Goodness Organic Black Turtle Beans 500g

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Black Turtle Beans are great for soups and stews

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Product Details

The Black Turtle Bean is thought to have originated in Southern Mexico and Central America over 7,000 years ago, and evidence of its use has been found in excavations of prehistoric dwellings. It has since spread widely around the world, and black beans are widely used throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States (especially Florida and the South West). Black bean soups, stews and sauces are very common in Latin American countries. Black beans are becoming more popular in this country, in part due to increased immigration from Latin American countries, and the culinary traditions these immigrants bring with them.

Nutrition

All legumes are high in protein, and black beans are no exception. Dried beans are important sources of protein in vegetarian diets, and in areas where animal protein is scarce or expensive. However, this protein is incomplete (does not contain all 9 amino acids), so grains (which provide the missing amino acids) must also be a significant part of the strictly vegetarian diet. Or, small amounts of dairy products, meat, poultry or fish (which contain complete proteins) must be part of the diet. In the areas where common beans originated (Central America and southern Mexico) corn supplied the missing amino acids, and squash was an additional source of vitamins.

Black beans, as all dried beans, are also good sources of starches, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, phosphorus, complex carbohydrates and calcium. About half of the calcium is lost during cooking. High percentages of the other nutrients remain however, even after cooking.

Serving Suggestion

Soak overnight, rinse and bring to the boil, simmer until soft - between 45-60 mins. If you don't want to soak overnight, no worries, it just takes a little longer for the beans to soften when cooking.

Cooking Instructions

Cooking Instructions:

Black beans, like all dried beans, can be soaked before cooking. This hydration helps to reduce the cooking time, but it does effect nutrient content and flavour adversely. Because they are small, 2-4 hours soaking in cold water should suffice. Drain, and cook as per recipe.

If you don't have the time, boil the beans in water for 1-3 minutes, turn off heat, cover the pot and let them sit for one hour. Drain and proceed as per recipe. However, there is a problem with this quick soaking (boiling for 1-3 minutes) method. Hot water increases the solubility of the water soluble nutrients, and softens the cell membranes of the beans, further accelerating the loss of these nutrients. This should be a consideration, because of the long cooking time during which more nutrients are lost. Cold soaked and cooked at a very gentle simmer, beans retain most of their nutrients, which are considerable.

To cook, drain the soaking water and add cold water, 1 part beans to 2 or 3 parts cold water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a very slow simmer, so the beans stay in their jackets. Simmer for 2 hours.

Ingredients

Just black turtle beans, and nothing else.

Nutritional Information

Per 100g:
Energy 1330/312kcal, Protein 21.9g, Carbohydrate 58.5g, Fat 0.6g.

Other Information

Organic Certification UK5

Recipe

Recipe: Bean, beer and vegetable puff pie

This old-fashioned homely dish goes well with mashed potatoes and a cooked green vegetable, such as cabbage or Brussels sprouts.

Preparation 30 minutes, plus cooling
Cooking 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose white flour
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable stock
• 2/3 cup beer
• 1 tablespoon shoyu or tamari
• 2 teaspoons prepared mustard
• 1 Ib carrots, sliced
• 1 Ib leeks, cut into 1 inch lengths
• 8 oz baby onions, halved or quartered
• 14 oz pre cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 - 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 12 oz frozen ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped onions and celery and stir, then cover and allow to cook gently for 7-8 minutes, until tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute or so.

2. Sprinkle in the flour and stir over the heat for 1-2 minutes until the flour turns nut-brown. Pour in the stock and beer and stir over the heat until the mixture has thickened slightly.

3. Stir in the shoyu or tamari, the mustard, and some salt and pepper, then add the carrots, leeks, and baby onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook gently for about 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the lcooked black beans and sugar and season with salt and pepper, and then set aside to cool.

4. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a shallow pie dish. Measure the pastry against the dish, cut off the excess and cut this into long thin strips. Brush the rim of the pie dish and the long strips of pastry with a little cold water. Press the strips all round the rim of the dish. Ease the pastry on top of the pie, so that it rests on the pastry-covered rim of the dish. Press the edges of the pastry, decorate as desired and make a steam-hole in the center.

5. Bake the pie in a preheated oven, 400°F, for 20 minutes, or until the pastry is puffy and golden brown. Serve at once.

Organic, Vegetarian

Customer reviews - Goodness Organic Black Turtle Beans 500g

Recipes

Black Bean Stew - Thu 5th Jan 2012
I find these beans so versatile. Here is one of my favourite staples:

Black Turtle Bean Stew. Cook 250g black beans. Put in a pan with 1 diced fried onion, 1 clove garlic, 1 cooked diced sweet potato, 1 diced red pepper, 2 cans tomatoes. Simmer for 10 min. Season with salt & pepper & serve
Reviewer's Name: anya riley

Reviews

- Fri 9th Sep 2011
These beans are especially filling and I use them in most mexican dishes as they can withstand long slow cooking and can hold their shape and colour.

They are not overpowering in flavour and are very adaptable to most cuisine.

Reviewer's Name: Miss D Chavda

- Mon 10th Sep 2012
Very yummy and filling, taste and cook better if you soak them over night :) Great in bean stirfrys or currys!
Reviewer's Name: Sherri

- Fri 19th Oct 2012
Great black beans! They keep for ages and are raw so can be sprouted for optimum nutritional bioavailability.
Reviewer's Name: Paul Richardson

Black Beany Goodness - Tue 23rd Oct 2012
Great tasting beans for healthy hearty dishes.
Perfect for homemade Chili Con Carne, Spicy Bean Burgers and Black Bean and Sweetcorn Salsa. And don't forget 'Tex Mex' Black Bean Wraps. Yum!
Reviewer's Name: Mizz Bee

Black turtle beans - Fri 1st Mar 2013
Great quality *all of them soaked and cooked evenly* and work well in casseroles/stir frys.
Reviewer's Name: S.B

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