# Dry black beans foul



## Tenchains (Dec 3, 2017)

I purchased a bag of dried black beans at the market. I soaked them for 6 hours before cooking. After the soak something smeleed in the house like a cleaner. Like a chemical cleaner. It was the beans but I thought that maybe it was just like a wine smell from them. I have done this many times though and never had that smell. The expiration on the package said 9-24-19. But when I was eating them there was an after taste that was kind of a “green”
taste and they made me slightly sick every time that I ate them. Any ideas on what the heck was wrong with them?


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## blissful (Dec 3, 2017)

Tenchains, I've soaked and cooked beans of all types well past their expiration date, they are fine.
Soaking 6 hours is not too long. Soaking 12 is even better. What is that smell, well, it can be the beans beginning to sprout or beginning to ferment, neither of which is bad for you. The 'wine' smell is yeasty, it is more than likely from fermentation. After soaking drain the beans and put in fresh water.

Cooking beans, they need to be fully cooked. They can make you sick if you didn't cook them enough. You would know the beans are under cooked if they they are difficult to chew, they should instead be soft and pasty, smooth.  This is a good article about cooking your beans. Eating Raw Or Undercooked Beans Is Dangerous - Wild Oats

I can't speak to the after taste that was 'green', that I don't know.


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## Tenchains (Dec 3, 2017)

*Bb*

Ok. Yes they were cooked well enough. They were not chewy. I read that if the start to spit that they have soaked too long. I usually soak 6-8 hours. Thanks


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## blissful (Dec 3, 2017)

I want to add to my previous response. 

First I'm glad you had them cooked well enough, that is important. 

Second, fermenting beans (or tomatoes, or salsa, or kefir, or cheese, or sausage, or sauerkraut...you see as a society we ferment many foods) is not bad to do when the beans are raw like that. That however is different than when something starts to ferment, when we don't want it to. Like, after the beans are cooked, we don't want them fermenting after that, at least not that I know of.  So fermenting them a little or a lot before cooking is okay, while fermenting after cooking is probably not okay. I hope I clarified my answer to you.


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## jennyema (Dec 4, 2017)

Tenchains said:


> I purchased a bag of dried black beans at the market. I soaked them for 6 hours before cooking. After the soak something smeleed in the house like a cleaner. Like a chemical cleaner. It was the beans but I thought that maybe it was just like a wine smell from them. I have done this many times though and never had that smell. The expiration on the package said 9-24-19. But when I was eating them there was an after taste that was kind of a “green”
> taste and they made me slightly sick every time that I ate them. Any ideas on what the heck was wrong with them?


 

I just have to ask ...

If they smelled like a chemical cleaner why did you cook and eat them?

And why did you eat them once -- which made you sick -- and keep eating them after that?

Dry beans shouldn't smell like chemicals.  If they do.  Don't eat them.  Return them to the store.


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## GotGarlic (Dec 4, 2017)

jennyema said:


> I just have to ask ...
> 
> If they smelled like a chemical cleaner why did you cook and eat them?
> 
> ...



I was wondering the same thing. If eating a food is making you sick, don't continue to eat it. It's gone bad somehow.


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## Kayelle (Dec 4, 2017)

blissful said:


> Tenchains, I've soaked and cooked beans of all types well past their expiration date, they are fine.
> Soaking 6 hours is not too long. Soaking 12 is even better. What is that smell, well, it can be the beans beginning to sprout or beginning to ferment, neither of which is bad for you. The 'wine' smell is yeasty, it is more than likely from fermentation. After soaking drain the beans and put in fresh water.
> 
> *Cooking beans, they need to be fully cooked. They can make you sick if you didn't cook them enough. You would know the beans are under cooked if they they are difficult to chew, they should instead be soft and pasty, smooth.  This is a good article about cooking your beans. Eating Raw Or Undercooked Beans Is Dangerous - Wild Oats*
> ...



Bliss thanks so much for that link, although I'm horrified that I knew zip about the subject! I can't be the only cook here to be blindsided that under cooked beans can *KILL* you!! 
PS..be sure to read all the responses to the article.


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## Katie H (Dec 5, 2017)

It's curious that this thread should pop up at this time.

I took out an assortment of dried beans to make a mixed bean soup.  The recipe called for black beans.  I'd had some black beans in the pantry which is just off the dining room.  No unusual temperature fluctuations and stored in a perfectly good Tupperware container.

When I opened the container the beans gave off a truly "off" smell.  As Tenchains related, almost a chemically smell.

They looked perfectly fine but I tossed them anyway.  There was something just "not right" about the beans.  The soup mix was to be part of a Christmas gift for a special friend and I didn't want to give them anything inferior.


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