When "sorting" lentils, what exactly am I looking for?
When a recipe calls for lentils, sorted and rinsed, what am I looking for? I've heard debris, such as leaves or sticks, but also "bad" lentils. Is there anything else I should be looking for before rinsing and using lentils?
Also, does the same hold true for dried beans?
Best Answer
It is not unheard of for small pebbles, or pieces of the pod the lentils came in to find their way into the drying process.
There is also occasionally a lentil (or bean) that was a bit dodgy before it was dried. These usually appear as discolored lentils, which should be thrown away. It is rare for more than three or four to appear in a pound of lentils though, and the drying means that one bad one doesn't affect the rest.
The same is true for beans and chickpeas too, but is rarer the larger the beans get.
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What to look for when sorting lentils?
Larger, unripe lentils take longer to cook than smaller, ripe lentils. To ensure that your lentils are evenly cooked, you need to sort the lentils by size and color (color being the indicator of ripeness) so that you can quickly accommodate the varying cooking times.What does it mean to sort beluga lentils?
As you sprinkle the lentils 1/4 cup or so at a time, you can look through them, remove any foreign looking bits, then push the sorted lentils to one side of the plate and continue. One dinner size plate is good for sorting through about one cup at a time.How do you sort lentil beans?
Best of all, black lentils are the most nutritious variety of lentils, boasting the highest amount of protein, plus high levels of calcium, potassium, and iron.Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Anna Tarazevich, MART PRODUCTION, RODNAE Productions, RODNAE Productions