Pulses quick questions thread.

CCP

As far as I know there's no safety issues with lentils (they're not like kidney beans where you need to boil them to stop you poisoning yourself) - I've thrown them straight into the sauce loads of times and haven't killed myself yet!

I'd follow the recipe rather than the packet guidance and just be aware that they might take a bit longer to cook than 30 minutes - try one at the end of the cooking time and, if it's still a bit crunchy, cook it for longer until they go soft. I can't imagine they'll take the full cooking time indicated on the packet, though - 30 to 40 minutes is more like it, in my experience.

HTH!

zippychick

Hi House owner

Ashamedly i have never used green lentils but am a big user of the orange ones

There is a thread about green lentils, but it doesn't answer your question. I did find a useful post by Gingham Ribbon here though

I'll add this to the pulses quick questions thread later on (you could check there for answers as well)

Do let us know how you get on

Also lentilles verte and puy lentils if you have any left and need ideas

Thanks
Zip

floss2

We use puy lentils quite regularly (in fact we're having Nigella's lentils & sausages for tea tonight ), I never soak them, I just follow the recipe but generally cook them for longer than it says as I find them easier to digest

House_owner

Thanks everyone, seeing as its not a safety issue,(had to ask, because I am nervous about making anyone ill!) I have decided not to boil them as much as it says on the packet, but I have decided to soak them.

Will let you know how I get on.

angeltreats

I never soak them either, just give them a wash before using.

I would think if you boiled lentils for 30 minutes and them simmered for a further 45 minutes, you'd have no lentils left by the end of it, they'd have disintegrated!

foxgloves

I don't soak or pre-boil lentils either. I just give them a rinse then they simmer away quite happily in whatever the sauce is. I thnk red kidney beans is the only dodgy one, but to be on the safe side, I do boil all beans for 10 mins.

House_owner

Thanks everyone, it worked out really well. I soaked the lentils for about an hour, and then cooked them in the sauce for about 35 minutes. I made it the day before and then heated it up for the meal. I think leaving it overnight helped soften up the lentils a bit more.

RachelS

I thought this would be the correct place to ask as I couldn't find an answer online.

Thanks for any help with this one...

I put my chickpeas and aduki beans in water and soaked them for 12 hours as usual, then just as I was about to cook them a friend came round with a bit of a crisis. I put them in the fridge, still in the water, and promptly forgot about them.

They've now been soaking for 35 hours. Can I still cook them, or would it be dangerous now?

Thanks for any help xxx

Swan_2

I've often forgotten about soaking beans for days & days in the past given them a rinse & fresh water, cooked them as usual & we all lived to tell the tale

so yours should be fine

angeltreats

Yep, they will be absolutely fine