cost of OS. Not always worth it. Maths only here

Fivenations

I happily cook some beansbut ousually only thoseI feel that taste better than the tinned. i'll happily buy tinned chikpeas but not so keen on ready cooked red kidney beans which are often too hard fo rmy liking. I think it may be some additive. Then there's black beans which are hard find and expensive when you do.

Cooking your own also allows you to add more flavour. I always add a few sticks of celery, a onion and garlic. Sometimes I also add a few bays leaves or some oregano.

geordie_joe

OK, I have cooked my beans, they were Cannelli btw not Haricot.

Now they are cooked I quite like them and will definitely use them again.

I don't actually think there was much effort in cooking them. It took seconds to open the packet, put the beans into a bowl, give them a quick rinse then leave them to soak.

I did nothing more with them until I was making my tea, when I drained the bowl and tipped the beans into a pan, poured in boiling water from the kettle (I had added extra water to the kettle for this). Then I brought them to the boil while I was peeling spuds, and left them for ten minutes, then I turned the gas down. An hour later I came back, turned the gas off and drained the water out of the pan, and that was it. No real effort at all.

Another packet will find it's way into my store cupboard soon, and I can see these beans going into several dishes.

Most of the beans have gone into a stew, but I kept some back because I had a bright idea. I had a carton of Passatta that was getting near it's use by date, so decided to put it into the stew. While doing this I thought that it may go with the beans, so I kept a bit back and tomorrow I'm going to have beans on toast for lunch.

I will also look out for the tinned beans and try one of them, because I'm sure there will be times when I look at a finished dish and think "If I'd thought of it yesterday, I could have added some beans to that". So having some ready to eat will come in handy.

Not a bad day all in all, I found a new foodstuff that I will use in several dishes, made a big pan of stew, some Pea Soup a la Stephen Leak and taught myself to make mushy peas.

thriftlady_2

geordie_joe wrote: »

I will also look out for the tinned beans and try one of them, because I'm sure there will be times when I look at a finished dish and think "If I'd thought of it yesterday, I could have added some beans to that". So having some ready to eat will come in handy.

.

Which is exactly why I like to have a bag full frozen;) If you do decide to cook and freeze a whole packet at once you can spread the cooked beans out on a baking tray and freeze for about half an hour until hard enough to gather into a bag - free flow beans. They are then easy to add to your supper straight from the freezer.

Glad you enjoyed your cannellinis Joe.

geordie_joe

thriftlady wrote: »

Which is exactly why I like to have a bag full frozen;) If you do decide to cook and freeze a whole packet at once you can spread the cooked beans out on a baking tray and freeze for about half an hour until hard enough to gather into a bag - free flow beans. They are then easy to add to your supper straight from the freezer.

Now that is a good idea, and if I make a double amount next time, half to use and half to freeze, it will take very little extra effort.

thriftlady wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed your cannellinis Joe.

Thanks, I'm glad you explained what they were. :T

Confuzzled

geordie_joe wrote: »

I know you have to soak them first. I meant do you have to cook them on their own and then keep them in the freezer. I was planning to only cook mine when I needed them.

it's ok to cook them in with something that cooks for a long time but ONLY if it has no salt in it, salt impedes the cellulose breaking down (which is what makes beans edible) this also applies to stock cubes etc

Confuzzled

Penelope_Penguin wrote: »

That's only for red kidney beans - other beans contain no toxins, AFAIK

Penny. x

i've always wondered just how bad this supposed toxin is with red kidney beans

i don't do anything special with mine, always thrown them in the slow cooker like any other beans and it wasn't actually til i came to the UK that i heard about this need to do something more with them

still here, never been ill from them...not saying they aren't toxic though i wonder if maybe they just make you more windy rather than ill??

Olliebeak

Just been googling and came up with this article:

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artredkidneybeanpoisoning.html

geordie_joe

Olliebeak wrote: »

Just been googling and came up with this article:

http://www.foodreference.com/html/artredkidneybeanpoisoning.html

Thanks.

I think the problem is the modern world wide problem of people not knowing the difference between the word "can" and "will".

They see the words "As few as 4 or 5 beans can bring on symptoms."

and read "As few as 4 or 5 beans will bring on symptoms."

Then their brain turns the words "bring on symptoms" into "kill you"

geordie_joe

Confuzzled wrote: »

i've always wondered just how bad this supposed toxin is with red kidney beans

As few as 4 or 5 beans can bring on symptoms. Onset of symptoms varies from between 1 to 3 hours. Onset is usually marked by extreme nausea, followed by vomiting, which may be very severe. Diarrhea develops somewhat later (from one to a few hours), and some persons report abdominal pain. Some persons have been hospitalized, but recovery is usually rapid (3 - 4 h after onset of symptoms) and spontaneous.

The syndrome is usually caused by the ingestion of raw, soaked kidney beans, either alone or in salads or casseroles. As few as four or five raw beans can trigger symptoms.

I just love the way they scare you into thinking 4 or 5 beans can cause all that, then slip in the word "raw" once you have been scared enough to stop reading.

ceridwen

thriftlady wrote: »

Which is exactly why I like to have a bag full frozen;) If you do decide to cook and freeze a whole packet at once you can spread the cooked beans out on a baking tray and freeze for about half an hour until hard enough to gather into a bag - free flow beans. They are then easy to add to your supper straight from the freezer.

Glad you enjoyed your cannellinis Joe.

I didnt know that - but then I have only JUST realised about this idea of open-freezing - previously my definition of freezing has been "bung whatever-it-is into a bag or container and chuck into freezer = job done":o