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Cooking Water Functional Properties

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Upcycling Legume Water: from wastewater to food ingredients

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Abstract

Aquafaba was shown to replace egg white in confectionery products. Nonetheless, limited information was available on its physicochemical properties. Thus, recent studies investigated legume cooking water as texturizer. Most samples were slightly acidic (pH 6.1–6.5). Foaming capacity ranged from 38% to 97% based on legume type, within range of egg white solutions of similar concentration. A direct correlation to protein content was found. Despite the boiling process, most protein was soluble (86–100%). Ultrasounds treatments enhanced foaming properties of Aquafaba up to 548%. All foams were highly stable, potentially due to saponins. Emulsifying properties were outstanding, reaching values of 47 m2/g (lentils) and 100% (chickpeas). A combination of fibre, protein and saponins potentially contributed to highly stable emulsions. Higher hydrophobicity was observed, with absorption capacity of oil exceeding that of water (2.7–3.2 vs. 0.1–2.2 g/g) due to the presence of more hydrophobic sites on macromolecules. Finally, excellent prebiotic potential was determined. Most cooking water contained high levels of fermentable oligosaccharides, protein and minerals to support bacterial growth. The only exception was soy, possibly due to the higher phytate content. In summary, pulses cooking water are good foaming and gelling agents and excellent emulsifiers. Prebiotic potential opens the door to new applications.

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Acknowledgments

Authors would like to thank Anirudh Sounderrajan for analysing the protein solubility of legume cooking water, as well as Yaying Luo for performing literature review on the antimicrobial properties of legumes. The courses FOOD 398, FOOD 399 and FOOD 699 of Lincoln University (New Zealand) provided the funding necessary for this research.

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  1. Department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biosciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln, Christchurch, New Zealand

    Luca Serventi, Congyi Gao, Mingyu Chen & Venkata Chelikani

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  1. Luca Serventi
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Serventi, L., Gao, C., Chen, M., Chelikani, V. (2020). Cooking Water Functional Properties. In: Upcycling Legume Water: from wastewater to food ingredients. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42468-8_7

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