Eating uncooked kidney beans

I bought some dried Kidney Beans from Whole Foods and soaked them for 8 hours and added them into a Coleslaw salad recipe and they taste terrible. I am trying to keep them as raw as possible to get the most nutrition out of them. Any suggestions on what else I can do to make them a bit tastier?

Thanks,
Debby Stimmler-Coupland
San Carlos, CA

*****
Sassy Sez: Hi Debby! So glad you wrote about your raw kidney bean dilemma.

First and foremost, you MUST cook kidney beans before eating them. Why? Because they contain a toxin that can only be destroyed by cooking them thoroughly.

I came across this information long ago, and added it to my website. Little did I know how important this information would be!

It wasn't long before I received this note:

"Thanks for posting the warning to people about the dangers of dried Red Kidney Beans eaten uncooked. I found this out the hard way a few years ago. I soaked them but used them raw in the recipe. There was nothing on the dried bean package about any danger, and I read the recipe instructions wrong. My husband and I both got sick learning this the hard way. You can't tell while eating them that you will get sick."
-- Jona F., Hermitage, Tennessee

It's interesting to note that you don't have to eat a lot of these beans in order to trigger symptoms -- even as few as four or five raw beans can do the trick.

What exactly can happen if you eat raw kidney beans?

How about horrendous nausea, vomiting (which can be severe). Then about an hour later diarrhea steps in along with some tummy pains. Sometimes it gets so bad you are hospitalized! Fortunately, you recover quite quickly from the whole ordeal.

Most beans can have this challenge to some extent, but red kidney beans seem to be the biggest culprit since they have the greatest amount of this toxin.

It's QUITE surprising there are no warnings on the packages of dried kidney beans - maybe we should start a movement!

Debby, you will get the MOST nutrition out of any bean by cooking them first.

Find complete instructions for shopping for your beans, soaking them, cooking, and also flavoring your beans over at my Bean Cooking Guide.

Hope this helps. Cook those beans, girlfriend! :)
xo

Next: More On Toxic Red Kidney Beans

Comments for Eating uncooked kidney beans

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Rating

bewildered
by: Anonymous

Good information, however, I didn't see how to cook them on the stove instructions.

Rating

:)
by: Sassy

Bewildered, is this what you're looking for?...

Cooking beans without a pressure cooker

Cooking beans with a pressure cooker

XO

Rating

sodium content of red kidney beans
by: Anonymous

I just read that red kidney beans have a high sodium content. I think maybe they meant canned beans but the article did not say. I cook all my beans myself because I thought the sodium content would be lower plus, as you say, they just taste better. Do you have any information about that?

Rating

You are correct!
by: Sassy

Yes, my sweet, they mean canned beans. ;)

Rating

what about FRESH kidney beans?
by: Anonymous

I am looking for info on cooking and/or freezing freshly shelled kidney beans. Everything I find talks about the dangers of eating raw uncooked kidney beans, but when I look further they are always talking about raw DRIED kidney beans. I have 5 lbs of freshly shelled kidney beans and I was just steaming them and they taste wonderful. Just don't know whether I should cook them longer and how to freeze them.

Rating

Hmmmm...
by: Sassy

Well, dried or not, all beans start out like this when they're "born". So I would imagine they still must be cooked, but I don't think they need to be soaked first.

But maybe someone will come along who knows for sures? xo!

Rating

I just ate raw kidney beans...
by: Phoebe

For lunch yesterday I ate around 15 raw (soaked) kidney beans in a bean dip and became really ill.. Nausea, diarrhea, light headed, chills, etc. I had no idea that raw kidney beans would cause such harm. I started Googling a few hours after getting sick to find out what it could possibly be and realized that it had to be the kidney beans that did it.

I agree with you, that it's VERY surprising there's not a warning on the bag...

Overall, I feel better today (about 20 hours later) but still not 100%.

Rating

Oh no!
by: Sassy

Oh, Phoebe, that's terrible to hear! So glad you're feeling better today. I don't know why there isn't a warning. Maybe it's just something they think we're expected to know.

Crazy. :-/

Rating

Raw Beans
by: Mike

i ate around half a can of kidney beans and oh lord my stomach Kills

Rating

Cooking Beans the "right" way
by: Nan who is a vegan

Dear Sassy, I received a new crock pot for Hanukkah and don't know how to cook beans in it. Can you provide a recipe for pinto or black beans, my two favorites?
Love your newsletter and wish you a serene, joyous, and health enhanced New Year! Nan

Rating

Canned beans
by: Elin

Thanks for a helpful website Sassy! One more question on the digestion subject.

