Comparison of selected food characteristics of three cultivars of bean Phaseolus vulgaris

Three bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) cultivars were selected to study some of the physical properties of the seeds, hydration capacity, cooking time, phytic acid content, digestibility, colour changes as a function of soaking and cooking, and sensory properties. These cultivars were bayocel, canario 101 and flor de mayo. The water uptake was much lower for the cultivar with larger seeds. Some slight losses of phytic acid were found due to the cooking treatment; cooking improved the protein digestibility. The cultivar flor de mayo exhibited the most desirable sensory attributes.