freaking out, please help

[tiepie]

So I decided to try this new recipe for black beans. It was my first time cooking them and I following the recipe pretty closely (soaked the beans for 6 hours, then cooked them on medium-high heat for about 45 minutes total)...but when I decided to try several spoonfuls, there were definitely some undercooked, hard-ish beans. I thought this was no big deal... until I googled "undercooked black beans" and found all sorts of terrible things. Apparently there is a compound in raw beans (especially kidney beans) that can make people really ill. Symptoms usually occur within 1-3 hours and I ate them about an hour ago...but now I just know I'm going to be up all night fearing the worst. I wish I had checked this before I cooked those beans... now I feel terrified and stupid. Has anyone eaten undercooked beans and lived to tell the tale? If so, I could really use your support right now

[ditchy_jon]

I am assuming you mean the natural insecticide found inside bean called lectin and phytohaemagglutinin. When people meantion undercooked beans, they mean raw beans, or hardly cooked. If you cook beans for 45 minutes, they will probably be a little hard, but all the lectin or Phytohaemagglutinin, will have gone. Basically if the beans are pretty much raw, it can take 4-5 beans to cause an illness. however if the are a little hard after being cooked for 45 minutes, it will take nearly 100 beans to possibly make you ill.

I wouldn't worry, you wont catch anything from these beans.

[mamacat]

If by hard you mean "al dente" (a bit firm), then yes I have done that.I even fed some to my baby. We were all fine. We didn't really care for the texture, though I had no idea it was dangerous!

I usually cook dry beans in tbe crock pot, soak and the 5 hrs on high or 10 on low. They are never even slightly hard when done this way. Maybe an option for you in the future?

[Eloyie]

Yes! I did that once, and didn't like the texture, but we were all fine. Now I soak beans at least 24 hours