# Lentils after shtf?



## pawpaw (Dec 21, 2011)

Beans I've got. Lots of 'em. Now soak them beans for several hours and rinse before cooking if you're in a small apartment. Now cook for several more, using whatever heat source you have (or can afford to waste).
Pintos 5 Fibers / 7 proteins

So now open the lentils into a pot-and start cooking. No soaking required. Cook until done enough to suit, about 15-20 MINUTES! To me that's a huge savings of fuel and precious cooking time, perhaps reducing hungry noses outside. The best part?
Lentils 11 Fibers / 10 proteins
Or, more than double the fiber, and 30% more protein! Throw in a can of ham or whatever, and be eating in 30 minutes. I hope some will agree this could be an important augmentation to a prepper diet.....Come to think of it- if you threw in rice, as well, they'd all be done about the same time in one pot,huh?


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## alwaysready (May 16, 2012)

I don't eat them often guess that needs to change.


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## DJgang (Apr 10, 2011)

lentils, yep, definitely in the preps, lots and lots of them and we do eat them!

Good advice!

Oh, always lentils and rice, add carrots or whatever other root veggie you got dehydrated, add some sausage if you got any canned, yum!


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

Lentils are part of our storage, and I'm trying to grow them, too. (Didn't work out well last year - poor germination, and rabbits got what did come up).

Thanks for pointing out their fuel efficiency - I hadn't thought of that!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Not sure why lentils are so overshadowed by beans, I think they are great if you cook them right, tons of dishes you can make or add them to soup or stew.
They are easy to grow too, Canada is the biggest supplier in the world. There may be a bit of processing of the seed, depending on variety and how they are to be prepared.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Oops, didn't see goshengirl's post, sorry you are having trouble. Are you using seed or ones intended as food? Some are processed and that could greatly weaken them.


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## Jerry D Young (Jan 28, 2009)

Lentils are a regular part of my diet. Usually add some hamburger. They are also a key element in my prep food storage, for all the reasons listed.


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## pawpaw (Dec 21, 2011)

I know I started this thread, and I love lentils, but they look so small I'd never have the patience to shell or fool with them. I can't even pick up a small screw wit my fat fingers. Nope. They're just to cheap to buy 'em by the bag & be done with it.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Red, brown and green ones are all good. The Reds take least time of all to cook, about the same as rice.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Never had them except in those bags of mixed beans. Gonna have to go find some quick & easy recipes to try for them.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

You can also sprout them.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I lost my recipe but I have a lentils and rice recipe I like very well. And it lends itself to throwing in various leftovers and such. one pot cooking quick easy and all the nutrition recipe used veggie oil I was using olive so you got your fat in there too. was even planining to package some single use servings for bob use. it would be an efficient use of limited fuel.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

cowboyhermit said:


> Oops, didn't see goshengirl's post, sorry you are having trouble. Are you using seed or ones intended as food? Some are processed and that could greatly weaken them.


Using seeds. I think we let them get too dry at one point when they were trying to germinate, so not many came up, but that should be an easy fix next season. As for the rabbits... the lentils that did come up got nibbled on and died. Their shoots are so tender and feathery, I'm sure the rabbits couldn't resist. I'll need to make sure to put out more repellant next year, either that or get an electrical fence. 

Pawpaw, I hear you. I'm growing them to learn how, in case that ever becomes necessary. And to have something to torture the kids with. ("To heck with a time out, go shell some lentils!")


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I know they grow really easy around here, of course they get planted a field at a time so would take a lot of rabbits to be a problem
They don't need water here, or fertilizer, just like any other legume they fix their own nitrogen if they have the right bacteria so they should be inoculated.
If you only tried lentils in those mixes they were probably disintegrated, which is ok but there are a lot of other ways to prepare them. I love all kinds of dried peas/beans etc so those mixes always baffled me, they all are done at different times.


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