Abstract
Proximate composition, mineral content, soaking and cooking characteristics of five popular Kenyan bean cultivars were investigated. Significant differences (α=0.05) were obtained in moisture, crude fiber and crude ash contents among the bean cultivars, but not in crude protein, crude fat or carbohydrates. A three-parameter logistic model was found to reasonably describe the soaking process and afforded estimation of equilibrium moisture content value and the time necessary to attain this value. The predicted equilibrium moisture value was dependent on crude fiber content. The time required to attain equilibrium moisture was cultivar-dependent and inversely related to the logistic rate constant. The higher the ratio of divalent to monovalent cations, the higher was the mean peak compressive force of some (but not all) cooked bean samples. However, no clear relationship could be discerned between soaking rate and bean cookability.
