lentils

[crossbow]

Lentil Storage
Dried lentils have an indefinite shelf-life, yet another reason why our ancestors kept them as a staple food. With age, the color may fade a bit, but the flavor will not noticeably deteriorate. Store lentils in a sealed package or airtight container in a cool, dry place. The high protien content in lentils make them an excellent meat subsitute

[monkeybird]

I discovered just last winter buy reading another blog, that dried beans get too hard to cook after a time. Had I know this earlier, I would have focused on lentils. Are there other beans that won't get hard with long storage?

[crossbow]

I discovered just last winter buy reading another blog, that dried beans get too hard to cook after a time. Had I know this earlier, I would have focused on lentils. Are there other beans that won't get hard with long storage?

dry beans cans be sofened up by soaking them(instead of overnight) soak them a couple days with a little baking soda in the water, change the water every 8 hrs. after about 10 years they may be too hard for that and can be ground into flour so they won't be waisted. I knew people who ate soup in the 30s made from the beans that were placed in toy bean bags in the 20s. and beans will get harder the longer they are stored. I think if i were hungry enough, i would par boil them a few times.

http://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/htm/dry-beans

[monkeybird]

That link is to a GREAT site. Thanks, crossbow.

[Kat]

We've also had great luck storing lentils. They're sealed in Mylar bags with oxygen absorbers inside buckets. When eaten with rice you get a complete protein. We had some kidney beans that got hard as rocks from storage. They didn't seem to soften up much at all when boiled but maybe I should try them again and use the baking soda this time. I appreciate the tip on that. Thanks.