Kidney beans: whats the difference between a 15p can and a 55p can

[Mrs Magpie]

Mum uses tins of value tomatoes in her curries sometimes, like vwhen she runs out of fresh... I can never tell the difference...

Value baked beans are fine with extra pepper, butter and cheese in them... oh and lee and perrins

I always put extra ingredients in premade food when I eat it... Like soups and stuff always extra pepper, butter and cheese... maybe even a handful of pasta.

It tastes fine once you've spiced it it up a little bit...

That's the thing. I think your Mum cooks like me. I never measure out anything. Unless I'm on cooking auto-pilot (tried and tested old faves, jacket spuds, pepperpot soup) I taste, adjust flavours, simmer and stir as is required. I only vaguely follow recipes. I read it, and then see if I can rustle up something similar with what I have and with how many will be eating....My son's got his mates round and one of them (a sultry estate beauty who is glued to her phone) said
"Ra Mrs M, I love your house. It's a proper home. You've always got food on the go."

I was chuffed.

 

[felixthecat]

That's the thing. I think your Mum cooks like me. I never measure out anything. Unless I'm on cooking auto-pilot (tried and tested old faves, jacket spuds, pepperpot soup) I taste, adjust flavours, simmer and stir as is required. I only vaguely follow recipes. I read it, and then see if I can rustle up something similar with what I have and with how many will be eating....My son's got his mates round and one of them (a sultry estate beauty who is glued to her phone) said
"Ra Mrs M, I love your house. It's a proper home. You've always got food on the go."

I was chuffed.

I'm the same as you Mrs M. I don't think I've ever followed a recipe exactly - just use 'em for ideas. Subsequently when people ask me for a specific recipe I'm a bit at a loss. My daughter's learned the same way - by how it feels, tastes, smells etc because thats the only way I could teach her to cook. Its more fun that way cos you constantly improvise

 

[FridgeMagnet]

I do that as well, but mostly because I get bored if I don't. Cooking is an activity for me, not a chore, and I wouldn't want to do it the same way each time. Even when I'm trying to follow a recipe precisely for something I've not made before, I always end up changing something half way through.

 

[tombowler]

IIrC the value items often had artificial sweetner in them? im sure this was the case with the kidney beans a while back but cant check as escaped the ship last year.

with the value stuff you do get used to it over time, i got used to the very very cheap wine in abox beloved of the street drinkers here ( cost well under a quid) if the white is cold enough i can enjoy it.

i think many value lines are sold below cost so you will go into the shop and then pay over the ods for other items that are not "headline" shopping items also the shop is designed to make you buy more than you came in for.

Never shop hungry you will buy loads of crap!

make list eat shop save!

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Incidentally, cheap beans sure, though sometimes more broken. