Peas | Beans | Lentils | Soups | Soaking & Cooking | Handy Hints | Forum

Peas, Beans & Lentils
Bin Inn has an extensive range of legumes with a wide selection of dried peas, beans and lentils. They are extremely versatile, they can be used in everything from bean salads to casseroles. Peas, beans and lentils can be scooped from Bin Inn's self selection bins, so you can buy as much or as little as you need - whether you are making soup for one or making enough to freeze to last the whole winter. Popular varieties of peas, beans and lentils are also available in convenient 500g packs.

Free recipes are available in-store. Recipes include Chilli Con Carne, Broad Bean Casserole, Indian Style Mung Beans and Spicy Lentil Burgers - just to name a few. There's plenty more delicious recipes in-store. To find your local Bin Inn store, CLICK HERE!

Peas
Bin Inn's range includes. . .

• Blue Peas
• Chick Peas - see delicious hummus recipe!
• Green Split Peas
• Yellow Split Peas

Beans
Bin Inn's range includes. . .

Soaking & Cooking
Soaking
Soaking is the important first step as raw legumes may contain substances that are difficult to digest or are toxic. Soaking is also required to soften legumes and reduce their cooking time. For each 2 cups of legumes, add 10 cups of hot water in a pot. Remember that legumes will rehydrate to roughly double their dried size, so make sure you have used a large enough pot for soaking. 1 cup of dried legumes will yield 2-3 cups cooked. Adding 2 teaspoons of salt to the water can also help speed up water absorption.
Quick Soak: Place water and legumes in a large pot and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside in a cool place for a minimum of 2 hours.
Slow Soak: Place water and legumes in a large pot and leave for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight (8-12 hours).

NOTE: Red Kidney Beans and Black Beans are the exception, they need to be boiled for 10-15 minutes to remove any toxins. These toxins are destroyed by heat. The longer beans are soaked, the more gas causing properties are dissolved into the soaking water, making them easier to digest. Always discard soaking water before cooking, as some beans have toxins that come out through soaking. Split peas, red lentils, brown lentils and mung beans do not need to be soaked but should be rinsed and sorted to remove any broken or damaged grains.

Cooking
Stove Top: Put soaked, drained and rinsed beans into a pot with 3-4 cups of hot water for every cup of legumes. Add some salt and gently bring to the boil. Cooking times for beans for depend on the variety of bean and the tenderness desired, but cooking for 1-2 hours is usually enough. The following table provides approximate cooking times. Taste test regularly during cooking to check for tenderness and to make sure they do not boil dry. Skim any surface scum off the lentils when they come to the boil.
Microwave: After soaking the beans, cook at full power for 8-10 minutes or until boiling, then cook at 50% power for 15-20 minutes or until beans are tender.

Handy Hints
Buying Beans
Buy beans that are firm, clean, whole and uniform in colour and size.

Washing & Sorting
Before soaking or cooking any peas, beans or lentils it is important to sort through them to remove any broken, discoloured or damaged legumes. After sorting, rinse them thoroughly in cold water.

Boiling
Do not hard boil the whole cooking time as this will tend to overcook the legumes and split the skins, reducing them to a mush. Taste test often to check for desired tenderness. To help prevent the water boiling over add a tablespoon of oil to the cooking water.

Adding Acid Ingredients
If your recipe requires acid ingredients (e.g. tomatoes, lemon) wait until the legumes are nearly cooked as the acids will slow down the cooking time and harden the skin.

Storage
Always store beans, peas & lentils in a cool, dry place.

225g Cooked Chick Peas
1 Egg, beaten
1 Large Onion, finely chopped
1 Clove Garlic, crushed
2 Tbsps Parsley, chopped
1 tsp Ground Coriander
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Pinch Chilli Powder
Salt & Pepper

For Coating & Frying
Plain Flour
1 Egg, beaten
Breadcrumbs
Oil - for shallow frying

Forum
Beans and peas too soft and mushy? The Bin Inn Forum is a great way to share handy hints and recipes with fellow cooks CLICK HERE to post your questions and comments.