How to De-Gas Beans

Cheap and convenient, beans are naturally high-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free, and vegan—a nutritional bargain. Veliavik/Shutterstock

If you’re bothered by gas when you eat beans, try this cooking method.

Put the beans in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and take them off the heat. This breaks the capsules surrounding the beans and allows stachyose, verbascose and raffinose, the gas-causing sugars, to escape into the water. Stir about half a teaspoon of baking soda into the soaking water (to make it more alkaline) and let the beans soak overnight.