Beans and Lentils

How I cook/prepare beans and lentils...

Sprouting/Germination
1. Rinse the beans, then soak them in filtered water for about 8-12 hours (depending on the size on the bean).
2. Drain the water, then place in a sprouting container (if they're not in one already), rinse with fresh filtered water every 6-12 hours depending on humidity. I place the sprouting container on its side to increase aeration.
3. Repeat step 2 until the roots/tails are at your desired length (could be 1 mm, could be 1 inch... I usually sprout for 2 days).

You could eat your beans/spouts now if you want (raw or cooked).

Sprouted Black Lentils

Fermenting/Brining
4. Take the sprouts and soak in salt water. I use 2 teaspoons salt per 1 cup of filtered water. Make sure the water is an inch or more above the beans. You can add a starter like a cabbage leaf, but I find it unnecessary. It's good to have a screw-on lid on your fermenting container as the bubbles will float the beans. Shake or stir the beans every 8 hours or so to resubmerge them. Or use a weight to keep them under water (a brine filled closed jar or plastic bag can work).
5. Ferment/brine as long as you want. I've gone as long as ten days before eating them raw or cooking them.

Tip: Place your fermentation container in a glass casserole dish as the brine will often overflow the fermenting container (the lid of which should only be screwed on loosely).

Tip: Don't use metal containers or lids as they may rust (stainless steel may be okay, but I haven't tried it). I use plastic (HDPE and PP) and glass containers that are left over from other foods (mayonnaise jars are good for small batches). I use big 96 oz protein powder tubs for my bean fermenting (they easily hold three cups of dry beans as they expand).

Sprouted Black Lentils Fermenting

Cooking

6. I like to use a pressure cooker. I gently rinse the fermented/sprouted beans with filtered water. It's important to get most of the salt water off as it will make the cooked beans too salty. All pressure cookers are different so times may vary. I cook bigger beans for 2-3 minutes at high pressure and then let the pressure come down naturally. I cook lentils for 1 minute and then let the pressure come down naturally. I'll sometimes use stock instead of water. And I always add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to reduce the foam/gas in the pressure cooker.

All three of these preparation techniques are supposed to reduce phytic acid, lectins, and gas in the beans/lentils. And the resulting beans taste great! The salt level is just right. So is the texture.