Zephyr Hill

A Family Blog

  • Home
  • NAME YOUR BABY
  • About / Contact
  • Terms/Privacy
  • Homeschooling
  • Faith & Family
  • Book Reviews
  • Pets
  • Cloth Diapers

How to Safely Cook Kidney Beans (They Can Be Toxic)

October 24, 2017 by Anne Marie 20 Comments

Spread it around!

I don’t use kidney beans that much in cooking. When making red beans and rice, one of our favorite Southern dishes, I always use red beans, not kidneys. The same goes for chili. We also like pintos, northern beans and black beans.

But after visiting relatives in Louisiana, my mother-in-law brought back a little Southern treasure for me: a bag of dried Camellia kidney beans from New Orleans. The excellent flavor and creamy texture are such that many Southern families won’t use anything but this brand.

I hesitated before cooking red beans and rice this weekend, because I remember a friend telling me several years back that an entire family at her church was poisoned by kidney beans, and actually ended up in the ER. I wanted to make sure I cooked the Camellias properly.

Now I know a lot of you are thinking “I’ve been eating kidney beans all my life and never gotten sick.” That’s because the beans you ate were properly cooked. What many don’t know is that raw or undercooked kidneys can make you horribly ill within hours of consumption. In the United Kingdom, there were 50 incidents reported between 1976 and 1989.

The naturally-occurring toxin in kidney beans is called Phytohaemagglutinin (or kidney bean lectin). Just a handful of beans can cause symptoms of food poisoning (severe pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.).

I think the incidence is low in the US because of less stringent reporting requirements, and also because we likely eat a lot more canned beans over here (the pressurized canning process renders them safe to eat.)

Mistakes are most likely to be made when using slow cookers or the oven to cook kidneys. The low setting of a Crock Pot might not be sufficient to cook the toxins out, and a baked casserole with dried beans in it doesn’t always reach the proper temperature, either. You can render them safe by pre-boiling beans for 10 minutes before adding to the slow cooker or casserole. The FDA also recommends adding the step of first soaking 5 hours (or overnight). Or, just opt for canned kidneys in your recipes.

In summary, here are a few common-sense kidney bean safety precautions:

  • Keep raw beans away from children and pets.
  • Avoid using raw kidneys in crafts or decorating.
  • Soak 5+ hours or overnight. Boil for 10 minutes, drain and then use as needed in your stovetop or oven recipe.
  • Avoid using dried kidney beans in a crock pot unless they are pre-boiled or canned.
  • Avoid using dried kidney beans in baked casseroles unless they are pre-boiled or canned.

Speaking of toxic foods, raw lima beans and elderberry are also poisonous. But that’s another blog post for another day…

Filed Under: Food and Drink Tagged With: cooking with beans, food safety, kidney bean poisoning, kidney beans, kidney beans toxic

About Anne Marie

I'm the creator of Zephyr Hill Blog, where families can find help with child rearing, homeschooling and hobby farming. Be sure to check out my huge database of cloth diaper reviews. There's also a shopping guide to help you find the best deals!

Comments

  1. Isabel Whited says

    October 24, 2017 at 11:08 am

    Huh. I never knew that. #themoreyouknow

    Reply
  2. judethomas21 says

    October 30, 2017 at 2:53 pm

    I never knew that! Thank you for the info.

    Reply
  3. Rana Durham says

    October 30, 2017 at 3:46 pm

    I NEVER KNEW THIS ABOUT KIDNEY BEANS BUT I ALSO AM NOT A BIG FAN OF THEM. THE TOXIC PART HAS ME SCARED LOL.

    Reply
  4. Anna Mitchell says

    October 30, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    I’ve always wondered why I felt sick after eating them. Now I know how to properly prepare them so thank you!

    Reply
  5. ronaldgagnon8 says

    October 31, 2017 at 6:55 am

    Thank you for the info…never knew that! I’ll add canned kidney beans to our chilis

    Reply
  6. Maritza Hobson says

    October 31, 2017 at 8:28 am

    I am always worried about this so don’t cook kidney beans. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Amber Ludwig says

    October 31, 2017 at 9:36 am

    Wow!! This is very interesting and a little scary! I honestly had NO idea! Thanks for the info!!

    Reply
  8. Debbie Campbell says

    October 31, 2017 at 2:10 pm

    Wow, I love Kidney Beans but never realized they could be toxic. Thanks for the info!

    Reply
  9. Debra Holloway says

    October 31, 2017 at 4:24 pm

    I can remember as a child dried kidney beans were used in playing bingo.

    Reply
    • Anne says

      November 1, 2017 at 2:20 pm

      Wow, that could have been disastrous! ~Anne

      Reply
  10. Veronica Lee says

    November 1, 2017 at 7:58 am

    I had no idea that kidney beans can be toxic! Thanks for the heads-up.

    Reply
  11. Darren Scrubb says

    November 1, 2017 at 9:02 am

    Great tips! I will keep this post for a bean variety that I really enjoy eating

    Reply
  12. Jessica Davis says

    November 1, 2017 at 9:37 am

    I had no clue!!! We learn someone new everyday!!!

    Reply
  13. justin orkin says

    November 1, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    always fully cook kidney beans; that’s good to know. Thanks.

    Reply
  14. Dalyn says

    November 2, 2017 at 8:21 am

    Oh geez! Good thing I’m lazy and only ever use canned!

    Reply
  15. lamusings says

    November 2, 2017 at 5:11 pm

    I only use canned 🙂

    Reply
  16. Brice Blankenship says

    November 4, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    Thank you i never new how horrible it could be or what would happen if you didn’t cook kidney beans properly

    Reply
  17. karaleigh2 says

    November 6, 2017 at 6:17 pm

    I had no idea–thank you for the information!

    Reply
  18. Leigh says

    December 30, 2018 at 5:26 pm

    Hi! I just wanted to verify.
    I pre-boiled my kidney beans and then cooked them in the slow cooker on low for about 10 hours (it was part of a recipe). Would they be safe? I just worry because I haven’t eaten them yet, I put them into mason jars in the fridge to take to work for lunches over this next week but I don’t want to get horribly sick if pre boiling isn’t enough or if my slow cooking on low for so long maybe undid the work the pre boiling did.

    Reply
    • Anne Marie says

      December 31, 2018 at 10:25 am

      Yes, they would be fine! Pre-boiling for about 10 minutes before adding to the slow cooker will do the trick. ~Anne Marie

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hot off the Press

  • 7 Classic Jewelry Gift Ideas for Mother’s Day
  • Resources for Teens Who are Considering Flight School
  • NEW Book Review (Louis of Granada)

Popular Posts

100+ Ways to Name Your Boy or Girl After Mary, the Mother of God
How to Name Your Farm or Ranch
10 Tools That Make Homeschooling Easier
Educational Games You Can Enjoy With Your Children
Naming Your Business or Product

Newsletter

Fill in the form below to be notified when new content is published at Zephyr Hill!
Sender.net email marketing

Find Posts About:

  • Book Reviews (22)
  • Cloth Diaper Reviews (173)
  • Cloth Diapers (62)
  • Faith and Family (146)
  • Food and Drink (22)
  • Giveaways (179)
  • History (4)
  • Hobby Farming (9)
  • Home and Family Reviews (82)
  • Homeschooling (53)
  • Names (10)
  • Pets (23)
  • Small Business Resources (6)

Search my Blog:

Copyright © 2025 · Zephyr Hill Blog · Design by Albemarle PR

Copyright © 2025 · Albemarle PR - Hannah Template on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in