Food Storage Checklist #9 (lentils, dry soups, & peanut butter)

To Do:

• Learn more about lentils and dry soup mixes.
• Try out a lentil soup recipe.
• Try sprouting some lentil seeds and taste them.
• Make something yummy with peanut butter.  
• Update your 3-month supply inventory sheet.

To Purchase:

• 5 lbs of lentils.
• 5 lbs of dry soup mix.
• 4 lbs of peanut butter.
• a few packages of non-food items.
• something from your 3-month supply list.

Legumes

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Beans, peas and lentils are the richest source of vegetable protein and are a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.
• Utilizing dried beans and soaking them overnight is the best way to get the true bean flavor and a smooth texture
• When legumes are eaten with grains, nuts or seeds, a complete protein can be formed which can suitably replace meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy.
• Legumes aren’t just used for soups. Some other uses are:
  • Grind into bean flour for white sauces
  • Mash up cooked beans to replace butter/oil in recipes
  • Grow into sprouts for a fresh “vegetable”
• One easy way to start using dried beans is to use them in place of canned beans in your normal recipes (see conversion chart below)
• Generally, legumes will keep indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place.
• Meats can be used to supplement or replace legumes as a protein source in your storage. Meats can be stored in the following ways:
  • Canned meats (either purchased or home-canned)
  • Dehydrated meats (beef or turkey jerkey, either homemade or store-bought)
  • Freeze-dried meats (many varieties available to purchase)
  • Fresh meat from animals you raise
• Determine the quantities of each food item you will need to store. 

Helpful Hints

Since the bulk of the recommended legume storage is beans, here is a basic summary of Do’s and Don’ts.
BEAN DO’S:

• Store dry beans in a cool, dry place.
• Lightly rinse packaged dry beans; sort through them and remove any pebbles, seed pods, leaves or twigs.
• Soak your beans! It reduces cooking time by about one half, and saves vitamins, minerals and proteins which can be lost during prolonged heating — exceptions are lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas which may be cooked from their dry state.
• Soak beans in plenty of water. Use a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of water to beans 
• Place presoaked beans in a pot and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer them for the indicated length of time until they are soft and tender.

BEAN DON’TS:

• Store dry beans in the refrigerator.
• Add baking soda to hasten soaking or cooking time as it will decrease the nutritional content of the beans.
• Add salt or any product high in calcium, magnesium or acid to the soaking or cooking water or beans will not soften (products with these elements should be added to cooking water or any recipe calling for partially cooked beans only after beans have reached desired tenderness).
• Use microwave to cook dry beans – microwaving is fine for reheating beans that are already cooked, but dry beans need to be simmered slowly in lots of water to soften, tenderize and rehydrate properly.

Dry Soup Mix

• Soup mixes are used to flavor soups made with your beans.
• There are many types such as chicken base, beef base, ham base, onion soup mix, cream based.

Dried Beans Overview

Dried beans are a great source of protein, especially when combined with a whole grain. They have a long 30 year shelf life and can be used for many things. Here is a list of the most common types of dried beans:
Pinto beans, Black beans, Red beans, Navy beans, Kidney beans, Garbanzo beans, Great northern white beans, Lima beans, Mung beans, and Soybeans

Alfalfa

Alfalfa is a member of the pea family and is typically eaten as sprouts.
Uses: Alfalfa sprouts can be used to top sandwiches and burgers similar to lettuce. They are also good thrown into salads or soups. You can even set them on a plate and use as an edible garnish for a main meat dish.
Health Benefits: Alfalfa contains high levels of phytoestrogens, saponins, and antioxidants.

Lentils

Lentils are small, flat legumes that come in a wide variety of colors such as red, green, brown, yellow, etc.
Uses: Lentils can be flavored many different ways. You can make a sweet salad by combining them with fruits, or a savory soup or casserole. They can also be used as a meat filler or substitute to add bulk to your meals.
Health Benefits: Lentils are high in fiber and magnesium, yet low in calories and fat.

Split peas

Split peas are regular peas that have been dried after harvesting. After they are dried and the skins removed, they split naturally. They can usually be found in both yellow and green varieties.
Uses: The most common use for split peas is the famous split pea soup. You can also make a puree of cooked split peas as a side dish, or make “dahl”, a traditional Indian dish.
Health Benefits: Split peas (like lentils) are high in fiber and low in calories and fat. They also provide a good source of 4 minerals, 2 B-vitamins, and isoflavones.

