My cheap bag of lentils turned into a kitchen disaster

I grabbed a 2 pound bag of brown lentils from the dollar store to make a big pot of soup, but they never got soft no matter how long I boiled them. Turns out they were super old and probably sat in a warehouse for years. Has anyone else had this happen with dried beans from a discount store?

2 comments

2 Comments

patking17d ago

Yeah, dollar store beans and lentils are a total gamble. I started soaking mine overnight with a pinch of baking soda in the water. That seems to help soften up even the really old, hard ones. If they still won't get tender after cooking, they're probably too far gone. I just toss them and buy from a store with faster turnover now.

riverm4817d ago

My buddy tried that baking soda trick with some discount lentils last month. They still came out like little rocks, so he gave up on that store completely. Some batches are just too far past their prime to save.