Abstract
The effects of different soaking and cooking methods were investigated on available carbohydrate content and starch digestibility of red and white kidnry beans. Total soluble sugars,reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars and starch contents of red and white kidney beans were 9.95 and 11.3%, 0.89 and 0.96%,9.13% and10.3% and 44.4%and47.8%,respectively. All these available carbohydrate components decreased to various extents as a result of soaking and cooking. From 2.51 to 13.6% and 7.03 to 28.0% of total soluble sugaes were lost on soaking kidney beans in tap water and sodium bicarbonate solution, respectively. However, losses in total soluble sugars were maximum (19.9-60.9%) on cooking pre-soaked kidney beans. Losses in starch contents were 4.27 to24.7% and 30.4 to 70.7% as a result of the soaking and cooking processes, respectively. Besides these losses, starch digestibility of kidney beans was also markedly improved as a result of cooking. However, no appreciable improvement in starch digestibility was observed after soaking kidney beans in water or alkaline solution.