r/Cooking•
l0u_pickles

Safety when cooking dry beans. Mixed info online.

Sorry if this a noob question, I just don't want to poison myself!

I want to learn how to cook dry beans since I've only ever eaten beans from a can. I've read about the dangers of PHA in beans, notable red kidney beans, and how it's important to soak them and boil them to destroy the lectins.

My confusion is that many recipes online say to bring the beans to a boil and then simmer for an hour or two. Aren't these insufficient time and temperature to destroy the toxin? Everything I've read about PHA in beans says to boil them hard for 10-30 minutes, then simmer, since inadequate temperature can raise the toxins potency.

Posted Mar 8, 2026, 6:07 PM UTC

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