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Kidney bean - Definition and Overview |
| Related Words: Abdomen, Animus, Anus, Appendix, Aptitude, Bent, Bias, Blood, Brain, Brains, Brand, Breed, Cast, Cecum, Character, Chitterlings, Clan, Colon, Color, Constitution, Denomination, Description |
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Kidney beans are a variety of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) with a dark red skin.
The raw beans must be boiled for at least ten minutes before they are edible. The boiling degrades a toxic compound - the lectin phytohaemagglutinin - found in the bean which would otherwise cause severe gastric upset. Kidney beans may be bought uncooked, or pre-cooked and canned with water and salt, and sometimes also sugar.
External links
- Plant lectins (http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/toxicagents/lectins/lectins.html)
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