Neuroscience
"Hard-To-Cook"
In a recent publication, Medeiros Coelho and colleagues (2007) reported that altered levels of phytate contribute to the "hard-to-cook" phenomenon that can occur after storage of common beans at extreme temperature conditions. Why do they become "hard-to-cook"?
In countries such as Brazil and Mexico, common beans are an important part of the human diet because they are the primary source of daily proteins and minerals.[1][2] ...when the grains are subjected to improper post-harvest storage conditions, such as high temperature (30-40 °C) and high humidity (>75%), the grains can be altered in their color, texture, flavor and time required for cooking.[3-5] These alterations have been associated with the 'hard-to-cook' phenomenon (HTC) and a reduction in the quality of the grains.[3]
Adapted from Figure 2 of Medeiros Coelho et al. (2007). Phytate content of the bean genotypes Peruano and Paraiso stored at 29 °C (C) and at 5 °C ( D), both at 75% relative humidity (RH) for 135 days. Why the post on beans? Threats to fellow bloggers who comply with fair use of material published in scientific journals are "hard-to-swallow" and don't amount to a hill of beans
1.
1 For a fascinating look at bean biopiracy, read Danielle Goldberg's excellent report, JACK AND THE ENOLA BEAN, which describes how an American bean industry executive patented a yellow bean originally obtained from Mexico.
ReferenceCileide Maria Medeiros Coelho, Cláudia de Mattos Bellato, Julio Cesar Pires Santos, Edwin Moises Marcos Ortega, Siu Mui Tsai (2007). Effect of phytate and storage conditions on the development of the 'hard-to-cook' phenomenon in common beans.
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 87:1237-1243.
-
Wake Up And Smell The Coffee?
It seems to work for rats... Wonderful World of Rats Is a sniff as good as a cup of coffee? 11 June 2008 From New Scientist Print Edition. DRINKING a cup of coffee can wake you up, but perhaps just a whiff of Java is enough to reverse the effects of...
-
Fresh Cooked Edamame
As I was perusing the gorgeous displays at the Durham Farmer's Market today, I lingered at Piedmont Biofarm ... and discovered some fresh edamame. I've made it before, but this time I decided to research recipes to see if I could recreate the...
-
Christmas Soup
This recipe for Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup) from ChefMD looks like Christmas! The look is entirely coincidental, but I'm glad for a holiday-looking soup all the same. Yesterday, I listened to a People's Pharmacy® interview...
-
Chocolate Mooncakes (gluten-free). Or, Recipes On The Blog!
I've been cooking & posting photos / recipes to my Facebook page for a while now. That turns out to be satisfying because my friends post comments ... but ultimately is unsatisfying because I can't easily refer people...
-
Guidelines For Grading Papers
(Part 2 of my series summarizing John Bean's book Engaging Ideas) Bean offers a lot of ideas on how to both make papers easier to grade for teachers AND more useful for students. Imagine that -- a process that works well for both parties! There's...
Neuroscience