Baking soda for soaking and cooking peas, beans and other legumes

Benefits of peas

Peas, as a legume, have a considerable list of positive properties, presented in the list below:

• beans contain a considerable amount of vegetable protein, which is very valuable for the body;
• peas also contain amino acids that are necessary for the normal functioning of the body;
• the presence of coarse dietary fiber helps improve intestinal function;
• Regular consumption of peas reduces the risk of developing cancer;
• peas have high nutritional value and can be eaten as a plant-based meat substitute;
• the presence of vitamins A, B, C, iron, phosphorus, calcium;
• slowing down the aging process in the body.

Among the disadvantages of legumes is the ability to increase gas formation, therefore peas are contraindicated in case of disruption of the gastrointestinal tract, gout.

Video: How to quickly cook peas

How to speed up the process?

To reduce the time it takes to prepare a pea dish, use the classic soaking of legumes before cooking. But the soaking itself takes several hours.

There are several ways to cook peas without soaking:

• Soda. Adding a bulk ingredient can not only reduce the cooking time of the beans, but also help the beans lose their ability to cause gases inside the intestines.
• Oil. To reduce the time for cooking pea products, use sunflower oil or butter. The oil causes a film to form on the surface of the liquid in which the peas are cooked. It can increase the temperature of the product, which, in turn, will reduce the time for bringing the legumes to readiness.
• Double boiler. To speed up the cooking process, you can use a double boiler. You will need to place the washed grains in a bowl and add liquid in a ratio of 1:2. The appliance should be set to the “Extinguishing” program for approximately 40 minutes. If this time is not enough, it is permissible to add another 30 minutes to the timer of the electrical appliance. When ready, the product should be salted and sent to the table.

• Pressure cooker. One of the best ways to cook peas in a short time. You will need to rinse the kernels, transfer them to the device and pour in a sufficient volume of water so that the liquid covers the beans by 10 cm. Cover the workpiece with a lid. After heating the pressure cooker over high heat, after the sizzling sounds appear, you will need to set the fire to the minimum power and cook the split peas in this mode for 25 minutes, a full 50 minutes. When the time is up, turn off the heat and wait until the pressure cooker releases pressure. This will take 10 to 15 minutes. After opening the lid, the beans must be salted.

If you cannot boil the peas, then it is best to use one of the proposed methods. As a result, you can make a delicious and nutritious treat at home. Soup with beans and smoked wings, pea porridge with meat or steak-based gravy, and mashed potatoes with cracklings are very popular among children and adults.

Recommendations for making it boil

In order to quickly boil peas, you need to consider some factors:

1. when buying peas, it is best to take split peas, as they boil much faster;
2. Idaho pea varieties are susceptible to boiling faster;
3. the grains are thoroughly washed in cold water and only cold water is poured in, in which the cereal will subsequently be boiled;
4. During cooking, it is best to use soft, drinking water;
5. To quickly cook beans, they can be heated well in a hot frying pan;
6. The peas will boil faster in a thick-bottomed pan.

Pea porridge

Pea dishes include soups, cereals, fillings for pies and pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried peas;
• one medium carrot (about 100 g);
• 2 medium onions;
• 30–50 g butter;
• salt to taste.
• ground black pepper.

To add some piquancy, 5 minutes before complete readiness, you can add a bay leaf, which should be immediately removed after turning off the heat.

Note: to make the dish dietary, butter can be replaced with vegetable oil (3 tbsp.).

Cooking method:

1. Rinse the peas, place in a saucepan and fill with cold water so that it covers the product by 2 cm.
2. Leave for 1-2 hours at room temperature. If soaking overnight, place the pan in the refrigerator.
3. Before cooking, rinse the peas again, place them in a saucepan and cover with cold water (3-4 cups).
4. Place the pan over low heat and cook for 1 hour (for split peas) or 1.5 hours (for whole ones).
5. If the water in the pan has already boiled away and the peas have not had time to cook, add the required amount of boiling water.
6. Add salt and spices at the end of cooking.
7. Peel the carrots and onions. Grate the carrots on a coarse grater, cut the onion into small cubes.
8. Sauté vegetables in vegetable or butter until golden brown.
9. Place the finished roast and cooked peas in a blender, beat until smooth.

Bon appetit!

Soaking peas in soda

The process of soaking peas is carried out according to the following scheme:

• the required amount of cereal is sorted out and washed under running water;
• the finished cereal is completely filled with cold water;
• add the required amount of baking soda (the proportion is 2 teaspoons per 1.5 liters of water).

This soaking technique helps eliminate increased gas formation when peas are eaten directly.

Why do you need to add soda?

