Improvements in the Preparation of Legumes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Oct., 1899,
Complete Specification Left, 25th July, 1900-Accepted, 20th Oct., 1900
Improvements in the Preparation of Legumes.
We, ERNEST DEACON BELL, of 11, Museum Street, London, W.C., Inventor,
and JOHN ABLETT, of 33, Paternoster Row, London, Journalist, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows;
l'eas and beans as ordinarily prepared, with or without a small amount of
soda bicarbonate, are commonly indigestible, as shown by their well known
tendency to produce dyspepsia and flatulence. This results from the insoluble
and fermentable nature of the nutriment they contain. Our improvements
consist in a new method of preparation whereby their nutriment is rendered
soluble and easily digestible. We take pea- or bean-flour, or a combination
of the two, make it into a paste with water, add a proportion of a powerful
alkali, such as caustic soda, or soda carbonate, and boil in a digester under
pressure at a temperature exceeding the normal boiling point of water. By
this treatment the proteid is converted into alkali-proteid, and the carbohydrate
or starch into dextrin, which are much more soluble than the original forms,
and easily digested. We then crush cheese to a paste with water, and add a
proportion to the legumes after removing them from the digester. This addition
is for the purpose of enriching the taste of the preparation. The mixture is
then cooked a second time to melt and thoroughly incorporate the cheese. Eggs
may be added to still further enrich the flavour. Culinary substances in common
use as flavours, such as spices, peppers, vegetables, etc., may also be added.
The preparation might be at once served for eating (as in restaurants), or it
may be put up in tins, pots, jars, or other receptacles, or in edible membranes
like sausages.
Dated this 98th day of October 1800
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Preparation of Legumes.
We, ERNEST DEACON BELL, late of 11, Museum Street, London, W.C., Inventor,
now of 39, Museum Street, W.C., and Joux ABLETT, late of 33, Paternoster
Row, now of 43, Munster Square, Regent's Park, and 3, Westminster Palace
Gardens, Artillery Row, Victoria Street, Director, do hereby declare the nature
of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be par-
ticularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement:-
Our invention relates to an improved preparation of legumes in which they
are made digestible by being so treated as to convert their starch into dextrin,

page_text: سا
and their flavour is improved by their being mixed with prepared alkalised
cheese, with or without the addition of eggs, milk, butter and flavouring sub-
stances.
Beans, peas and lentils as commonly prepared are indigestible, owing to the
fact that the carbohydrates have not been sufficiently converted from starch into
dextrin, and are, turthermore, not as rich in flavour as they can be made by
combination with properly selected substances.
In carrying our invention into effect, beans, peas or lentils, or a mixture of
them, in the state of flour or meal, are made into a smooth paste with an
approximately equal portion of water, and an alkali is added, preferably in the
form of soda or potash carbonate or bicarbonate to the extent of one-half of
one per cent., or one per cent., the weight of the meal. The mixture is then
placed in a digester and heated under pressure to a temperature not exceeding
134° Centigrade but preferably from 1210-125° Centigrade, for a time varying
from an hour to an hour and a half. By this means the starch is converted
into dextrin. An alternative method, and one possessing many advantages (such
as freedom from the risk of burning by high temperature, the ease with which
the process of conversion into dextrin can be watched and the certainty with
which it can be stopped at the right moment) is to take the bean- pea- or
lentil-paste (made with water, 3-4 parts to 1 of legumes) after the addition of
the alkali and thoroughly cook it in the usual way in an open vessel for three
or four hours. It is then removed from the fire and as soon as the temperature
has fallen to 60° to 65° Centigrade (140°-149° Fahrenheit) malt meal or
Hour, or malt extract or infusion, preferably the meal or four or infusion, is
stirred in. In about half an hour the thick paste or soup will become relatively
liquid from conversion of the starch into dextrin. The temperature should
then be raised to the boiling point to destroy the diastase and stop the action.
Half an ounce to an ounce of malt flour will suffice for ten ounces of solid
legumes, or a proportion of the infusion of equivalent strength. The process
of conversion into dextrin should be tested periodically by iodine and the process
stopped when the blue colouration of starch ceases to appear. Beans, peas or
lentils in which the starch has been converted by either of these methods into
dextrins will hereinafter be designated "dextrinised legumes."
The dextrinised legumes are next intimately mixed with cheese paste which
is made as follows. A rich and fine-flavoured cheese, such as Cheddar, is taken
and grated or otherwise broken down into small pieces and mixed with about
an equal weight of milk or water, preferably milk. It is advisable that this
mixture should be passed through a pair of rollers to crush the cheese still
further and reduce it to the condition of a smooth, creamlike paste. Alkali,
preferably in the form of soda or potash carbonate or bicarbonate is then intro-
duced to the extent of about one per cent. the weight of solid cheese employed.
The cheese-paste is then blended with the dextrinised legumes in such propor-
tions that the quantity of solid cheese used shall be about from one quarter to
one-half the amount of solid legumes. Butter or other rich fat or oil is pre-
ferably added to the extent of about half the quantity of solid cheese used.
Suitable condiments, such as mustard, pepper, nutmeg, onions, curry powder, etc.,
may be introduced to taste. The mixed legume-and-cheese paste is next cooked
in an open vessel for from half an hour to three quarters of an hour, when the
cheese, thoroughly softened and to a large extent dissolved in the alkaline medium,
becomes easily digestible and develop's an exquisite taste and aroma. It is then
removed from the fire and may be considered complete for some purposes, as
for soup. But if desired still richer a quantity of egg well-beaten up may be
added to the extent of about one-half the weight of solid cheese used, and
thoroughly incorporated with the mixture. The mixture is again heated in
a buttered receptacle for from quarter of an hour to half an hour, when it will
be finished. This composition is extremely rich both in flavour and in nutri-
ment, and is easily digestible. Without the addition of eggs it may be used

page_text: dissolved or broken down in hot water to form a soup, or such soup may be
formed directly by increasing the quantity of liquid used to hold the ingre-
dients. With the addition of eggs it forms a valuable and high-class food,
semi-solid or solid in consistency, and well adapted to be put up in tins, bottles,
jars or edible skins in a manner similar to sausages.
Beans, peas and lentils may be used in the form of grain instead of flour or
meal, but the dextrinising in this case cannot be so completely or so easily
effected.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that
what we claim is:
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+
An improved preparation of legumes in which dextrinised beans, peas or
lentils, or a mixture of them, are combined with prepared alkalised cheese,
with or without the addition of butter, eggs, milk and flavouring substances as
hereinbefore described.
ERNEST DEACON BELL.
JOHN ABLETT.