Tracy and Catherine:
I have never tried sprouting my dried beans before cooking. Instead I
always put a 6 to 8" piece of Kumbo seaweed or other dried seaweed in
the bottom of the pot before I start cooking. Pour the soaked beans to
be cooked on top, cover with water (maybe as much as 2") and bring to a
boil without stirring. Once the pot is boiling start skimming the foam
that rises. Do this for at least 5 minutes. (Some say you should do this
for as long as 15 minutes) Turn the pot down to a nice simmer and cook
until the beans are tender.
Something in the seaweed takes most of the gaseous problem out of the
beans and they are easier to digest. Also you get the added nutrition of
the seaweed when you let it cook with the beans, it will usually cook to
nothing and if some does stay in large pieces you can remove it or cut
it into small pieces and put it back in the pot. If you do not want any
seaweed in your finished beans I would suggest you cook them in a 2 part
pasta pot and put the seaweed in the bottom then put the insert with the
beans in and proceed in the same manner.
I know this always works for my beans. OH! Don't add any salt. The
seaweed has natural sea salt in it, check the salt after cooking.
Malquin in Cincinnati where the snow is gone.
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