As an original Northeast girl, when March blows in, thoughts drift to ‘mud season’ (a typical Northeastern — half-joking — complaint). Next, I remember St. Patty’s Day and recall celebrations in Boston. If it’s chilly and cold, the nostalgic thought (craving?) that follows is often Brown Bread and Boston Baked Beans.
Recently, I attempted my very first crock of home-style Boston Baked Beans (surprising, being from the northeast). Checking out a few recipes to start, I finally understood why the complicated effort was made to cook the dish “just so.” Okay, permission to hoot now because I didn’t make a vital connection. I didn’t realize (or didn’t remember) that preparing beans baked this way causes less gassiness.
Beans, Beans, the musical fruit;
The more you eat, the more you toot.
……and yes, I know beans aren’t really ‘fruits’ —
it’s traditional poetic license.
Or of course you could have learned it differently, and more crudely.
Beans, Beans, good for the Heart,
The more you eat, the more you fart.
As a caveat, to this entire post, let me explain that not all legumes cause gas, not all people experience it to the same degree, and it is highly likely that the bad ‘effect’ of beans is exaggerated. Still, I will ignore those points from here forward.
Beans are a wonderful complex food, so learning to avoid their ‘side-effects’ might encourage you to add more to your diet. Like much folklore, the basis of such nursery rhymes, (touting bean and ‘fart’ humor) stems from science. Beans, a type of carbohydrate, have a high level of oligosaccharides. Technically the word means a few sugars – simple sugars, but a complicated issue. The gassiness, common in beans, is often described as being produced by “indigestible carbohydrates.” Basically there is digestive difficulty because enzymes in the stomach (needed to break down the materials) are made inactive by acid. In the large intestine, without the stomach acid, these sugars are digested by bacteria and end up producing carbon dioxide and hydrogen (two gases). The body then often expels these gases. Voilà, flatulence.
This is a convoluted way to describe what you have probably seen in Mel Brook’s movie Blazing Saddles – the infamous campfire scene. There are 3 steps the cowboys could have taken to eliminate the numerous ……..laughs.
3 Steps for Less Flatulent Beans
1. Soak and Rinse
The good news about those testy fiber-rich carbohydrates is that they are water soluble. This means that you can make a perceptible difference (in more ways than one) by good ol’ fashion soaking and rinsing. Unfortunately, this means a bit of planning ahead.
Carbohydrates described above as ‘indigestible’ are leached from the dried beans into the water the longer you soak. Then discarding the water they are soaked in can rid the beans up to 90% of the indigestible type carbs. [As I have noted in other posts, I hate wasting water, so you might consider soaking dirty dishes, instead of feeding the drain. Even better, you can save it to water plants. According to some bean cooking experts, the plants love it.]
Another trick to soaking is the amount of water used, namely 4 or 5 times as much water as dried beans. I used to simply set them out overnight. However, if you put them in a pot and boil them for 3 minutes, that accelerates the process. After the quick boil, you can simply cover and leave them in the pan overnight on the stove; don’t worry about putting them in the refrigerator. One more key is that soaking is NOT the time for salt (or any spices); that comes later.
The next day, when you are ready to cook, discard the soak water. RINSE the beans in more water to prepare for cooking.
Even canned beans should be rinsed before using. Drain them, rinse, swish and let sit for a few minutes before pouring off the liquid. This is encouraged as a way to cut down on salt in canned beans as well.
2. Cook Thoroughly
Another thing the cowboys didn’t have time for was making sure food was cooked to the preferable degree and texture. No surprise perhaps, but cooking thoroughly helps break down the tough carbs. Did you know that most Boston Baked Bean recipes call for MORE than 5 hours in the oven?
