Comparison of Methods Used to Characterize Water Imbibition in Hard‐To‐Cook Beans

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Abstract
The traditional gravimetric and volumetric methods of measuring water imbibition were compared to a new method, water‐holding capacity, to study water uptake in black bean cotyledons with and without the hard‐to‐cook defect. Water‐holding capacity was found to be more reliable in measuring water taken up by the cotyledon since the former methods measure gross water uptake, including a layer of bulk water existing between the seedcoat and cotyledons of hard‐to‐cook beans. Total water uptake, as measured by the water absorption method, was greatest for hard‐to‐cook beans. Using the water‐holding capacity method, however, hard‐to‐cook beans were found to bind approximately 25% less water during soaking than control beans.
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