Is this ok to eat?

[kkar]

I soaked some pinto beans last night in whey. This is the first time I've ever made whey, or soaked anything in it, so I'm not sure if this is normal...but...this morning at the bottom of my beans is a white-ish growth. Do you think it is maybe a bit of over-enthusiatic yogurt that is culturing from the whey? Or, is it something more ominous? Are the beans ok to eat?

[quietserena]

Could be sediment from the whey or something off the beans. Have you cooked them? That'll kill off anything.

Only sort of things I don't eat are things that have mold growing on them and that would grow on top.

[gbutterflykissesm]

Whenever I make cheese, the leftover whey always has some white powdery sediment in the bottom - basically cheese curds that made it through. It sounds like that's all it is on your beans.

[kkar]

Whew. Ok, I'm cooking them now. Thanks everyone!

[purple_kangaroo]

I'll be interested to hear how they turn out . . . I was under the understanding that legumes won't soften if you add any kind of acid to them before they're fully cooked. I added lemon juice to some beans or lentils or something (forget what, now) at the beginning of the cooking process once and I cooked them and cooked them, and they never did get soft.

[pampered_mom]

I've never had a problem. Of course, I drain my beans and rinse them after soaking before cooking so I'm not cooking them in acid...just soaking them.

[kkar]

Originally Posted by purple_kangaroo

I'll be interested to hear how they turn out . . . I was under the understanding that legumes won't soften if you add any kind of acid to them before they're fully cooked. I added lemon juice to some beans or lentils or something (forget what, now) at the beginning of the cooking process once and I cooked them and cooked them, and they never did get soft.

I followed the Nourishing Traditions recipe where you cover the beans and add 2TBLS of whey. They came out...perfect, delicious and soft! I soaked them overnight, and at noon, I rinsed them, put them in my pot with new water and a ham hock. I brought it to a boil, skimmed off the foam, and then added garlic, and later onions. I served them with butter and the whole family LOVED them. We're not sick (yet!) so I'd say it was a success. Thanks again everyone for your encouragement.