Organic Red Kidney Beans - Left Coast Organics

You may be familiar with the kidney bean from a variety of dishes, such as chilis, salads, rice dishes, and soups. However, in all cases, this bean must be cooked before consumption because it contains phytohemagglutinin, which can be toxic. These beans are a versatile staple, with dried beans having a shelf life of up to a year, and being full of nutrients such as iron, manganese, folate, and many more.

Recipe:

Chili Con Carne

About the Producer:

Cullen’s Foods sells five different types of pulses, organically grown across three Canadian provinces by over a dozen farmers on more than 500 acres. Every Cullen’s product – dried and canned – is traceable by lot code right back to the farmer who grew it at www.cullensfoods.com. Ben Cullen takes joy in connecting the pieces of this puzzle back to the farmers, producers, and friends who put value into Canadian organic production.

For more information, please visit Our Farmers & Partners.

Ingredients:

Organic Red Kidney Beans

Product Status:

Certified Organic

Organic Certifying Body:

Pro-Cert

Country of Origin:

Canada

Allergen Information:

May contain traces of soy. For packaged bulk items read the label for applicable allergen warning.

About the Producer:

For more information, please visit Our Farmers & Partners.

RECIPE: Chili Con Carne

Ingredients:

2 Tbl olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 ¼ lb lean beef mince
250 ml or 9 fl oz red wine
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
3 Tbl tomato purée
2 red chilies, thinly sliced, or 3-4 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 stick cinnamon
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
1 beef stock cube
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 x 400 g cans red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 large bunch coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Wedges of lime, to serve

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan with a lid and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the beef mince, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of meat with a wooden spoon.
Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chili or chili flakes, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and Worcestershire sauce and crumble in the stock cube. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for about 50 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally until the mixture is rich and thickened.
Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further ten minutes, uncovered, before removing from the heat, adding any extra seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice, guacamole, sour cream and a big green salad.

Cooking Instructions:

If you want to reduce cooking time, presoak the beans. Place in a saucepan with 2-3 cups of water for every cup of kidney beans. Boil the beans for 2 minutes, take pan off the heat, cover and allow to stand for 2 hours. Or, soak the beans in water overnight, placing the pan in the refrigerator, so the beans will not ferment.
Drain the liquid and rinse the beans with clean water.
For the stovetop method, add 3 cups of fresh water or broth for each cup of dried beans. The liquid should be about 1-2 inches above the top of the beans. Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, partially covering the pot. If any foam develops, simply skim it off.
Cook for 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Tip: Do not add salt or acidic seasoning during cooking, because they may make the beans tough.