Evaluation of Cooking Time in Pulses: A Review

Abstract

Cereal Chem. 94(1):32-48Pulses are most commonly consumed after cooking. Those that require long cooking times are less convenient, more energy consuming, and, therefore, less desirable for consumers and processors. Pulse breeding programs are interested in breeding for quicker-cooking pulse varieties but, there is no standard method for the evaluation of cooking time. The major direct measures used to evaluate cooking time include sensory analysis, tactile method, spread area ratio, Mattson bean cooker, white core method, and glass slides method. However, each method has limitations, and methodology parameters were found to vary greatly between studies. Cooking time is also affected by the seed coat and whether the seed was presoaked. Authors' definitions of "cooked" and the percentage of seeds required to attain this designation also varied. Within-sample variability of pulse samples creates additional complexity in the evaluation of whole seeds. Several indirect predictive estimators of relative cooking time from the literature are also outlined and discussed. The biggest limitation of these potential predictive methods is the lack of a reliable reference method for validation. This review critically examines each direct cooking time methodology, potential predictive methods, and the scientific challenges in determining the cooking time of pulse samples.

Pulse Flour Characteristics from a Wheat Flour Miller's Perspective: A Comprehensive Review

“…The effect of storage on the millability and milled‐product quality of pulses is another important factor. Most studies on postharvest storage have linked effects to the physical properties of pulses, including the time required for cooking (Coelho et al., ; Wood, ). Variables during storage, such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), light, oxygen level, and moisture content have been related to changes in seed coat color (Pratap, Mehandi, Pandey, Malviya, & Katiyar, ).…”

“…Variables during storage, such as temperature, relative humidity (RH), light, oxygen level, and moisture content have been related to changes in seed coat color (Pratap, Mehandi, Pandey, Malviya, & Katiyar, ). A significant amount of research has focused on the hard‐to‐cook (HTC) phenomenon associated with prolonged and suboptimal storage conditions (Wood, ). However, a correlation between storage parameters (viz.…”

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to variation in cell wall composition in mature desi chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.) cotyledons

“…The chemical composition of desi chickpea dhal (dehulled and split seeds, i.e., the cotyledons) is less commonly reported (Attia, El‐Tabey Shehata, Aman, & Hamza, ; Iqbal, Khalil, Ateeq, & Khan, ; Frimpong et al, ; Wood et al, –d) and has generally focussed on major components such as protein, starch, minerals, and some antinutrients. The composition of dhal is important for nutrition but is also likely to contribute to the cooking time, which is defined as softening, most often through a hydrothermal process, which improves dhal texture, palatability, and digestibility (Sasikala, Ravi, & Narasimha, ; Shiga, Cordenunsi, & Lajolo, ; Wood, ). In general, plant tissue softening is due to weakening or dissociation of intercellular connections between cells through solubilization, depolymerization, and/or the loss of pectic polysaccharides (Brummell & Harpster, ; Paciulli et al, ; Vicente, Ortugno, Powell, Greve, & Labavitch, ).…”

“…Cooking times of pulses are known to be influenced by the environment, both in the field and in postharvest storage (Berry et al, ; Castellanos Ramos et al, ; Ghaderi, Hosfield, Adams, & Uebersax, ; Hentges, Weaver, & Nielsen, ; Morais, Valentini, Guidolin, Baldissera, & Coimbra, ; Paredes‐López, Maza‐Calviño, & González‐Castañeda, ; Paredes‐López, Reyes‐Moreno, Montes‐Rivera, & Carabez‐Trejo, ; Perez Herrera, Acosta Diaz, Padilla Ramirez, & Acosta Gallegos, ; Reyes‐Moreno, Okamura‐Esparza, Armienta‐Rodelo, Gómez‐Garza, & Milán‐Carrillo, ; Stanley, Michaels, Plhak, & Caldwell, ). In particular, high heat and humidity can cause what is known as the hard‐to‐cook defect, a condition where pulse seeds hydrate but do not soften even after prolonged cooking (Hohlberg & Stanley, ; Reyes‐Moreno, Paredes‐López, & Gonzalez, ; Sefa Dedeh, Stanley, & Voisey, ; Wood, ). Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the hard‐to‐cook mechanism, including restricted starch gelatinization (by protein insolubilization, pectin β‐elimination, degradation, or lipid oxidation) and reduced pectin solubility (through the binding activity of phytates, phenolics, or lignification).…”

“…The composition of dhal is important for nutrition but is also likely to contribute to the cooking time, which is defined as softening, most often through a hydrothermal process, which improves dhal texture, palatability, and digestibility (Sasikala, Ravi, & Narasimha, 2011;Shiga, Cordenunsi, & Lajolo, 2009;Wood, 2016). In general, plant tissue softening is due to weakening or dissociation of intercellular connections between cells through solubilization, depolymerization, and/or the loss of pectic polysaccharides (Brummell & Harpster, 2001;Paciulli et al, 2016;Vicente, Ortugno, Powell, Greve, & Labavitch, 2007).…”