Rinse the peas thoroughly under cold running water, using your hands to gently rub the peas to remove any remaining starch or compounds. The pulses should be thoroughly rinsed after soaking and placed in a saucepan of fresh water. Bring them to the boil and keep at a boil for 10 minutes before reducing the heat to a simmer. This boiling time is needed to kill off toxins which can be present in some pulses. We would not recommend using bicarbonate of soda in the cooking water as it can cause the pulses to become too soft or mushy and can sometimes leave a soapy taste. Must boil for an hour then simmer for the next 2-3 hours to destroy all toxins and ensure they are fully cooked No (if you do want to soak them don't use baking soda to soak split peas it will turn them into a watery purée!)

To freeze your leftover beans for recipes, put them in an airtight freezer container and freeze them for up to 6 months. You can freeze the beans with a little bit of the cooking liquid to keep them from drying out. Beans are an agricultural product, and they aren’t washed before they come to you in dried form. For this reason, dried beans have to be thoroughly washed before you cook them. Our grandmothers always said dried beans had to be washed 6 times, but as long as you wash them well, that’s not really necessary. Simply add your peas and hot water to a large bowl or container, then heat them up in short intervals, stirring occasionally.Safety and effectiveness should always be taken into account when utilizing different soaking methods. Dried peas are also a very good source of dietary fibre and a good source of manganese, copper, protein, folate, vitamin B1, phosphorus, vitamin B5, and potassium. Very low in fat (even less than the other beans on this list), with a high protein count. Also known as the ‘weight loss bean’ as they are filling yet low in calories.

Soaking peas is crucial to ensure they cook evenly and have a tender texture, but it can take hours or even overnight. Add seasonings such as bay leaves, onion, garlic or bouillon as you start cooking, but leave the acidic ones until near the end as they can impair the tenderness. Acidic foods include tomatoes, vinegar and lemon juice.Firm and flavourful, green lentils don’t break down easily with stirring or mixing, making them ideal for salads and pilafs. These little green and blue marbled lentils retain their shape on cooking (although not as much of their colour) and have a delicious flavour. Liquorice, alfalfa, peanuts and carob are also all members of the legume family (so it does make sense to say many beans have a 'nutty' taste!) Pulses is the name often used to refer to the dried seed of these plants (or indeed the plants themselves). Soak for at least 2 hours: Let the peas soak for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. The longer you soak them, the softer they will become. Drain and rinse well. Cover beans and leave an inch or so of fresh water, you'll need 3-4 cups of water for each cup of beans or pulses. Each cup of dried beans should yield around 2-3 cups of cooked beans.