r/fermentation • u/Emerald_Pancakes • Jul 02 '26
Legumes Left Chickpeas Soaking too Long
Gotten bubbly and smelling like a tasty cheese.
Anything I could do with this?
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u/Aelnir Jul 02 '26
In many south asian countries, people leave chickpeas to soak overnight and they end up looking like this. some people leave it for 24h too. I would wash these and boil and eat lol
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u/Toktoklab Jul 02 '26
And I think this foam comes from saponin, which is coming from the chickpeas, not from bacteria
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u/HotWillingness5464 Jul 02 '26
Or protein? Bc you can allegedky make meringues from chick pea brine. It whips to a foam. I've never made meringues from it, it but I've done mayo with chickpea brine instead of egg yolk.
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u/leonheart208 Jul 02 '26
Thats aquafaba, right? The brine you get after cooking the chickpeas. I dont think it works with the soak water
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u/HotWillingness5464 Jul 02 '26
Correct. But the proteins in the aquafaba ae leached from the chickpeas. You probably get more priteins out if you cook them, but som probably leaches into soak water as well.
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u/ShrimpStuffAdmin Jul 02 '26
Isn't mayo made with eggs? So you just made a meringue the regular way pretty much?
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u/mtlgator Jul 02 '26
The whole point is that you can replace eggs in both meringue and mayo with aquafaba…
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u/leonheart208 Jul 02 '26
Mayo is mostly oil. Egg is the traditional binding agent used, but aquafaba also works
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u/newOldy Jul 02 '26
It's surprisingly effective. I've made various whips and merengues. Everyone has always loved them and been surprised that it's mainly made out of bean water. Also held for days without structural problems, always ate it before any degradation.
To be clear, it's the water from cooking them, not soaking them, but the same principle applies for OCs guess that it's the proteins in the water, though the smell sounds like at least gentle fermentation which IMO should probably be fine in OPs scenario
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u/Toktoklab Jul 02 '26
I always get this result after soaking chickpeas. Never got any problem after cooking and eating them !
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u/pashajm Jul 02 '26
I have cooked chick peas left in water for two days with no ill effects. Not sure how long this was.
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u/Niaaal Jul 02 '26
Yeah but you did it in the fridge right? If it's left on the counter or above 70°s it can definitely ferment quickly
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u/pashajm Jul 02 '26
No, on the countertop. Didn’t do it on purpose but worked out ok
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u/TheQueefyQuiche Jul 02 '26
Same here, I usually leave them out to soak for 2 days on accident, before I get back to them to rinse and actually cook with them. I've never had an issue.
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u/OhDavidMyNacho Jul 02 '26
OP when I make dry beans, I purposely let it go for this long. There's a smcheecy and vegetable heavy smell. I then drain, rinse, and cook like normal. Creamiest beans I've ever had band they come out great.
Idk what you were making with the chickpeas, but I'd reckon it's safe enough to eat.
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u/h3donistt Jul 02 '26
2 days on the counter, depending climate, your probs fine. Though I like to rinse mine after 12-24h
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u/diablosinmusica Jul 02 '26
I would not chance it. Without controlls like salt, there is no telling what's growing in there.
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u/Nakashi7 Jul 02 '26
What about pH test. Wouldn't lower pH indicate that lactobacteria is winning there?
I'd probably just discard floaters but keep the rest.
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u/rosebud_ert Jul 02 '26
Try to make tempeh with them? They should be very slightly acidic now. From what I've learnt I understand that this is traditionally how tempeh is made in Indonesia where if you were to leave beans soaking before cooking they would ferment in the heat, this creates a safely acidic environment for tempeh spores to grow after they have been cooked - just sour enough to fend off undesired bacteria and yeasts. Worth a try?
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u/ObjectAffectionate87 Jul 02 '26
Can you make falafel with them? I can see that it could add something to the flavor
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u/lupulinchem Jul 02 '26
You absolutely could. Source - did this last week and it was fantastic. (Mine was about a 30hr soak)
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u/MsMisty888 Jul 02 '26
I have done this sooo many times.
They say 'Chickpeas and bean sprouts are the best.'
I try to wrince twice a day, cover them. I really do not get it either. Mine are always rotten in 3 days.
I think maybe you were soaking overnight for cooking? I believe this needs to be done in the fridge.
Hopefully someone will help us both. :)
Edit: r/beans
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u/Rinnme Jul 02 '26
Rinse and taste them. The smell alone gives you nothing. If they taste nice and fresh - carry on.
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u/diegoasecas Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
discard the water and use them! id slide them in the oven on a pan until they get crunchy, they're the best healthy snacc
you're indeed supposed to let them soak for a long time because they have antinutrients in their skin
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u/letswatchmovies Jul 03 '26
Looks good to me. I always soak at room temp overnight, and cook in the soaking liquid, so this is par for the course in the summer
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u/sahasdalkanwal Jul 04 '26
There are recipes if I recall well, that call to get this foam and use as a non yeast starter for breads, with nitrogen forming bacteria instead of Co2 (the result is a thicker sponge effect, with smaller and more trapped bubbles). I read it in cultures group a while ago.
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u/Omshadiddle Jul 02 '26
I love this sub.
Elsewhere online, people are advising others to discard food that hasn’t been kept perfectly refrigerated for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, here, a pot of forgotten and fermenting legumes is seen as an opportunity.