seeing red: infraready slashes pulse cooking times

One company making pulses more convenient is InfraReady Products, which partially pre-cooks them using infra-red technology. President Mark Picard says: "This causes water molecules in pulses to heat up and vibrate and turn into steam. It also preserves nutrient content." Typically, many beans and peas require pre-soaking and then cooking for two-three hours, says Picard. "Our peas don't need pre-soaking and cook in 30-45 minutes. By 'bumping' [flattening of the pulse], we can further reduce cooking time to 15-30 minutes." Pre-cooked peas and beans can also be ground into a powder and used as natural thickeners in soups, gravies, stews and casseroles, he says. "Pre-cooked grains and legumes absorb more water, more quickly, and by inactivating enzymes and reducing microbial counts, come with increased stability." The process also eliminates many of the undesirable flavours and textures in pulses, he adds. Separately, InfraReady is also doing a roaring trade in ancient grains including quinoa, kamut, antho grain (purple wheat) and spelt, says Picard. "These are becoming much more popular as consumers tap into the whole grain trend."