Diagrams/Charts

 

The Benefits of Beans

Low Calorie Food
When added to boiling water, bean flours thicken in only 1 minute and can become a pefect white sauce base for lots of recipes. By replacing bean flour in cream and soup recipes you lower the calories dramatically because you take out the butter.

Great Protein
Beans are an excellent source of protein, forming a complete protein when combined with rice, corn, and many other foods. Getting protein this way can help you avoid some of the fatty meat proteins.

High in Fiber
One cup of beans provide the same amount of fiber as 3 standard doses of Metamucil. Not only do they give you the fiber, they are much more pleasant to eat and can be prepared with endless variety of tastes.

Low in Fat
Nearly all beans contain only 2-3% fat! You can even add oils to some recipes without going above even the 10% fat level recommended by Doctors.


Lower Cholesterol
Did you know that beans can help lower your cholesterol level? Not only do they contain NO cholesterol, they actually help the body get rid of what is considered bad cholesterol.

Beans Do's and Don'ts

Bean Do’s
• Lightly rinse packaged dry beans; sort through them and remove any pebbles, seed pods, leaves or twigs.
• Soak your beans! It reduces cooking time by about one half, and saves vitamins, minerals and proteins which can be lost during prolonged heating — exceptions are lentils, split peas and black-eyed peas which may be cooked from their dry state.
• Soak beans in plenty of water. Use a 3:1 or 4:1 ratio of water to beans.
• Place presoaked beans in a pot and cover with fresh, cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover and simmer them for the indicated length of time until they are soft and tender.
• Store dry beans in the refrigerator.

Bean Don’ts
• Add baking soda to hasten soaking or cooking time as it will decrease the nutritional content of the beans.
• Add salt or any product high in calcium, magnesium or acid to the soaking or cooking water or beans will not soften (products with these elements should be added to cooking water or any recipe calling for partially cooked beans only after beans have reached desired tenderness).
• Use microwave to cook dry beans - microwaving is fine for reheating beans that are already cooked, but dry beans need to be simmered slowly in lots of water to soften, tenderize and rehydrate properly.

*Info From FoodStorageMadeEasy

Food Storage Checklist #6 (Legumes)

To Do:

• Read the Do's and Don'ts of Beans and the Benefits of Beans
• Try replacing canned beans with dried beans in one of your soup or chili recipes.  
• Try using mashed white beans in place of oil in one of your baked goods recipes.
• Update your 3-month supply inventory sheet of what foods you already have stored.

To Purchase:

• 30 lbs of dried beans (black, pinto, navy, chick peas, kidney, white northern, garbonzo, etc.)
• 4 lbs of shortening
• 1 qt. of salad dressing
• a few extra boxes of laundry detergent
• something from your 3-month supply list 

Some things about beans:
• Beans, peas and lentils are the richest source of vegetable protein and are a good source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber.
• Utilizing dried beans and soaking them overnight is the best way to get the true bean
flavor and a smooth texture
• When legumes are eaten with grains, nuts or seeds, a complete protein can be formed
which can suitably replace meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy.
• Legumes aren’t just used for soups. Some other uses are as follows: Grind into bean
flour for white sauces; Mash up cooked beans to replace butter/oil in recipes; Grow into
sprouts for a fresh “vegetable”
• One easy way to start using dried beans is to use them in place of canned beans in your
normal recipes.
• Generally, legumes will keep indefinitely when stored in a cool, dry place.
• It is recommended that one adult stores roughly 60 lbs of legumes/ year to sustain life.

Types of Legumes:
Dry Soup Mix:
• There are many types of soup mixes to make soups such as chicken base, beef base, ham base, onion soup mix, cream‐based, etc. Soups are a great way to use legumes.
Lentils:
• Lentils have a high nutritional value, second only to soy beans in protein content.
• The lentil is a cousin of the bean and is used as an additive in soups and chili.
• There is no need to soak lentils before cooking.
Dry Soy Beans:
• Dry soy beans provide an excellent source of protein.
• They are light tan or yellow in color.
• Standard soaking methods apply.
Dry Split Peas:
• Types include yellow and green. Yellow split peas have a milder flavor and are good to use in dishes where you want to hide the richer, green pea flavor.
• Dry split peas are most commonly used in thick soups and stews.
• There is no need to soak split peas before cooking.
Dry Beans:
• There are a large variety of dry beans, some black, red, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, lima
• Dry beans are very versatile, we will be posting lots of recipes which you can use them in. Store the varieties that your family normally eats.
• In general the larger the bean the longer they need to soak; and the longer you soak beans, the faster they cook.

*Info From FoodStorageMadeEasy