Soda is added to speed up the cooking process of peas. At the same time, this procedure significantly reduces the content of vitamin B1 in beans. As a result, the beneficial properties are reduced, so this aspect must be taken into account before direct preparation.

How much soda to add

The optimal amount of soda for further splitting of peas is considered to be 2 teaspoons per 2 liters of water. The finished solution must be thoroughly mixed until the alkali is completely dissolved and the desired effect is obtained.

The water level in the container with soaked peas should exceed 2–3 cm. After the procedure, the cereals must be thoroughly rinsed in order to eliminate the unpleasant taste of soda.

How to Soak Peas to Make Soup

Making pea soup quickly depends on following the recommendations below:

• preparing a glass of cereal, selecting bad grains and thoroughly rinsing under running water;
• pour 2 liters of cold water over the peas and put on fire;
• add 1 tbsp to boiling water. a spoonful of baking soda;
• mix the mixture thoroughly and remove the pan from the heat;
• Next, cover the pan with a lid and wait 30 minutes;
• after time, drain the water and fill with 2 liters of cold liquid;
• Next, boil the cereal over medium heat for another 20 minutes and add some salt;
• Add all other ingredients needed to prepare the soup.

Soaking correctly

• In order for your soup to be aromatic, satisfying and healthy, you need to learn how to soak peas correctly. On average, this process takes about 6 hours. In most cases, housewives leave the peas to soak overnight or while they are at work. This method may exist, but subject to one very important condition. The room where the peas will be stored should not be hot. This should be a ventilated area.
• If the room is cold, that is, the temperature is below average, then you need to soak the peas not for 6 hours, but for 8 hours.
• But if the room, on the contrary, is hot, then it is better to reduce this time to 4 hours.

It is very important to choose the most optimal time. If you overcook the peas, you will not be able to cook them, as they will turn sour. And, if you don’t soak it completely, it will be tough, since it won’t have time to swell completely. Accordingly, you will need to cook it longer, and this threatens that all the ingredients in your soup will be overcooked.

How to quickly cook peas

In order to quickly cook peas, you can use the above methods, depending on the convenience of cooking. If all conditions are met, the cereal will quickly boil to the desired consistency.

Video:

How to cook pea porridge or puree

To prepare boiled pea porridge, a glass of cereal must be sorted out, rinsed, added a liter of cold water and brought to a boil over medium heat.

When the porridge boils, you need to add soda in the proportion of 2 teaspoons per 2 liters of water and remove the pan from the heat for 30 minutes. After the time has passed, drain the water, add new water and continue cooking for another 20–30 minutes.

To boil the cereal faster, you can add a small amount of butter or vegetable oil to the porridge.

If you need to get puree, then the finished peas can be crushed in a blender to a uniform consistency. If it is necessary to preserve half grains of peas, you can cook them according to the usual scheme until complete disintegration is eliminated.

Making soup

Sodium bicarbonate can be added to pea or bean soup even during the cooking process. Our great-grandmothers used this method.

Housewives often add too much soda, which spoils the taste of the finished dish. To make pea soup truly tasty, you must strictly adhere to the norm: 1 tsp is enough for a two-liter pan. no slide.

When cooking puree soup, add soda 10 minutes after boiling.

If you want the peas to remain intact, but at the same time become soft, add sodium bicarbonate after re-boiling the broth with the beans.

Reviews

Reviews about boiling peas and adding soda to further break them down have good responses, since this technique allows you to quickly prepare a tasty dish without cost or additional effort.

Dear readers, was this article helpful? What do you think about soaking peas with baking soda to make soup? Leave feedback in the comments! Your opinion is important to us!

“I cook pea soup only using this method with the addition of soda, because the whole family loves boiled peas. The main thing is to comply with all the conditions and within an hour everything is ready without any problems.”

Irina, Novokuznetsk

“I also make pea soup very often and do without soda. To do this, just select fresh beans based on organoleptic characteristics and cook them only in cold water for 40 minutes. And only when the halves begin to boil, add the rest of the ingredients.”

Galina, Simferopol

Nuances and tips

After you have poured water over the peas, try not to shake them or disturb them in any way, otherwise this will lead to the appearance of foam and souring of the product. Also, you should not leave the beans in the water for more than 8 hours, otherwise the product will definitely turn sour and all you have to do is throw it away.

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You need to salt the dish with legumes at the end of cooking. If you add salt earlier, the peas will cook longer.

If you need to add tomato paste or fresh tomatoes to dishes with peas directly during the cooking process, this should be done at the moment when the beans become soft. Otherwise, the acidity of the tomatoes will prevent them from cooking for a long time.

As you can see, soaking the peas really makes the cooking process easier. Follow all the rules described above, and cooking peas will not cause you any difficulties, and the result will pleasantly surprise you.