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What are soybeans?

soybeansSoybeans belong to the legume family and are native to East Asia. They have been an important protein source in the Orient for over five thousand years. Soybeans have only been introduced to the Western world since the 20th century. Soybeans grow on a variety of soils and a wide range of climates, ranging form tropical Brazil to the snowy island Hokkaido in the north of Japan. As soybeans mature in the pod, they ripen into hard, dry beans. Although most soybeans are yellow, there are also rare varieties which are black, brown or green coloured. A given area of land planted with soybeans can produce much more protein than land planted with other crops, or if the land were used to raise cattle.

Storing soybeans

Fresh soybeans, or edamame, should be refrigerated and used within two days. Frozen edamame can be stored in the freezer for several months. Dried soybeans can be kept in an airtight container for a very long period.

Cooking soybeans

Soybeans are most often transformed in other foods such as tempeh, tofu, miso, shoyu, soy milk or other food ingredients. However, cooked soybeans can also be used as an ingredient in soups, sauces and stews. To prepare two cups of soybeans for cooking, soak them in about six cups of water for about eight hours. This soaking shortens the cooking time, improves the texture and appearance of the beans and removes some of the indigestible sugars. Drain, rinse and cook the soaked soybeans in about six cups of fresh water. Do not add salt at this point or it will delay the softening of the soybeans. Pressure-cook the soaked soybeans for about 40 min. When you cook soybeans, make it worth your while by cooking two or three times what you need and freezing the rest for later use.

Protein source

Whole soybeans are an excellent source of protein and dietary fibre. Soy protein is the only vegetable with a complete protein. Soy protein has recently attracted a lot of attention because of its ability to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels. Results from research have prompted health professionals to request the government to officially give a stamp of approval for soy's cholesterol-lowering effects. The Food and Drug Administration approved the cholesterol-lowering health claim for soy, indicating that daily consumption of 25 grams of soy protein (6.5 grams of soy protein per serving) may lower LDL cholesterol.

Comments

Can soya beans be consumed raw?

Does soya beans contain a substance that retards growth if given to animals unprocessed?
sheutijjany - 27/11/2013

Can soybeans be consumed raw?

Soybeans, but also other legumes such as peanuts, peas and garden beans, contain anti-nutritional factors, which are reduced by heat treatment or fermentation. That's why most animal feeds contain roasted soybean meal.

Rob - 27/11/2013

Disadvantages to the environment

What are the disadvantages to the environment for using soy??? I am doing this for a project in my skool.
melissa - 19/12/2013

Disadvantages to the environment

You mean environmental disadvantages of soy products compared to meat and dairy products? Soy has a bad sustainability image because it is linked to deforestation of the Amazons. But most of this soy is used as cattle feed to produce eventually meat and milk. Consuming soy products, such as soy milk, is actually a better alternative for the environment. The more people eat a vegetarian diet the less soy is needed to feed livestock, resulting in less deforestation and a reduced impact of our food consumption on the environment.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN recently published a report entitled "Livestock's long shadow: environmental issues and options", showing that 18% of green house gas emissions originated from the livestock sector. This emission is as high as that from the transport sector.
Rob - 19/12/2013

AM POST MENOPAUSAL SO DO APPRECIATE ALL THESE BENEFITS.
ANY CALCIUM?
GRACE MUKOYOGO - 21/11/2014

mrs

I have been suffering with hot flushes night and day for some years I am 67. Recently I have tried the Alpro soya milk and it seems to be calming things down significantly. I am so relieved as I was becoming depressed about it.can you explain to me the benefits of this food. Many thanks.
G
angela logan - 26/03/2015

high blood pressure

Pls can soy beans lower blood pressure?Also can it be given to a 4yr old child as milk?
Thank you
pearl - 13/05/2015

Store soya beans

how long can soya beans be stored in a air tight container
Guest - 01/08/2015

Store soya beans

It depends on how old the soybeans already are and moisture content. But fresh and properly dried soybeans will keep at least one year. Once I used 3 year old beans and found nothing wrong with them. But why do you want to store soybeans in an airtight container for so long? You should use the soybeans to make tofu, tempeh, sprouts, soymilk!
Rob - 01/08/2015

