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?Rinse lentils before adding to a pot of salted, boiling water for approximately 20 to 30 minutes (until tender, but with a slight bite).
Salt making beans tough is a wives tale.
Definitely salt your lentil or bean cooking water.
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.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!
Here's a good recipe, from a manufacturer: https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes...ration-instructions-for-french-green-lentils/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]
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.I had a similar experience with dry beans myself. However, my wife has never had any problem. I blame it on old beans.