Is Soaking Beans Necessary?

The short answer is no. But here are two main reason for soaking dried beans and legumes before cooking. Flatulence. Some types of beans, especially lima, navy, and soy, contain complex sugars that are difficult to digest. To remove these, cover with water plus another inch or two. Heat to boiling, boil for one minutes, […]

Cook Kidney Beans Safely

In the comments section of the Vegetarian Potato Stew, commenter Mrs Belogski asks: “Aren’t you supposed to boil kidney beans rapidly for a few minutes to destroy a particular toxin which they contain?”

Mrs Belogski then found this explanation of toxins in kidney beans:

From http://www.vegsoc.org/info/pulses.html

Red kidney beans: Incidents of food poisoning have been reported associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked red kidney beans