Cooking Lentils

[MoReese]

I see recipe notes saying that cooking lentils with salt will make them tough. However, I see other recipes that cook lentils in broth.

If salt makes them tough during cooking won't broth do the same?

 

[pepperhead212]

Don't worry about the salt making them tough - usually regular (green/brown) lentils will begin to break up in 18-20 min., even in salted water or broth. There is actually a method of brining lentils, used to help the skin stay on, but even that doesn't toughen it. For a lb of rinsed lentils, add 2 tsp salt to a half gallon of warm water, and soak them for 1 hour. Rinse again, and use in the recipe - they won't need quite as much cooking, but it's not a long soak, so maybe only 16 minutes, or a little more.

 

[dragnlaw]

I think the "no cook with salt" is more referencing beans, as in turtle, black, navy. Not tiny lentils.

and even then I'm not so sure the salt part is serious - but then I don't cook with dry beans. I can never remember to soak them!

 

[skilletlicker]

When to salt beans is a point of contention. I don't know who's right so I usually add salt about halfway through the simmer. Lentils cook so quickly though that I salt the water at the beginning.

Worst thing is they might take a little longer to cook. So many things affect the cooking time with dried beans. My experience is they're done when done. Cook times are rough guesses at best.

I'm no expert. Just one old man's opinion.

 

[taxlady]

I just remembered that I bought some le Puy lentils about two months ago. The instructions that came with them are,

Rinse lentils before adding to a pot of salted, boiling water for approximately 20 to 30 minutes (until tender, but with a slight bite).

Does that sound right? What sort of ration of lentils to water? Do I drain them when they are cooked? Once they are cooked, what are some good ways to use them? Can you tell that I have never cooked lentils?

 

[jennyema]

Salt making beans tough is a wives tale.

Definitely salt your lentil or bean cooking water.

 

[pepperhead212]

That sounds about right, taxlady, though the puy lentils can usually cook even longer, without breaking down, making them good for salads.

The ratio of lentils to water varies - 1:3 would give enough for things like the puy, that you might drain; I've seen some recipes calling for 1:2, but, depending on how dry (i.e. old!) they are, this might not be quite enough, so why take a chance? For soups and Indian dal this will give a fairly thick liquid, for those cooked to break down, while 1:4 will make it sort of thin, and for a dish that would be blended smooth, the higher amount is better, though you can always thin it, if it seems too thick.

I've always loved lentils, and I like the fact that more are becoming readily available, in so many stores. I still get them at the Indian grocer, since there are so many (I think I'm down to 11 varieties now ), and in large bags for less. Plus, once the garden starts producing, the owner gives me deals, when I take him my excess!

 

[dragnlaw]

Salt making beans tough is a wives tale.

Definitely salt your lentil or bean cooking water.

Actually I'm not too sure about that completely... Many many moons ago I made a crock pot with beans - after 10 hours they were still uncooked.

I never cooked with dry beans again - nor did I ever use that crock pot either!

 

[pepperhead212]

dragnlaw Crock pots are notoriously variable, as for the maximum temperature they get to. This is why we are warned not to cook red kidney beans in a crock pot - they need to be boiled, to reduce the level of a poisonous lectin that it has a lot of; much more than other beans, though soy and cannellini have a generous amount, too. Many people have gotten sick from using a crock pot for kidney beans.

 

[taxlady]

That sounds about right, taxlady, though the puy lentils can usually cook even longer, without breaking down, making them good for salads.

The ratio of lentils to water varies - 1:3 would give enough for things like the puy, that you might drain; I've seen some recipes calling for 1:2, but, depending on how dry (i.e. old!) they are, this might not be quite enough, so why take a chance? For soups and Indian dal this will give a fairly thick liquid, for those cooked to break down, while 1:4 will make it sort of thin, and for a dish that would be blended smooth, the higher amount is better, though you can always thin it, if it seems too thick.

I've always loved lentils, and I like the fact that more are becoming readily available, in so many stores. I still get them at the Indian grocer, since there are so many (I think I'm down to 11 varieties now ), and in large bags for less. Plus, once the garden starts producing, the owner gives me deals, when I take him my excess!

I thought I hated lentils, but have recently discovered that I can enjoy them. My first experiences with lentils were in the 1970s at the homes of some young friends, who probably didn't know how to cook them well. They were always awful. I think they were just cooked badly or in bad recipes. In any case, I have avoided them ever since then, but am interested in trying to cook with them now. The le Puy lentils that I bought were grown in Quebec and I like buying local.

 

[larry_stewart]

The whole Salt/ Broth thing doesn't make sense to me, as broth is usually flavored salted water , so I agree that they would have similar affects. Whether that would make them tougher or not, I have no clue. '

Slightly off topic, the best Lentil Soup I ever had was at a restaurant in Newport Rhode Island. It was so good, that I ordered a second bowl for dessert.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Lentils can be used to make everything from Dahl, to lentil soup with ham Treat them as you would yellow dried peas. Use them to add body to chili. Serve them drained, and buttered with curry powder, and ghee.

Use your imagination You can serve them savory, or sweet.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GotGarlic]

I just remembered that I bought some le Puy lentils about two months ago. The instructions that came with them are,
Does that sound right? What sort of ration of lentils to water? Do I drain them when they are cooked? Once they are cooked, what are some good ways to use them? Can you tell that I have never cooked lentils? [emoji38]

Here's a good recipe, from a manufacturer: https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes...ration-instructions-for-french-green-lentils/

 

[MoReese]

I had a similar experience with dry beans myself. However, my wife has never had any problem. I blame it on old beans.

 

[MoReese]

Thanks to all responders. Great discussion

no message

 

[pepperhead212]

I had a similar experience with dry beans myself. However, my wife has never had any problem. I blame it on old beans.

I do have some old beans around sometimes - usually things I didn't like as much as others, and they sat around for a long time, so they took longer to cook, when I'd finally use it. And I'd always pressure cook those, for a generous time, and use them in a dish in which they are mashed up, for the most part.

However, one thing that I got many years ago, in a health food store that would often get in some legumes I had never seen (back then supermarkets were not good sources for dried beans, and no Indian markets around). I got a batch of Black Soybeans, which were fresh, I assumed, and I pressure cooked some for 35 minutes - what I cooked white soybeans for, at the time. They seemed barely cooked! So I cooked them another 30 min, and they still were hard in the middle. So I cooked them an hour, and there was still a slightly crunchy center, and it took another 45 minutes - a total of 2 hours and 50 minutes of pressure cooking - and they were still holding together, but no hard center. That is a long time for pressure cooking! This is the only bean this has ever happened with in my kitchen. Black chickpeas take about 60-80 minutes in the Instant Pot - slightly lower pressure than that old PC, and the longest cooking of any I have now.

Some of the lentils I cook in the Instant Pot in the slow cooker mode, when I'm trying to get them al dente, for lentil salads - I don't want to pressure cook them for this, as it's easy to overcook them. Channa dal or puy lentils are good for this, and I start checking after about 110 minutes, though they are usually ready just after 2 hours.