Refried beans

Abstract: Legumes, such as beans, are hydrated, and cooked to form a mash prior to forming the resultant mixture into shapes suitable for dehydration to a storage-stable moisture content. The dehydrated bean product has a bulk density greater than about 0.28 gm/cc, and a rehydration ratio within the range of 1.75 to 3.75:1.0, and is capable of substantially uniform reconstitution which does not require physical agitation. The hydrated product is particularly suitable for the preparation of refried beans.

Abstract: A process for producing dried bean powder which is instantly reconstitutable with water to form a product having the flavor, color and texture of conventional refried beans. The dried bean powder contains a major proportion of finely divided cooked bean particles and an appreciable quantity of larger size cooked bean skin particulate which provides the reconstituted product with a texture typical of refried beans. In the production of this product, raw beans are blanched in hot water to hydrate the beans, and the hydrated beans and blanch water are cooked under pressure in a suitable pressure cooker. Upon completion of cooking, the beans and water, which are under relatively high pressures and temperatures in the pressure cooker, are discharged from the cooker into a container at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure to provide an almost instantaneous release of pressure on the cooked beans. This instantaneous release of pressure on the cooked beans results in substantial physical degradation of the beans, thereby forming a bean slurry containing finely divided bean mash, whole bean pieces and bean skin particles. The slurry may then be milled through a screen having a relatively coarse sieve opening, with minimal grinding action, to reduce the whole bean pieces to a relatively small particle size while the bean skin particles are retained. The milled slurry is then dried, such as by applying the slurry to a single or double drum dryer, to a maximum moisture content of about 6%.

Abstract: A method of preparing a reconstitutable bean product containing a quantity of whole beans in combination with crushed or mashed beans is disclosed. The inventive method includes the initial steps of inspecting, de-stoning, cleaning, and washing the supply of whole beans. Subsequently, the whole beans are tempered for a prescribed period and are thereafter divided into two sub-quantities, one sub-quantity destined to be crushed or mashed and the other sub-quantity destined to remain whole. The separate sub-quantities of beans are then hydrated, cooked, dehydrated, combined with secondary ingredients, and packaged to provide an easily reconstitutable refried bean product containing both whole and crushed beans. The sub-quantity of beans destined to be crushed is slightly undercooked, while the sub-quantity of beans destined to remain whole is fully cooked. At the option of the operator, the sub-quantity of beans destined to be crushed may be initially split prior to hydration and cooking.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Combating iron deficiency in toddlers with iron-fortified food has proved difficult in countries with phytate-rich diets. For this purpose, a new haem iron preparation was developed. The study compared changes in iron status after administration of refried beans with beans fortified with a haem iron preparation or ferrous sulphate (FeSO4). DESIGN: In a masked, stratified-randomised intervention trial, children received five 156-g cans of refried black beans per week for 10 consecutive weeks. The beans-only (control), FeSO4 and haem iron groups were offered a cumulative dose of 155 mg, 1625 mg and 1700 mg of iron from the bean intervention, respectively. Haemoglobin (Hb) and ferritin concentrations were determined at baseline and after 5 and 10 weeks. Compliance was examined weekly. SETTING: A low-income community in Guatemala City. SUBJECTS: One hundred and ten children aged 12-36 months with initial Hb values between 100 and 115 g l(-1). RESULTS: The cumulative intake of beans was approximately 80% of that offered, signifying an additional approximately 1300 mg of either haem or inorganic iron in the corresponding treatment groups over 10 weeks. Hb concentrations increased by the order of 7.3-11.4 g l(-1) during the intervention, but without significant differences across treatments. Average ferritin concentrations were unaffected by treatment assignment. However, post hoc analysis by subgroups of initial high ferritin and initial low ferritin found the Hb increments after 10 weeks in the haem iron group (13.1+/-7.7 g l(-1)) to be significantly greater than the respective increases (6.8+/-11.2 and 6.4+/-8.5 g l(-1)) in the inorganic iron and beans-only groups. CONCLUSIONS: Canned refried beans are a candidate vehicle for fortificant iron. Given the improved colour and organoleptic properties imparted by haem iron added to refried beans, its additional potential for benefiting the iron status of consumers with iron deficiency may recommend it over FeSO4.