16 Reasons Why Your Beans and Bean Sprouts are Bad (Simple Solution)

Here are the main reasons why you are having issues with your bean sprouts.

Why are my bean sprouts green?

The reason why bean sprouts are green is because of light exposure. Commercial bean sprouts are grown in darkness under heavy weights. The lack of light keeps them white and the pressure forces them to gain weight and size.

 

Why are my bean sprouts slimy?

Main reason why the bean sprouts are slimy is because of the water in the container or bag. There is nothing you can do, just throw them away and grow a new batch, this time store them in a dry environment that is well ventilated where no moisture will build up that will result in spoiling your harvest.

 

Why are my bean sprouts bitter?

Bean sprouts become bitter if sunlight gets on them. Keep them in a dark environment, your best bet is to cover them with a dark cloth, make sure moisture does not build up or they’ll get slimy which will ruin your harvest.

 

Why are my bean sprouts skinny?

The lack of water and weight above the bean sprouts will result in a skinny harvest. They need to be soaked in water, stay in a dark environment, and have a weight applied onto them so that they gain mass and remain white and sweet.

 

Why are my bean sprouts purple?

The bean sprouts were exposed to light and because of that they developed a purplish hue. They will become green eventually if you keep them in the light. Have a dark cloth covering your sprouts and some weight above them so that they grow bigger and don’t become bitter.

 

Why are my bean sprouts so small?

Same reason why they grow skinny. You need to keep them in a dark environment, add weight on top of them, and make sure they’re soaked in water. They need the water to gain mass or they’ll grow tall and skinny.

 

Why are my bean sprouts turning brown?

There is nothing seriously wrong with them. Two reasons come to mind when sprouts are turning brown.

 

  1. There is too much light present in the room.
  2. Temperature fluctuations.

Keeping your sprouts in a cold storage can turn them brown.

Keep the temperature at 70-80 F (21-23 C).

 

Why are my beans bitter?

Tricky question.

Depending on the beans you have one of the main reasons could be that they are really old.

Sometimes the described bitter taste is actually the metallic taste the kitchenware leaves. Best way to cook your beans is in a crock pot. Also depending on the beans the darker they are the more bitter they’ll be. Try shopping for creamy colored beans instead of really dark ones.

While cooking your beans be sure to add salt or baking soda in the soak water.

Don’t salt the cooking water, only the soaking water.

 

Why are my beans crunchy?

Main reason is the hard water, the minerals that are present in the cooking water will act like salt and make your beans tougher. Use soft water when you cook your beans and your issue will most likely be solved. Another reason could be that the beans are really old, in which case you’ll need to cook them a little longer or soak them in salt water for a longer period of time.

 

Why are my beans floating?

They’re bad beans and you should throw them away, don’t keep them, they might make you feel sick.

 

Why are my beans splitting?

The exterior of the bean hydrates slower than inside. Soaking them for a longer period will alleviate this problem. Also you can test for yourself and see if adding salt to the cooking water helps.

 

Why are my beans grainy?

To fix this issue you need to stop adding salt or any kind of acidic ingredients until the end of the cooking process. A good rinse will clean your beans from any kind of foreign particles.

 

Does soaking beans reduce gas?

Soaking will not prevent gas, but what will is an extended cook time. Undercooking your beans will cause some serious gas.

Soaking will actually preserve nutrients and those nutrients are actually what makes us gassy.

 

Why are my beans mushy?

Reasons why your beans are mushy:

  1. They’re old.
  2. Overcooked.
  3. Oversoaked.

Beans start to deteriorate after a year. Try using something that is not too old.

It is possible to overcook your beans especially in a pressure cooker. They usually cook for about 25-30 minutes in a pressure pot.

Soaking your beans for a long period of time will over hydrate them which will result in mushiness. Try soaking them for 12 hours at most.

 

Why are my beans dry?

It really depends on the type of beans you have. Also the quality of the beans.

Sometimes if the beans are too old they have the tendency to hydrate only on the inside.

Try soaking them for around 12 hours (overnight) and cook them for around 1-3 hours, add the salt towards the end of the cooking process.

 

Why are my beans chalky?

If after cooking your beans they are still hard or chalky on the inside, let them cook for another 15-30 minutes and check them at regular intervals until the beans are tender but not falling apart.