Don't laugh. I posted this on this forum because no one is over at the food forum and I really need some info on cranberry beans.

As many of you know, I sprout seeds and beans. I love doing this and it's economical. I also DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING as far as cranberry beans are concerned.

Yesterday I went to my local supermarket and where all the beans in packets are, well, there were these cranberry beans. Not Goya by the way.

A brand named Jack Rabbit.

There are photos of cranberry beans all over the internet (light colored beans with stripes on them).

These are the beans that were in the package.

So I said to myself "you can sprout these, just do the overnight soaking (like I do with my other beans).

So this morning, I go on the internet to see more info about Cranberry beans and I read

"These must be shelled before cooking".

What are they talking about? I didn't have to shell the black turtle beans. They sprouted just fine, and I stir fry them.

I just looked at the second day of my craberry beans (I rinsed and drained them very well) they are beginning to start a splitting process, with a litle sprout inside.

Can I stir fry these? I'm not sure what it means that I have to SHELL THESE BEFORE COOKING.

What shell are they talking about? These are not dried cranberries by the way.

If someone can please tell me what I can do with these cranberry beans, (especially about shelling them if I have to), I'd appreciate it.

I don't know if these are shelled or not. They look exactly like the photos of cranberry beans that are posted on all the sprout pages. It just says "you must shell these before cooking".

So all of you cooks out there who know ANYTHING ABOUT CRANBERRY BEANS, I need to pick your brain on this.

Do you shell your cranberry beans? And how do I tell if these are shelled or not. It doesn't say anything on the package.

Thanks much!!

Melody

Are they actually called cranberry beans??
I thought cranberry were a fruit , but I guess it would spout as most seeds /beans need to do to make a new plant...

Let us know what you find out.
I wonder what the sprouts will taste like.

oh, you might look on some raw food sites for info too..

These are INDEED Cranberry beans. I just two photos to show you. And when I go to sprouting websites, they look exactly like the beans that are sold for sprouting (or cooking, or whatever one does with beans).







And they are sprouting, splitting, etc.

My question is "what are they talking about when they say "you must shell before cooking"

What does an UNSHELLED CRANBERRY BEAN LOOK LIKE?

The ones in this Jack Rabbit Package, well the package does not indicate, "shelled or unshelled".


Oh, woe is me!!

lol

----------------------------------------
UPDATE, UPDATE. Melody is officially stupid!!! I just googled UNSHELLED CRANBERRY BEANS.

Take a look (peas in a pod).

http://flickr.com/photos/quintanaroo/1750191772/

so I gather my beans are unshelled, and I can sprout em, cook em up, do whatever I want to them, right?

Now here's another good question. I absolutely adore CRAISINS. Can't eat them because of the sugar and carb content, but I remember being at a party and they had a salad and I ate the salad (just a small bit), and I fell in love with the little dried cranberry thingees in the salad. I asked my niece "what the heck are these things, they are to die for" and she said 'oh, those are craisins".

I looked at the package in her cupboard and I immediately knew "not for me, not for anyone with diabetes", unless you put two or three in your salad.

so now I'm wondering, my sprouted cranberry beans (should be ready in one or two days), they'll have all the health benefits of sprouts, but they won't be dried and sugar laden like the craisins.

I read that you should NEVER put raw sprouted beans in a salad because the bean has some kind of natural toxin or something, but if you want to put them in a salad, you have to stir fry them for 60 seconds first. That is what I've been doing. Oh boy, do they taste great.

And since I'm alive and kicking, I gather I'm not getting any toxins in me.

I think I'll do the same thing with the cranberry beans.

Oh, the stuff one learns when one is 61 years old.


lol lol lol

I have had some bean mixes, like seven bean soup mix, that have had cranberry beans in them.

They have nothing to do with regular cranberries Jo, it's the name of them. They have red coloring. Like a pinto bean, but red, not brown. Same bean flavor too.

I have never sporuted them Melody. Just cooked them up like you do dried beans.

The bag says must shell? Or the sprouting websites?

Shelling would be taking them out of the pod. That is already done with the ones you pictured.

These beans come in a pod. One removes/shells them from the pod and then they look like the ones in your bag, Mel.

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2008/0...rry_beans.html

http://prettysmartrawfoodideas.wordp...-beans-part-2/

Yes, I NOW UNDERSTAND that the cranberry beans I bought in the Jack Rabbit package are SHELLED CRANBERRY BEANS. I am now sprouting them. I shall do the stir frying with them.

I just googled Craisins. It says they are a combination of cranberries and raisins and are heavily sweetened due to the tartness of cranberries (this I undersand, I'm not THAT clueless).

Then I found a link to sugar free dried cranberries. You can put cranberries in a pot of water, add some sugar substitute (then it goes on and on how to put them in your oven, after squishing them).

Now here's another dumb question from me.

What is the difference between cranberries (that are used in craisins and that you buy them in the store (the package says "fresh cranberries), well, what is the difference between these and my Jack Rabbit Cranberry Beans?

Are these two completely different food items?

I got excited and bought the Jack Rabbit Cranberry beans because I thought I was buying cranberries.

God, I feel like a complete moron for even asking this question.

lol Melody

Thank you for the two links. I viewed the both. I sat there and said: "helllloooo, those are MY beans!!!! lol

Then I saw the ones that were sprouted and I said "yup, that's what is happening in my bowl".

I've either forgotten the whole bean thing (pods, etc.), or my brain is going in a different direction at my age.

Who cares!!!! I've got 7 batches of sprouts growing in my kitchen, and tonight WE SHALL EAT PATTIES!!!

lol

The beans are beans. They just got the name cranberry because of the coloring. Nothing to do with the berry...cranberry. Just a plain ole bean.

I buy fresh cranberry's all the time. They can be grated frsh into muffins, pancakes, breads...

My husband can eat my homemade cranberry sauce everyday. He loves it.

What would I do without you dear people.

Now here's a question. I can't eat craisins, and I'm not about to do all the steps that a person did to make sugar free craisins (not unless I have to).

Can I just take some fresh cranberries and add some splenda, and then take 5 or 6 of them and sprinkle them on a salad? Or do cranberries have to be boiled, etc. etc. before consuming?

see? I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!!
lol

They need to be cooked or atleast sweetened, but you can cook them with Splenda.

I'll try putting some in jar with Splenda for a few days. Let them dry out and soak up the Splenda. See what happens.

If my mouth is stuck sour pucker position for a few days, you'll know why.