I know you prefer to cook beans by yourself. In case I do buy canned kidney beans though, can I eat them straight from the can? Are canned beans cooked or just soaked?

Thanks for being such an inspiring coach!

Rating

Raw kidney beans wont kill you!!
by: Stevie

I eat them all the time . Straight out of the can (the whole can sometimes) and they've NEVER EVER made me sick.
Id say some people may have a aensivity to legumes or just kidney beans. but important here to tell you its not completely true.. Just saying.

Rating

Canned beans are ready to go
by: Sassy

Elin, If you're eating your beans from a can, they have been pre-cooked. You just heat and eat. :)

Rating

kidney beans
by: Elizabeth

are bean sprouts dangerous as well?

Rating

Sprouts
by: Sassy

Hi Elizabeth!

Good question. The beans undergo a change when sprouted, just as they do when they're cooked, so eating the sprouts is not something to be worried about.

xo!
Sass

Rating

MUST COOK!
by: Kristin

I sprouted kidney beans and ate them with a salad. Not long after I became horribly ill, with severe cramping, nausea, bloating and constipation for days. I have had problems with bloating since then and it has been months. Do not eat them in anyway unless they are cooked!!!

Rating

bean sprouts
by: Anonymous

Thank You Kristin for sharing. It sounds like uncooked or sprouted kidney beans are not worth the risk of getting sick.

Rating

So sick
by: Anonymous

I started a new diet and after a week tried cooking my own beans. I went to 3 sites for directions and none of them warned of the prime importance of the brisk boil. I cooked mine in the slow cooker on HIGH and was I ever sick!

Rating

Ack!
by: Sassy

Yikes! How horrible! It's true, it is best to boil your pre-soaked kidney beans for 10-15 minutes before adding them to your slow cooker to complete the cooking process.

Rating

Fresh kidney beans
by: Anne

Someone asked about whether fresh kidney beans were equivalent to dried kidney beans. They are. Fresh kidney beans must be cooked.

Rating

Awesome
by: Sassy

Thanks, Anne, for sharing your expertise. :)

Rating

out of munchies
by: Anonymous

Damn :( I had a little craving for munchies but the only thing I had around was a bag of dry red beans... I ate a hand full, one at a time... it was tasting all nice and crunchy, but then I suddenly felt like I would vomit ... nooooo :( I don't have time to get sick :((((( how come my mom never told me not to eat dry beans when I was young ... hélas...

Rating

small red beans...
by: Anonymous

Is it also risky to eat organic small red beans? I imagine so as they look like a mini version of kidney beans, without the kidney shape. What about lentils? Are they ok to pre-soak and eat... just that I'm on raw only for a few days following a full cleanse. Many thanks! ;)

Rating

Sprout your beans and lentils
by: Sassy

Hi there!

Congrats on completing your cleanse. Yes, all beans and lentils must be cooked before eating. :)

Rating

BEANS
by: Joyce

Sassy.. I love your Bean Book and made the veggie chili... so tasty.. but I am wondering why you had me add whole cashews?.. looked odd in the dish... Did you mean to food process first?..
anyway.. you're the best.. I am now a bean expert.. OH and did you hear that adding coriander in when cooking beans boosts the nutrients?.. and.. IF you cook your beans in kombu, less... much less gas

Rating

Cashews in chili
by: Sassy

Hi Joyce!

Glad you like Cool Beans. That's...cool beans! :)

Okay, so firstly, yes the recipe is correct -- I use whole cashews. But you can also use cashew pieces. If you stir the cashews into the chili early in the cooking process, it softens them and makes for an amazing texture and flavor. Same with the raisins, if using -- add early in the cooking so they can plump and explode in your mouth. :)

That said, you can certainly grind your cashews if you would like -- just know this will likely thicken your chili further so you may need to add more liquid (like veg broth or water).

