A couple of weeks ago I saw a bean I had never seen before, lupini beans. I liked the squarish shape of the beans and bought a pack. I expected them to be like all the other beans but a cuter shape. (My kids have mocked me mercilessly for buying beans on the basis of shape so if you think it's odd, you are not alone)
On Friday night I soaked the whole pack (a kilo pack) and on Saturday I started boiling them. Like I said, I expected them to be the same as all the others: soak, boil, strain, add to recipe and eat.
After simmering for an hour or so they weren't even close to softening. "Hmmm, these beans need a bit more cooking than I expected"
I decided on a quick google search. Lucky I did.
Lupini beans are full of alkaloids and are poisonous if not prepared correctly.
Soak, boil, soak in brine, change brine daily, repeat for fifteen days.
Apparently they are loved in Europe and eaten as a snack with a beer (think a handful rather than a bowl full or a little goes a long way).
I now have what was a kilo of beans, rehydrated it's more like five or six, sitting on my kitchen bench in brine. In twelve more days I'll have more brined beans than I know what to do with.
If I didn't laugh I would cry.
If you like lupinis and are in Sydney, you are welcome to a jar (or six)
Were those instructions on the beans? They are a cute shape and I love the bowl. That is a lot of beans and a lot of snack food. I am still smiling.
ReplyDeleteThe package didn't have instructions at all and if they had cooked a bit faster I would never have known they were different to the others.
DeleteWe'll have to eat lupinis until we turn into them and one has already said she won't touch them in case I poison her!
I'm glad you smiled! I thought it was hilarious (and also sort of tragic) :)
DeleteWonder what the 'wind' component is like? But then with all that soaking before cooking there probably won't be much left there.
ReplyDeleteWill they freeze? Maybe you could hide them there for a while (read few months). Lol
Take care
Cathy
I never even thought about wind! so long as we don't poison ourselves I can probably put up with a bit of wind :)
DeleteI could try freezing if I had room in the freezer. The best thing is to preserve them in jars but that is just a bit too much investment for a $5 bag of beans :)
Oh yes. We eat those beans all the time over here in Europe. It's always a good idea to read cooking instructions.
ReplyDeletelet me revise that to "apparently they are loved in some parts of Europe"
DeleteThanks for the hint on reading instructions, next time you are assembling Ikea furniture let me know and I'll return the favour
What a coincidence! We had red kidney beans and rice for lunch today.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2017/05/rajma-chawal-recipe.html
look at the name of your recipe site: Yummy tummy! I like it!
DeleteAs for you having beans and rice, well great minds think alike :)
Oh Kylie, you're such a character! I laughed out loud when I read your post. Not at the idea that you bought the beans because of their shape & certainly not at the idea they might poison you..
ReplyDeleteI think it was more the idea of endless soaking etc and then finishing up with the proverbial hill of beans
Alphie
A character? Lol! yes, any normal person would throw them away and forget it ever happened!
DeleteIt's good to have you here, Alphie!
Oh Kylie, you're such a character! I laughed out loud when I read your post. Not at the idea that you bought the beans because of their shape & certainly not at the idea they might poison you..
ReplyDeleteI think it was more the idea of endless soaking etc and then finishing up with the proverbial hill of beans
Alphie
also, looking at "alphabet Soup" I'm thinking you have another blog somewhere, can I see it?
DeleteOh my - I'm laughing and appalled at the same time - appalled there was no warning or safety message on the beans package and laughing at both the shape of the beans (I do it, too, always thinking about the shapes and colours of things when they make it to the plate) and the many, many, MANY beans that I am picturing. Alphie's hill of beans comment was right on. If they would freeze, as Cathy suggested, one way to take up less room is to freeze in plastic bags instead of containers. Other than that, I have no words of wisdom. Except maybe throw a block party. But that seems like a big investment for $5 of beans also :)
ReplyDeleteI love the new sidebar picture!
My wanderings in the internet reveal that there are some varieties of lupini which are not poisonous so maybe I have the safe ones and that's why there is no warning .....but I wouldn't want to find out the hard way!
DeleteIf I was to throw a party for this block most people would likely turn their noses up at strange beans, I need to go somewhere more Italian!
Oops. If I had seen them I would probably have fallen into the same trap.
ReplyDeleteSmiling, and wincing, on your behalf. I do hope they are good with a capital G.
I think the edge of the hill is creeping towards Canberra, you might see it soon!
DeleteI'll give you my verdict in 11 days!
I've never heard of lupini beans. They may be popular elsewhere in Europe but not in the UK. It sounds like the laborious cooking process is hardly worth the end result, however tasty! But we cook plenty of other beans and pulses, being vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteWord has it they are popular in Italy and especially for Christmas. The traditional preparation is to put them in a sack in a stream and allow the stream to wash the toxins away. Not laborious at all and totally worth it for anyone who is in genuine need of food
DeleteWhat's your favourite thing to do with beans?
DeleteI do a very tasty kidney bean, carrot and onion chilli.
ReplyDeleteI eat lots of beans and pulses etc but have never come across lupin seeds in the UK. Having said that there was a programme on the television which included an article on a farmer who is growing lupins to feed to his animals to save importing soy beans.
ReplyDeletewhen treated correctly they are equal or better t han soy in nutritional value, especially protein
DeleteIs it really possible to poison yourself with these beans if you don't prepare them correctly? If so, I think I'd pass! :)
ReplyDeletejennifer,
ReplyDeleteit really is possible to poison yourself, it's just like poke weed. I'm not concerned though, I'll do a long rinsing process and then eat small amounts until I'm confident. What worries me more is weeks of work and them they might be totally unpleasant to eat!
I'll pass on those thanks, and I'm not sure which part of Europe likes them as a snack with beer, but not the UK I don't think! Not that we will be part of Europe soon, thanks to Brexit, and no I voted to stay!
ReplyDeleteYou are a fashion adventurer so I'll let you off on the weird beans :)
DeleteHello. Returning your visit. I admire you for your perseverance with the beans. If that had been me i would have chucked the lot. I wouldn't have the patience to go through a long procedure.
DeleteHi Valerie!
DeleteI have this weird inability to throw out food unless it is completely inedible and they are not inedible so far!
You made me burst out laughing. Sounds like some mad thing I'd do, like shapes and colours so much blinded to practicality and instructions, what are they.
ReplyDeleteGood luck as you set up a market table.
XO
WWW
I'm a mad thing sometimes! Can we say it's the Irish influence?
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