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Buying tinned pulses or cooking pulses

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  • Emuchops
    Emuchops Posts: 799 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 500 Posts Combo Breaker
    If you have a pressure cooker you can cook a 500g of pulses really quickly (just bring to pressure then turn off and let them stand). Use what you need and freeze the rest. Cheaper than cans (and tastier).
  • the_cake
    the_cake Posts: 668 Forumite
    Chickpeas are my favourite pulse; they have a lovely nutty flavour and a slightly chunkier texture than some of the others. I even make bread (in a machine) with them in - it's lovely, moist and keeps fresh for longer than the more conventional loaves. Happy to post the recipe again if anyone would like it.
  • Tommelise
    Tommelise Posts: 133 Forumite
    Eighth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    the_cake wrote: »
    I even make bread (in a machine) with them in - it's lovely, moist and keeps fresh for longer than the more conventional loaves. Happy to post the recipe again if anyone would like it.

    Please post the recipe, as I would love to try it. Chickpeas are a favorite in my family too.

    I prefer dried pulses too, if find the tinned ones bland, and with a total different aftertaste. I always add some dried fennel seeds when cooking chickpeas and butterbeans
  • Honey_Bear
    Honey_Bear Posts: 7,480 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    the_cake wrote: »
    Chickpeas are my favourite pulse; they have a lovely nutty flavour and a slightly chunkier texture than some of the others. I even make bread (in a machine) with them in - it's lovely, moist and keeps fresh for longer than the more conventional loaves. Happy to post the recipe again if anyone would like it.

    Couldn't agree more about chickpeas - I love them. Recipe please!
    Better is good enough.
  • Justamum
    Justamum Posts: 4,727 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    -taff wrote: »
    If you are going to buy them dried, why bother freezing them? you might as well buy tinned.

    Because it's much cheaper, and that's what OS is all about ;)
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 12,492 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    it appears to be cheaper to use dried beans but it is not actually more than a couple of pence cheaper. A couple of years ago I did an experiment comparing one to the other, using an energy meter to accurately gauge the cost of electricity. My conclusion was that it was better for me to buy the cans particularly as I have better and more productive things to do with my time and my freezer space can be better used than to store pulses

    re hard boiling for 10 minutes. Yes it is worthwhile.
    http://chemistry.about.com/b/2013/02/15/hemagglutinin-and-food-poisoning-from-beans.htm

    I have had dried beans fail to get soft, possibly been stored too long before I bought and I have had to throw whole batches of cooked dried beans away.

    ps I have been cooking beans for 36 years, since taking part in a wholefood co-operative but turned to tins after my findings
  • marmiterulesok
    marmiterulesok Posts: 7,812 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Photogenic
    Black eyed beans are very easy to use and don't need to be soaked.There are some nice curry dishes with them in.Red split lentils also can be added to soups ,stews or curries without any soaking or pre-cooking.

    taff it is only red kidney beans that can be dangerous to eat if not prepared properly.
  • phizzimum
    phizzimum Posts: 1,712 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    I soak then cook a big batch of chick peas in the slow cooker then freeze in old yoghurt pots
    weaving through the chaos...
  • jackyann
    jackyann Posts: 3,433 Forumite
    I agree that slow cooking is the answer - otherwise you do waste a electricity. Of course, you boil the red kidney beans for 10 minutes before putting them in (I have never heard that you shouldn't do this, and really wouldn't risk it!)

    My own favourites are the peas - both yellow split and green (= mushy peas yum!)

    Come winter (or during this horrible summer) I suggest a ham hock, onion, celery stick (if you happen to have one) and carrot in the slow cooker with dried peas. Eat with potatoes, and the next day make soup, garnished with chopped pieces of ham.

    Chick peas are great in a tagine.
  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,354 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Justamum wrote: »
    Because it's much cheaper, and that's what OS is all about ;)


    By the time you factor in the electricity used to cook them it might not be :P

    And I had it from a woman in the know who did get the poisoning symptoms hence the boil stuff. I'll take her advice since she really is a legume expert. Head over to a popular gardening forum to see :)

    And as for american websites, they do advise boiling jars of passatta for ages above sea level etc, when I do know that that isn't necessary. Different strokes etc :)
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
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