Didn't know that about coriander boosting the bean nutrients! I despise coriander and cilantro, so it's good for others to know this awesome tip. :)

Yes, a couple inches of kombu added when cooking up your beans helps to make them more digestible. And it also adds some important iodine most of us could use. :)

Great to hear from you, Joyce!
Hugs,
Sassy

Rating

Mild reaction to eating uncooked kidney beans
by: English Sam

Many years ago, when I was an opinionated but ignorant young bachelor, I soaked some dried kidney beans in preparation for making chili con carne. I had already learned that this way, much more flavour and a better texture resulted, instead of using the sloppy contents of a pre-cooked tin.
Intrigued by the aroma and luscious appearance of the soaked but uncooked beans, I tried a few. Ironically, I did actually know that thorough boiling was necessary to denature the ricin toxin the fresh beans contain, but somehow this did not occur to me when I decided to see how they tasted "raw" - they tasted great, but of course they were very chewy! I only ate a few beans this way, then went on to boil them to use in my chili.
Over the next few days, my skin became almost unbearably itchy, apparently without explanation, until the thought occurred to me some months later, that maybe I had mildly poisoned myself! I still cannot be sure if I had.

Rating

Bad to eat raw beans
by: A glutton

I just googled ''how bad is it to eat raw beans'' and I just came across this. I had tons of them for lunch in my veggie soup. The scarlet red runners; they were barely cooked and I really enjoyed their crispiness, plus I grew them organically.... OOhhh, yeah!!! Well, I am sick like a dog right now! I have terrible tummy pain. I haven't had diarrhea yet but I am nauseous like I've never been before! And never mind the stinky ''concert'' already playing... My husband is gone love that tonight! I think I'l sleep on the sofa tonight!!! NEVER AGAIN I WILL EAT BLANCHED BEANS! I should have googled about this before I pigged!

Rating

Raw kidney beans contain Ricin!
by: Sam

I learned a long time ago that raw kidney beans contain an organic toxin called ricin, poisonous certainly to Homo Sapiens, and probably to other mammals as well. Boiling in water for at least 15 minutes denatures the toxin, making the beans harmless.
I've never had access to fresh raw (undried) beans, so I don't know how best to prepare them, but it should be remembered that ALL kidney beans in an uncooked state will contain ricin, and so should not be consumed. There was an infamous assassination in London many years ago, when a man was murdered on the street by being stuck in the leg by an umbrella spike loaded with ricin - real-life James Bond stuff!
Also I am convinced that I came close to seriously harming myself (unintentionally) by eating a few rehydrated but raw beans - soaked in preparation for making chilli con carne - because I wondered what they tasted like. I suffered from unbearable skin itching for days after, although I didn't make the connection until some time later, when I heard about ricin's toxic effects.
In my long experience, soaking dried kidney beans overnight, in preparation for boiling in water (without salt, as it toughens the beans) for at least an hour, will provide you with beans suitable for adding to a dish for ongoing cooking, and will be very tasty, and retaining a firm texture. Cooking to an edible texture requires at least 2 hours' cooking in total.
Personally I hate tinned beans, because they have been cooked to death, presumably for safety, have very little flavour and turn to mush with any further cooking.
Treat kidney beans with the respect they deserve, and they will provide you with much flavoursome and healthy eating.

Rating

natural vs cultural ... cult root word
by: Anonymous

If they must be cooked they are not a natural human food but a cultural human food. Considering the bounty of foods suitable they will not be missed. We became full of ourselves and live in houses and "own" land, drink wine etc and consider ourselves sophisticated while the rape of the world and the peoples right to land for food and shelter languish.

Rating

RAW Kidney Beans are HARMFUL!
by: English Sam

As far as I know (and I do not pretend to be a food expert, simply an interested consumer), kidney beans differ from most other lentils in containing ricin when in the raw state. It may be the only one that does; I do not know.

Other lentils, red, green, brown, puy or whatever, may be quite harmless and probably very nutritious when consumed in the raw state - please, please, be very wary of raw kidney beans - they are dangerous!

You may recall there was an incident widely publicised in the wake of 9/11, where terrorists were supposedly found to be preparing ricin manufactured from (raw) kidney beans, with which to attack targets - what more proof of the danger does anyone need?

Properly cooked kidney beans (minimum 15 minutes' boiling) are good for you; a very good source of tasty protein, but RAW? No, No!

Rating

Peas ain't beans
by: MacBeannie

Lentils are peas, not beans.

Rating

CASTOR BEANS have ricin NOT kidney
by: Anonymous

ENGLISH SAM
It was Castor Beans they found...not Kidney beans...

