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Pulses
Also searched as: beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas
In short: Dried beans, lentils and chickpeas need water, time and heat before their skins and cell walls soften.
Picture it
Like a seed in spring: first water, then it comes back to life and softens.
What happens
Soaking lets the dried seeds take up water. Cooking dissolves the glue between the cells (pectin) and gelatinises the starch. Acid and calcium keep the cell walls firm; baking soda and salt soften them.
Why it matters
Knowing what softens pulses and what keeps them hard means never again waiting for hours on tough beans.
Rules of thumb
- Soak beans and chickpeas, not lentils.
- Add acid such as tomato or wine only once they are soft.
- Always boil kidney beans hard for at least 10 minutes.
Related entries
Beans and chickpeas won't softenSources · 1
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Hülsenfrüchte