bean confusion

[honeysesame]

seems like a lot of traditional mexican ways of cooking beans emphasize a long cooking time rather than a long soaking time. ideas about this? i'm wondering if cooking w/ spices like cumin or epazote has an effect on phytic acid or just helps digestibility in some other way....

[honeysesame]

just thought i'd give this one another roll.... any thoughts? i googled and there are of course a bunch of folks who say you must soak, and many other folks (including some of our family and friends who are mexican) who say that soaking beans isn't really traditional in mexico (they do often cook them at least a few hours, and w/ epazote) but don't give any explanation of why this might be okay. maybe they are utilizing chelating effects of phytic acid? i guess i'm just curious....

[mamadelbosque]

IDK, but I do know that I never personally soak beans. I don't think my grandmother does/did (whose from new mexico, don't think she cooks much anymore though. I don't see any change in cooking time w/o soaking them nor any other change, so I don't see the point. I do cook for hours though - I use my crockpot pretty much exclusively for beans and cook them for at LEAST 6-8 hours, if not 2 or 3x that long.