Rating

Not a good way to lose weight
by: Anonymous

I made 15 bean soup from dried beans, soaked them over night, boiled them in the morning, put them on high in slow cooker for about 5 hours. We ate some for lunch some of the beans were kind of still crunchy but not bad, sooo I had 2 bowls full. I had some more for dinner but they were cooked more. Oh wow the next day was the worse day of my life.I made so many trips to the bathroom ALL Day long in 1 1/2 days
I lost 6 lbs. I believe the under cooked beans the (lectins) really did a number on my intestines it took really 3 weeks to heal. ( but lost 10-12 lbs) I would not recommend this for weight lose though.. Don't eat under cooked dry beans

Cathy

Rating

Yikes!
by: Alyssa

We're talking red kidney beans from a can? That can cause this?!

Rating

i ate a lot of them
by: Anonymous

I ate some 100 g of row beans...and i feel like dying. dizziness, nausea, i feel like vomiting... oh. i should have read about beans.

Rating

hey
by: Anonymous

those from the can are boiled and you can eat them. there are also the dry ones; they should be first sooked and then cooked.

Rating

Learning to cook red beans correctly
by: Judy

Never knew about the toxicity in red beans.

Rating

Raw and semi cooked or sprouted kidney beans are toxic
by: Lizz

Raw kidney beans are poisonous to humans, semi cooked are actually more poisonous as the partial cooking has caused the toxic enzyme present to start to break down which makes its bio-availability higher.

To ensure a kidney bean is safe it must be boiled for fifteen to twenty minutes and then cooked for a further 45 minutes to 2 hours. The older the bean the longer the cooking will need to be.

If you buy tinned kidney beans they will have been cooked and they will no longer contain the toxicity of uncooked beans. If you have fresh kidney beans they still must be cooked as above to eliminate the toxin.

Different beans and legumes more widely, have differnt bio-chemical composition so require different treatment to render them edible. Some respond well to sprouting. Kidney beans can't be eaten as sprouts.

In the worst cases kidney bean poisoning has resulted in death. Don't mess around with it.

Rating

Just to clarify...
by: Sassy

Thanks, Lizz. It's my understanding (and in my personal experience cooking beans -- including red kidney beans -- for over 20 years ) that red kidneys only have to be boiled first for 10-15 minutes before slow cooking.

There is no need to boil them first before completely cooking them with other methods such as boiling and pressure cooking.

That said, your beans should be pre-soaked in water for at least 8-12 hours (although I soak them for 24 hours) before cooking. Not sure if your method involves pre-soaking. If not, red kidneys usually take longer to boil than 45 minutes to 1 hour.

xo!

Rating

Lentils Don't Need Cookex
by: Anonymous

I saw your response to someone regarding lentils also needing to be cooked...lentils are a legume, not a bean, and no, they do not need to be cooked. I was raw vegan for quite some time and would eat sprouted lentil chili and never got sick once. Sprouting lentils a bit first helps aid in digesting them, however.

Rating

Sprouted is not the same as raw dried
by: Sassy

Correct, lentils do not have to be cooked if they are sprouted. They cannot be eaten as is though -- they must be processed in some way whether sprouted or cooked. Thanks for pointing that out. :)

Rating

Question
by: Anonymous

I soaked my kidney beans several days, mostly because I'm pregnant aND forget a lot of things, but I would say roughly 2-4 days, then I boiled them for 1-3 hours. They are soft and mushy, does that mean they are be ate? I'm scared now Cause I'm pregnant but hate for them to go to wash if I've cooked them right.

Rating

by: Sassy

It's not the soft and mushy part I'd be concerned about, but the fact that you soaked them for so long. Did you change the water at all?

If you soak for more than 24 hours you should change the water. They really don't need to soak much longer than that. If you can't get to them to cook them when they're ready, you can drain and refrigerate for a day before cooking.

If it were me, I would not eat them.

Sorry. :(

xo!

Rating

Got sick from KIDNEY BEANS
by: Anonymous

I just had a bowl of chili with some kidney beans and we just boiled them for two minutes. After about two hours the pain started to kick in my stomach. Then about five minutes later I just kept on vomiting. Now it is about 6 hours later and I am not vomiting anymore. But my stomach still hurts from the kidney beans that were not boiled long enough.