When cooking, start with about 3-4 parts water to 1 part semi-dried beans (guestimates fine). Check to see that beans are covered by at least 2 inches of fluid (they expand a lot). Cook them until tender. Read this not as “almost” tender, but really tender, unless the recipe calls for chewiness. This will eliminate as much gas as possible. [Canned beans are already cooked, and shouldn’t need further cooking before adding to your favorite dish. However, it is not a bad idea to check the texture, assuring tenderness. Nothing says you couldn’t cook them more if they’re too firm.] Depending on the instructions you are using, as an extra strategy, some folks recommend even discarding the cooking water before adding the beans to the recipe.
Here’s a surprising, and counterintuitive tactic – don’t add the spices to the pot of cooking water (even those spices from the next section, and especially not salt or baking soda). Salt, in particular, can toughen beans, which means it takes longer for the beans to become tender.
After discarding the cook water (and saving it for the plants or pots), the beans are ready for inclusion in preparation of the final dish. Now is the time for step 3.
3. Use (and hopefully learn to like) Gas-Reducing Spices
Understanding the process of gas development (as explained above), we have one more combative tool. Incorporate the following spices (perhaps along with others) to the completed recipe to further neutralize gaseous starches (Carbs).
- Cumin (which can be used to highlight a lot more dishes than might be imagined)
- Ginger (fresh or dried)
- Fennel
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Notes about other ingredients commonly used with beans.
Onion and garlic are alleged to increase rather than decrease gas production. I don’t abide by that rule, and think if you take all the other steps, there is no reason to avoid the beloved duo.
Baking soda added at the final step is sometimes claimed to decrease gas, but it can affect the texture. I didn’t really search in-depth, but I haven’t found any clear evidence about this as a gas-aid.
Epazote is an ingredient I don’t know (it is described as quite a bitter Mexican spice) but is used to help reduce gas in beans. I would experiment with only tiny amounts as I haven’t heard a lot of love for the spice. Still, I do plan to purchase it someday.
[Perhaps it is an acquired taste – like marmite.] 
Salt. This is the point to add your (limited) salt.
Yogurt (with live cultures) served on the side or top of bean dishes can be somewhat helpful to most people. [Claims are that you don’t even have to eat it at the same time.] The working hypothesis is that gut enzymes explained above are increased by the yogurt, helping with bean digestion.
A Bonus Bean. What about Beano? This commercial product was previously sold as a cost-effective liquid, which would allow you to place a couple drops on the food before eating. It seemed to do a great job (although still not the way you WANT to prevent gas). It is now available only in much more expensive capsules/tabs etc. I can’t attest to their effectiveness. Most nutritionists warn against regular use, or at least relying on its action. Conversely, most regular users (online) claim to find benefit, (although they may simply be responding to short-term benefits, not long-term effect).
Mightier Together
These 3 procedures – when combined together – will allow you to use beans to your full delight (as well as others around you). Combining the steps will create an almost ‘no-gas’ bean.
FINAL THOUGHT
Aside from their other nutrients, beans are a high protein food. But no matter how “gas-free” the preparation method, they are also very high in fiber. This is good. However, modification and additions to your diet might best be done over time. Making a sudden switch from your normally low fiber diet to a high fiber regime can result in (temporary) constipation or diarrhea. The bottom line is simple – change slowly.
We all love music, but in its place. We all should love beans – but not if they are music makers. Treat yourself to this ultimately healthful food – without the smell of poo.
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References
”Flatulence. MedicalLook.com Retrieved Feb, 2019
“All Beans aren’t the Same in Gassy Side-Effects.” Webmd. Retrieved Feb 2019
“What is Flatulence?” News-medicat.net News-Medical Life Sciences. Retrieved Feb, 2019
“Perceptions of flatulence from bean consumption among adults in 3 feeding studies.” Nutrition Journal Nov 21, 2011. Posted by NCBI Retrieved Feb, 2019
“Beans & Flatulence. Unfounded Fear or Fact of Life.” The Bean Institute. Retrieved Feb, 2019
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Picture Credit: Bean Image by vicki4net on Pixabay
