Lentils

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Lentils

Postby Durgan on Wed Jan 30, 2019 2:41 pm

I have an interest in tempeh using lentils.

I have made some lentil tempeh, but am not pleased with the results. The mycelium doesn't penetrate the beans. Only the outside of the lentil bean is surrounded by mycelium. I have narrowed the problem down to the beans not becoming soft enough when cooking. The beans are always too hard or they become mush. All the lentil tempeh shown on the internet is lousy IMO.

I make soy and chickpea tempeh, which is always perfect. Checking closely I find the chickpea and soy beans are always soft to the center when cooked so the mycelium can do its job with no problems.

My question. Has anybody used lentils and have they a method of cooking that allows the beans to retain their shape and be soft as are the chickpeas and soy?

It is possible to buy lentils that are de-hulled and split. They can also be de-hulled easily similar to doing soy and chickpeas. It is astonishing just how much of the lentil bean is hulls. But is is convenient buying this process already completed.
Durgan
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Re: Lentils

Postby cerbu on Thu Jan 31, 2019 2:19 am

use red split lentils , just soak up to an hour , than steam 15-20 min
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source= ... 5482842298
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Re: Lentils

Postby Durgan on Thu Jan 31, 2019 9:57 am

30 January 2019 Tempeh Lentil (Success)
Posted on January 31, 2019 by Durga
http://durgan.org/2019/31%20January%202 ... mpeh/HTML/ 31 January 2019 Lentil Tempeh

Five hundred ml, about a pound, of yellow dehulled split lentils purchased from bulk barn were made into tempeh. The lentils were washed, placed in the pressure cooker and cooked for 30 to 45 minutes at 15 PSI. This made a mush from the lentils. They were then cooled to 20C, room temperature, and tempeh starter was added and mixed well.The lentils were then placed in molds ad inserted in the fermenter set at 31C. Fermentation takes about 36 hours. This method is utilized, since the lentils do not soften enough for the starter to penetrate the beans if cooked whole and the product is not satisfactory. The end product is a most pleasant tempeh with little effort. Pictures depict the process.
Image
Durgan
Zone 5 Brantford, ON, Canada
http://durgan.org/2011/
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Re: Lentils

Postby Durgan on Thu Jan 31, 2019 10:10 am

In the past I always avoided using mushy beans, but much to my surprise the mycelium has not problem in permeating the mush. This simplifies tempeh making using lentils. Lentils are awkward to dehull and split but they are supplied by bulk barn, machine split and dehulled and are perfect. The cost is about one dollar a pound/500 ml. All the tempeh pictures made from lentils on the internet leaves much to be desired IMO. I can now make three types , lentils, soy and chickpea. I eat some daily even feed my little dog a piece. I buy the starter from Indonesia and it is low cost and works perfectly.
Durgan
Zone 5 Brantford, ON, Canada
http://durgan.org/2011/
Durgan
 
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Re: Lentils

Postby cerbu on Thu Jan 31, 2019 12:57 pm

nice, I'll try the mushy approach. Your lentil looks just like my yellow split peas , which I avoid turning to mush by steaming less and/or with the pressure switch of the pot not engaged
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Re: Lentils

Postby Durgan on Thu Jan 31, 2019 4:27 pm

cerbu wrote:nice, I'll try the mushy approach. Your lentil looks just like my yellow split peas , which I avoid turning to mush by steaming less and/or with the pressure switch of the pot not engaged


I got the mush more by accident than design. I decided to ferment them since the room was available. My original intent was to make the whole bean soft, but no way. To my astonishment they turned out perfect. Serendipity! I toasted four slices in oil in the frying pan and the result was excellent. Producing is almost effortless.
Durgan
Zone 5 Brantford, ON, Canada
http://durgan.org/2011/
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