Rating

raw beans are poison
by: Anonymous

Never ear raw beans. been blowing up the toilet since 1am last night

Rating

Is it ok if I eat steamed kidney beans?
by: aravind

I would like to know if there is any problem if I have boiled kidney beans without adding any other veggies or curry powders.

Rating

No problem...
by: Sassy

Hi there!

If I understand your question, you're wondering if you can cook your kidney beans up all on their own without any veggies or other flavorings? Absolutely you can do that.

That's EXACTLY how we cook all of our beans. We add the flavor to the beans when we *reheat* with other ingredients to make a meal. :)

Hope this helps!
Sassy

Rating

Toxins in water?
by: Godfrey

Hi, I'm just wondering if there will be any toxins in the water once you have fully cooked the dried kidney beans or should they be fully rinsed after cooking? Thanks.

Rating

Rinsing cooked beans...
by: Sassy

Hi Godfrey!

No need to rinse your cooked beans.

Just soak before cooking and toss THAT water out.

Good job. :)

Rating

RE Toxins in water?
by: Godfrey

Thanks for the reply but I was wondering whether the water that I've cooked the dried Kidney beans in will be safe to use.

Rating

Yes, use the bean cooking water
by: Sassy

Got it. Yes, the liquid that's left after cooking your beans is delicious and nutritious. I like to use it in my cooking as well — add some of that broth to any dish to up the nutrition and taste factor. :)

This is why pre-soaking your beans is such a good idea; by the time you drain and rinse and then cook your beans up, they're ready to eat as is, broth and all. xo!

Rating

using the water
by: Godfrey

Thanks Sassy. It's exactly what I was thinking about, getting all the nutritional benefits from the Kidney beans and using the water I've cooked them in for like a stew. Many thanks for your help, have a good day.

Rating

WHY IS THIS NOT WRITTEN ON THE PACKET
by: Anonymous

I can't believe it took as little as a few bloody kidney beans to get this sick.. how come it's not written ON ANY package?

This is absurd.. one could cause damage with such a stupid and easily available bean!

Is this valid for all beans??? I never jad the issue with chick peas that I would put in a cup of boiling water enough to soften but would happily much on.

Glad to know i was not the only one to experience this the hard way - i feel a little less stupid

Rating

Black beans?
by: Anonymous

Are black beans as dangerous?

Rating

What about air frying beans?
by: Penny

I recently made a recipe using rehydrated chickpeas to make falafel in the air fryer. I don't think we had any symptoms. They were cooked at approximately 380 degrees for about 14 to 15 minutes. Is it the cooking or the boiling that is required? They were pretty soft on the inside, so I think they were pretty fully cooked. Any ideas on this?

Rating

HELP! SLOW COOKER
by: Andy

So ive never cooked raw kidney beans before im making a chilli and i boiled some kidney beans for about 5 min let them sit for 10 rinsed and threw them in the crock pot i dod the same with navy beans. I have it on high for about 8hrs its pretty much boiling the whole time. I just started reading all this on kidney beans. Are these gonna be ok in my chilli or not.

Rating

I eat uncooked kidney beans every day
by: DC

I've been eating 1 can of kidney beans (cannellini or red) every day for years and never felt nausea or upset stomach. I have NEVER cooked them, I eat them straight out of the can. Is this "poison" something to worry about if I feel none of the nausea affects?

Rating

Canned beans are precooked :)
by: Sassy

No worries there because canned beans have already been cooked.

Here, we've been speaking about raw, hard, uncooked dry beans that need to be cooked before eating.

Rating

found out the hard way
by: Patrick Sharp

Been soaking and eating red and light red beans the past month. Usually put a handful on top of the other food in the pan while I warm it up, but they are basically raw. Hadn't experienced a problem till this morning when I woke up with nausea and could not get to the bathroom fast enough. After purging like a cappuccino machine and pondering the likely causes, got on the internet and started researching. Thought it might be the 100% cocoa. But when that checked out all right, I took a deep dive into the beans. Sure enough, that's what it was. Toxic when not cooked - who knew?

Click here to add your own comments

Return to How To Cook Beans Q&A.

Authored by Patty Knutson. All Content Copyright © Vegan Coach
2007-2022 All rights reserved.
The information contained in this site is original and protected by copyright.
Please DO NOT COPY any part of this site without our express written consent. Thank you!