Beans

[Daphne do]

I read on gluten free email I get that beans can be cross contaminated because they switch crops with wheat or barley or some gluten and they said lentils also do my question is does that include green beans and how do I know which beans are safe and which are contaminated? This is so difficult I wish this was like a direct answer like yes safe for celiacs no not safe for celiacs I know we have different levels of how much ppm each one of us can handle I can not handle more then 5 for sure thank you for your time 

[cyclinglady]

Fresh green beans are just fine.  Wash them like you would with any raw agricultural products (like lettuce or broccoli).    Dried beans can have wheat in them.  Rare, but possible.  So, put a cup of dried beans on a cookie sheet, and sort them.  We have always done this because the USDA allows other things in raw foods like sticks and rocks.  Who wants to bite down on a rock?  I can not recall the percentage, but today sorting machines are better at removing rocks.  So, sort the beans, then wash them in a colander.  Soak for 12 hours, rinse, add more water to cover an inch or so and cook.  

Dried Beans are easier and faster to cook in an Instant Pot but on a cold winter day?  Cooking in the stove is nice.  

Remember, beans can be hard to digest for anyone.  So they might bother you or your friends if you toot too much!  

Edited January 30, 2020 by cyclinglady