Reduced Cooking Time Research Articles

Effect of Different Storage and Cooking Methods on Some Biochemical, Nutritional and Sensory Characteristics of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculataL. Walp)

ABSTRACTCowpeas stored in a hermetic container, jute bag and nitrogen atmosphere at ambient (temperature 21–3°C, relative humidity 72–86%) for 6 months were evaluated for changes in proximate composition, nutritional and sensory qualities when cooked by different methods. Nitrogen storage effectively preserved the chemical composition of the cowpeas and maintained grain with better cooking characteristics than cowpeas stored in other systems. Cooking methods and the storage conditions influenced the cooking time and significantly affected the thiamine loss, rate of proteolysis, in‐vitro protein digestibility and sensory qualities of the cowpeas. Cooking the stored unsoaked cowpeas with local rock salt to reduce cooking time had a deleterious effect on both the nutritional and sensory qualities of cowpeas.

Winged bean in human nutrition

Protein calorie malnutrition is prevalent in many developing countries of the tropics and subtropics. Improvement of protein supply to meet the demand of a growing population necessitates utilization of unconventional protein sources. Winged bean, a high protein crop, is one of the important underexploited legumes of the tropics. All the plant parts, viz., seeds, immature pods, leaves, flowers and tubers are edible. Mature seeds contain 29 to 37% proteins and 15 to 18% oil. It has fairly good amounts of phosphorus, iron, and vitamin B. Essential amino acid composition of winged bean is very similar to that of soybean. The fatty acid composition is very much comparable to groundnut. It contains relatively high amounts of behenic acid and parinaric acid. The trypsin inhibitor in winged bean has been shown to be heat resistant. Other toxic factors such as hemagglutinins and cyanide have also been reported. Winged bean seeds are hard to cook. Soaking of seeds in the Rockland's soak solution containing sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, and sodium pyrophosphate reduces cooking time significantly. The potential uses of this important crop in human nutrition and future research needs are discussed.

Influence of Pre‐Soaking on Black Bean Cooking Kinetics

ABSTRACTSoaking of black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and the subsequent effect on cooking kinetics was investigated. Unsoaked beans and beans soaked in water or a salt combination solution were water cooked at temperatures of 90–135°C. Bean softening did not follow first order kinetics. Using DT values (defined as cooking times necessary to reach an “eating‐soft” texture: Instron puncture force of 150g), softening activation energies (Ea's) for unsoaked, water, and salt combination soaked were 19.1, 31.3, and 38.9 Kcal/mole, respectively. Z values were calculated as 17, 22 and 36C°, respectively. These relationships suggest ways of safely reducing cooking time and energy expenditures.

PHYTATE CONTENT AND ITS EFFECT ON COOKING QUALITY OF BEANS

Storage of dry beans under conditions of relatively high moisture and temperature increased the cooking time of the beans about 5-fold. Among the changes that occur in beans stored in this way, the reduction (about 65%) in phytic acid content was the best indicator of increased cooking time. Cooking times of various legumes studied correlated well with the ratio of % phytic acid/% Ca present in the beans. Soaking high moisture beans in a solution of either phytic acid or EDTA reduced cooking time to that of control beans. Cooking time of control beans soaked under the same conditions was reduced by between 1/3 and 1/2, depending on the solution used.

Improvement in cooking quality of horse gram (Dolichos biflorus) by pre-soaking treatment with salt solution

Soaking of horse gram (Dolichos biflorus) in a solution of 1.5% NaHCO3, 0.5% Na2CO3, and 0.75% citric acid for 12 h was found to be effective in reducing cooking time from 145 to 27 min. The treatment improved protein digestibility of cooked horse gram from 69 to 78%. Horse gram cooked after pre-treatment with soak solution had 35% less amount of polyphenols than that in untreated cooked samples. The suitability of this treatment for reducing cooking time of several other legumes was evaluated.

Título en español.

Semillas secas de la habichuela alada se prepararon para el consumo humano de cinco maneras: hervidas, hervidas después de tratarlas con bicarbonato de sodio, hervidas y majadas para preparar una sopa, hervidas y fritas y preparadas como una cuajada vegetal. Las que no se trataron con bicarbonato de sodio retuvieron un sabor a nuez, pero algo desagradable. El tratamiento con bicarbonato de sodio aumenta su capacidad de imbibición, acorta el tiempo de cocción y elimina el sabor desagradable. El sabor de las habichuelas hervidas mejora al majarlas y cocinarlas nuevamente en una sopa. Las hervidas y fritas tuvieron alguna aceptación como comida ligera. La cuajada vegetal era de apariencia desagradable y de sabor fuerte. Las habichuelas aladas hervidas son mejores en sopas o fritas. En contraste, las tratadas con bicarbonato de sodio son mejores si se preparan como un plato típico de habichuelas hervidas.

PALATABILITY AND COOKING CHARACTERISTICS OF MECHANICALLY TENDERIZED BEEF

This paper reports observations on the palatability and cooking properties of mechanically tenderized (“needled”) U.S. Good grade beef cuts. Top round roasts, chuck top blade boneless roasts, top round steaks and top loin boneless steaks were evaluated. Highly significant improvements in tenderness, measured by Warner-Bratzler shear, were found in round roasts and in round and loin steaks due to mechanical tenderization. Initial and residual sensory tenderness evaluations showed a decided tenderization effect of the treatment on round steaks only. The tenderization process reduced cooking time and juiciness of round roasts and increased drip cooking losses from both types of roasts, but did not affect any of these properties of steaks. Mechanical tenderization had no influence on any of the other observed properties of beef (total and evaporation cooking losses, cooked muscle fluid content and desirability of flavor). Tests for interactions showed that the method of cooking roasts (dry heat or moist heat) did not influence the tenderness and other observed properties of mechanically tenderized beef. Similarly, except for total moisture of round steaks, mechanical tenderization of beef cuts did not alter the effects induced by a meat temperature of 80°C compared to 70°C.