Understanding the Relations Among the Storage, Soaking, and Cooking Behavior of Pulses: A Scientific Basis for Innovations in Sustainable Foods for the Future.

The world faces challenges that require sustainable solutions: food and nutrition insecurity; replacement of animal-based protein sources; and increasing demand for convenient, nutritious, and health-beneficial foods; as well as functional ingredients. The irrefutable potential of pulses as future sustainable food systems is undermined by the hardening phenomenon that develops upon their storage under adverse conditions of temperature and relative humidity. Occurrence of this phenomenon indicates storage instability.

Comparison of dynamic water distribution and microstructure formation of shiitake mushrooms during hot air and far infrared radiation drying by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy.

Background: An abundance of shiitake mushrooms is consumed in dried form around the world. In the present study, changes in water state, water distribution and microstructure of shiitake mushrooms during hot-air drying (HAD) and far-infrared radiation drying (FIRD) processes were investigated using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and scanning electron microscopy. Quality attributes of the dried products were compared in terms of drying property, appearance, rehydration behavior, texture and storage stability.

Detailed analysis of seed coat and cotyledon reveals molecular understanding of the hard-to-cook defect of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

The hard-to-cook (HTC) defect in legumes is characterized by the inability of cotyledons to soften during the cooking process. Changes in the non-starch polysaccharides of common bean seed coat and cotyledon were studied before and after development of the HTC defect induced by storage at 35°C and 75% humidity for 8months. Distinct differences in the yields of alcohol insoluble residues, degree of methoxylation (DM), sugar composition, and molar mass distribution of non-starch polysaccharides were found between the seeds coat and cotyledons.

Hydration properties and texture fingerprints of easy- and hard-to-cook bean varieties.

The objective of this study was to understand the factors that affect the hydration and cooking profiles of different bean varieties. During this study, nine bean varieties were classified as either easy-to-cook (ETC) or hard-to-cook (HTC) based on a subjective finger pressing test and an objective cutting test. Rose coco, Red haricot, and Zebra beans were classified as ETC, while Canadian wonder, Soya fupi, Pinto, non-nodulating, Mwezi moja, Gwaku, and New mwezi moja were HTC.

Extraction and characterization of pectic polysaccharides from easy- and hard-to-cook common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris).

The occurrence of the hard-to-cook (HTC) defect in legumes is characterized by the inability of cotyledons to soften during the cooking process. This phenomenon may be influenced by pectin properties. The objective of this study was to characterize the pectic polysaccharides comprised in the alcohol insoluble residue (AIR) extracted from easy-to-cook (Rose coco) and hard-to-cook (Pinto) common beans.