Soybeans

Soybeans have long been recognized as a plant food that, when compared with other plants, is relatively high in protein. Protein is the reason that soybeans have historically been called "meat of the field" or "meat without bones." But only recently have researchers taken a very close look at the protein content of soybeans and arrived at some fascinating conclusions. Even though soy protein is a plant protein and typically lower in certain amino acids (protein building blocks) than animal proteins like those found in chicken eggs or cow's milk, once adjustments have been made for digestibility and other metabolic factors, soybeans turn out to receive a protein quality rating that is equal to the ratings for egg or cow's milk. Along with this increasing interest in soy protein has come the discovery of very small and unique proteins in soy, typically referred to as "peptides." Examples of unique peptides in soybeans include defensins, glycinins, conglycinins and lunasin, and all are now known to provide us with health benefits, including benefits in the areas of improved blood pressure regulation, better control of blood sugar levels, and improved immune function.
Unknown - 14/10/2015

Planting soya

am just thinking of how to invest in soya farming but really don't know who to sell the produce after cultivation. I'm in Nigeria
james - 24/04/2016

QUESTION

What is the botanical name of soya beans
femi Joseph - 11/06/2016

QUESTION

Glycine max
Rob - 11/06/2016

lack of calcium

Beware if you give nothing but soya milk to a young child it does not contain calcium sufficient for bone development. I know someone who was fed it because she had a milk allergy, she suffers broken bones because she lacked calcium
Barry - 04/07/2016

inquiry nutritional value in 400gr soyabean

Hi,
please can someone give me analysis of nutritional value in 400gram of soyabeans,
please can you send me through email at cletusokeke.e@gmail.com
Cletus E Okeke - 20/07/2016

parent

Can the soybeans be given to a two year old child? Will the soybeans be any benefit to a person with cancer?
Juan Castruita - 11/08/2016

New Flavors of Tofu

Looking for new flavors of Tofu on the market. All food industries open to suggestions to all organic soya, soybeans.
Matthew - 10/01/2017

Soya beans

Very educative
Jake nyarko - 20/01/2017

Gluten in soya bean

Let me known if it is gluten free.
AK - 29/05/2017

offer non-GMO Soybeans.

We are a company in the republic of Benin. We are in direct contact with the farmers of our country and we offer non-GMO Soybeans. Our delivery capacity is 5000 Mt per month for 12 months contract for the first year. We can send you samples if you have an account with DHL. Saphirgroup@gmail.com
Yélognisse - 11/10/2017

Soyabean

Dear Sirs, I have 400MT of soyabean ready for export.If you would like to buy please,contact me at mamatesfaye@gmail.com as soon as possible
Tesfaye Melaku
Addis Ababa,Ethiopia
Tesfaye - 14/11/2017

l am a best learner in zimbabwe
lovers - 04/03/2019

recipe for soy curry

Recipe for soy curry ( can be eaten with rice or tortillas or mixed with pasta)

Ingredients:
Whole soy beans 1 cup
Tomato 1
Onion 1
Cayenne pepper 1 tsp
turmeric powder a pinch (optional)
salt to taste

Soak soy beans overnight and cook them till soft. Drain the water. Cut onions, tomatoes into small pieces. Heat 2 tblsp's oil, add onion. Fry for 3-4 minutes. Add cooked soybeans, fry a minute. Add salt, turmeric pwd(optional), cayenne pepper, fry a minute. Add tomato fry 2 minutes. Add a cup of water and cook for 5-10 minutes on medium heat. You can sprinkle spring onion at the time of serving.
Anu - 15/02/2023

Tuna from soy

Is it possible to make mock tuna from soybeans?
Alen - 15/09/2023

Tuna from soy

We are not aware of "tuna" made from soybeans, but it might be possible since the texture of tuna is very meat-like and meat replacers can be produced from soy (TVP = Textured Vegetable Protein). The typical tuna flavor would then be derived from added flavorings.

Nevertheless, there are numerous 'mock tuna' recipes available on the web, such as the one found at www.tempeh.info/recipes/recipes.php?recipe=4. However, it's important to note that these recipes may not achieve a 100% imitation of real tuna.
Vincent - 18/02/2024

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