatives? I am thinking up the production chain, not beans on toast.

Simplest is to add chickpea flower, but surely there's another way.

[jacob]

Has that worked for you? Whenever I've done it, I end up losing pressure earlier than desired (even with 20* sleeping bag and multiple blankets). There is also the issue of moisture from the steam.

Yeah. Heat loss rate is just a function of (cooker heat - room heat)/amount of blankets. The Kuhn-Rikon design doesn't sputter steam like the conventional cookers.

[zbigi]

+1 on Kuhn-Rikon. Expensive as hell, but very reliable. Also, the company ships (sells) spare parts via mail - I damaged my valve and they sold me a replacement.

[Scott 2]

I sold my Kuhn-Rikon. It's a great pressure cooker, but slow cooker beans are the way. No pre-soak, no watching, trivial cleanup. More forgiving than lentils too.

A 1.5 quart slow cooker draws around 80 watts. So the power cost is a few cents. If that's your biggest energy leak, you've already won.

I ate 10 day old black beans last week. My body had no objections.


The only caveat is kidney beans. My slow cooker doesn't reach the necessary boil. I opt for canned instead.

[theanimal]

I sold my Kuhn-Rikon. It's a great pressure cooker, but slow cooker beans are the way. No pre-soak, no watching, trivial cleanup. More forgiving than lentils too.

Pre-soaking beans is not a pressure cooker specific thing. One of the main functions is reducing oligosaccharides, which makes them much easier on the digestive system (ie no gas). It also reduces phytic acid, which can inhibit the uptake the absorption of minerals like calcium, zinc, and iron.

Eating wise, I much prefer the texture of soaked beans to those that are not. Less cooking time is an added bonus.

[Scott 2]

I've had zero problems skipping the step. I dump beans, spices and water in my slow cooker in the morning. When I remember, typically early evening, maybe not until bedtime, I empty the crock. It's always fine.

[guitarplayer]

Pre-soaking beans is not a pressure cooker specific thing. One of the main functions is reducing oligosaccharides, which makes them much easier on the digestive system (ie no gas). It also reduces phytic acid, which can inhibit the uptake the absorption of minerals like calcium, zinc, and iron.

Is it just the act of soaking that reduces oligosaccharides and phytic acid or these stay in the water?

I chuck everything in the slow cooker in the evening, then set the timer for them to start at 6am, then they are both pre-soaked and slow cooked, in the same water though.

I eat so much of this stuff that my digestive system is used to it all, and I probably get amounts of calcium, zinc and iron above your average legume eater anyway.

[theanimal]

My understanding is that they stay in the water. We soak ours, drain and rinse them, then fill again when we are ready to cook.

[Scott 2]

Chat GPT said:


When you cook beans in a slow cooker without presoaking, the extended cooking time at a low temperature allows enzymes to break down oligosaccharides, the complex sugars responsible for gas production. Slow cooking also helps beans retain more of their natural digestive enzymes, which may aid in breaking down these sugars before they reach your gut, reducing fermentation by bacteria that cause gas. Additionally, cooking beans thoroughly makes their starches and fibers easier to digest, further minimizing bloating and discomfort.


Dunno if that's all true, but it matches my experience.

[Ego]

Pressure cooking also reduces the resistant (indigestible) starch in beans, which is what makes them so valuable to our gut microbiome. Resistant starch is what gut bacteria feeds on.

Storing beans in the fridge for 24 hours after they've been soaked and cooked causes the resistant starch to reform. Other foods high in resistant starch like sweet potatoes and brown rice see significant increases in resistant starch when they are refrigerated after cooking as well. Leftovers for the win!.

We've been eating a lot of purple sweet potatoes and very dark whole grain rice, in addition to our normal black beans, lentils, garbanzos and kidney beans here in SE Asia.

[thef0x]

Sounds beautiful looking, Ego, and as someone who can be a bit visually turned off by the brown mush that can be lentils, I'm a bit jealous! <-- finishing with fresh herbs is a great trick for that visual contrast / deeply saturated colors. Can I request a pic, if you're so inclined?

In the spirit of Slevin's post, I made KISS chana masala yesterday. I used three heaping tablespoons of pre-made spices sauted in olive oil in my instantpot with the chickpeas, then added two large cans of diced tomato, a couple of diced onions, a few pinches of salt, and some home made chicken stock. 30 min on high pressure (presoaked beans overnight).

I'm working my way through a sinus cold and let me tell you, this was ~pharmacological in it's decongestant power even with two large dollops of greek yogurt -- holy moses; my wife asked me to open the windows while making it I blended the top layer of tomatoes to get a more even consistency but doing so blended up a bit too much garbanzo, oh well.

Spicy enough that I might just turn it into a thick hot sauce; could be so good on a sandwich to add some zing.

[Western Red Cedar]

I've been stocking up on five packs of the Super Firm High Protein Tofu from Trader Joe's in my fridge lately. I'm trying to prioritize protein intake with my resistance training, but limit meat consumption. It offers a lot of bang for the buck at 14 grams per serving with 5 servings per package at $2.79. I noticed a lot of protein prices increased after I returned to the states, but this stayed the same. It costs about a dollar more than their regular firm tofu, but I'm happy to pay the difference for an extra 35 grams of protein per package.

From their website:

Believe it or not, Trader Joe’s Organic High Protein Super Firm Tofu has been a favorite in our refrigerators for 12 years and counting. What makes it so super? It starts with sprouted soybeans that have been triple-washed, soaked, and ground; after this mixture is heated, the soy curds are compressed to remove even more liquid than you would when making extra firm tofu—hence its Super Firm status. And while extra firm tofu offers nine grams of protein in a three-ounce serving, this Super Firm Tofu boasts an impressive 14 grams of protein for the same serving size—Super, indeed!

With its pleasantly mild flavor and dense (dare we say meat-like) texture that holds up beautifully when sliced, sautéed, grilled, or fried, this hearty Tofu is a proverbial blank slate for dips, sauces, and dressings of all kinds. Bread thick slices with Panko Breadcrumbs and air-fry for a filling vegan katsu, or sauté some Super Firm Tofu crumbles with Fire Roasted Bell Peppers & Onions and 21 Seasoning Salute for an egg-free, protein-packed breakfast (or breakfast-for-dinner) scramble.

I'll eat a couple servings raw with Frank's red hot or some spicy mustard as a snack, I'll add it raw in salads, I'll add it to breakfast scrambles, and sometimes I'll add it to a protein shake. It also works well with any more traditional dishes like curry or stir fry.

[Slevin]

I've been stocking up on five packs of the Super Firm High Protein Tofu from Trader Joe's in my fridge lately.

Welcome to the club! I basically buy out the store shelf every time I go, then I toss them in the chest freezer. Defrost 3 or 4 at a time on the counter when I get down to only one block unfrozen. Responses from the cashiers are always entertaining. Ranging from "eww omg the last guy I checked out just bought so much chicken it's so gross" to "so how do you eat so much tofu, isn't it gross?"

For salads try cutting really thin slices, then tossing it in some of the salad dressing to marinate while you make the rest of the salad. Really lets it add some delicious flavors.

Another favorite of min is to coat the exterior of a full block in oil, then spices (I often use zaatar or taco seasoning, or a nooch mixture) then roast it at ~400F for an hour, and turn it halfway through to let it crisp up on the big edges. Then slice it thinly to make little deli slices that are amazing to eat on their own, or in a sandwich, or in a salad, pretty much anywhere you like deli meat.

That super firm tofu is one of the highest consumed items in our house, can't say enough good things about it.