Do you use the liquid in tinned veg?

rozmister

Really stupid question over here but I was always told the water with kidney beans could make you really sick and you have to get rid of it AND rinse them thoroughly before you use them?! I don't know where I heard it but I've done it religiously ever since. Have I been doing it for no good reason?

fester

rozmister wrote: »

Really stupid question over here but I was always told the water with kidney beans could make you really sick and you have to get rid of it AND rinse them thoroughly before you use them?! I don't know where I heard it but I've done it religiously ever since. Have I been doing it for no good reason?

They wouldn't be allowed to sell the kidney beans in cans if that were the case.

Dried kidney beans can make you very ill if not cooked on a rolling boil for long enough. I drain the water off them if doing it that way.

kitschkitty

To be fair I should say that the only tinned veg I buy are all sorts of beans & chickpeas, tomatoes, and occasionally sweetcorn and mushy peas. Everything else I buy fresh or frozen.

Also I just buy whatever's cheapest, too expensive to find salt & sugar free versions.

I never waste the tomato juice in tinned tomatoes though - why bother buying them if you aren't going to use it. I always buy fruit in juice and normally use the juice in jellies. If I have to buy fruit in syrup it's a pain as I have to wash it off.

I've also noticed if I drain the liquid off any sweetcorn left over (to put in the fridge) it definately lasts longer.

kitschkitty

fester wrote: »

They wouldn't be allowed to sell the kidney beans in cans if that were the case.

Dried kidney beans can make you very ill if not cooked on a rolling boil for long enough. I drain the water off them if doing it that way.

I'm sure I heard that when I was younger and it kind of stuck in the back of my head somewhere, but I was pretty sure it only referred to dried beans that you soaked yourself.

valk_scot

rozmister wrote: »

Really stupid question over here but I was always told the water with kidney beans could make you really sick and you have to get rid of it AND rinse them thoroughly before you use them?! I don't know where I heard it but I've done it religiously ever since. Have I been doing it for no good reason?

That's for dried beans that you soak, dump the soaking water, add fresh water then cook...you need to keep them at a rolling boil for at least 20 minutes to destroy the toxin that they contain. Tinned beans are already cooked then processed at very high temperatures so they're fine to eat cold and undrained straight from the tin.

CupOfChai

The marrowfat peas in gravy thing... I think it's a Northern thing because I recently did it for OH who is from Essex and he had no idea what I was doing! He said he was going to start the tea for us but he didn't understand the peas in gravy bit on the meal plan XD

Popperwell

CupOfChai wrote: »

The marrowfat peas in gravy thing... I think it's a Northern thing because I recently did it for OH who is from Essex and he had no idea what I was doing! He said he was going to start the tea for us but he didn't understand the peas in gravy bit on the meal plan XD

I know of chips and gravy but peas and gravy is new to me...:p

Chaos_Monkey

bargainbetty wrote: »

Just sprayed coffee over my screen, thanks!

http://www.britishcornershop.co.uk/shop.asp?action=country
and
http://www.expats.org.uk/shopping/food-british.html

I've got mates in Perth, and they miss stuff too - this is something they have been looking into. There's a small expat community out there, so it's worth getting a few people together to place one order and share shipping.

Thanks for that, BargainBetty I'm happy to send you a sample of local gravy powder, if you like?

We're doing alright, and found or adapted to what's available here. It's just the gravy and salsa - oh, and I really miss Cathedral cheese. But cheese and salsa wouldn't either travel well or just wouldn't be allowed in. So I'm going to have to go OS and find a decent recipe for salsa and make do without the cheese!

I'm not one for tinned veg, so using the water hadn't occurred to me. But I do drain and rinse tinned chickpeas/mixed beans etc. The water always looks yukky, and surely there's too much water to add to a chilli etc? I don't generally add water to any sauces unless I'm rinsing the tomato tin out. It just takes too long to boil off, and what's the point of that?