Cooking your own lentils - why and how
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Everyone should cook their own lentils. It’s healthy and affordable. This is a form of abundance. Here, we look at cooking green lentils. The method is great for cooking plant based vegan food and even for meal prep. It’s also a budget-friendly ingredient-swap.
Although you can get a can of lentils if there is no other option, dry lentils are quite simple to use. The cooking process does not take a lot of time.
Image: Unsplash
How to cook dry green lentils
Rinse your lentils.
Lentils should be thoroughly rinsed to remove any gunk. Directions often suggest taking out any odd-looking pieces. It is a good precaution. I can’t remember ever finding much odd stuff with my lentils. But I recently prepared white beans and found a small stone with them. It might never happen to you but it’s worth checking. Don’t be put off these legumes just because some materials could appear. You’re going to be rinsing the lentils repeatedly and cooking out any germs.
Bring to a boil.
After rinsing, transfer the lentils to a pot and add plenty of water. Turn the heat on high and let the water boil. I really would recommend a large pot with enough space for a gap at the top. We don’t want the water to boil over and make a mess. Plan accordingly.
Simmer the lentils.
When the water is at a rapid boil, bring the temperature down to let the lentils simmer until they are soft. I like to use a fork to scoop out a lentil or a few. When the test lentil is cool enough, I will squish it between my fingers to test the consistency.
This is how the lentils look when they are going onto the stove. They then should thoroughly boil. Image: MSW
Store your lentils in sustainable containers
The batch of lentils could be used as a component of various meals. Store the lentils in jars in the fridge for a few days. You could freeze the lentils in a jar that has a wide top or maybe glass containers instead.
Store food in jars when possible. Image: Unsplash
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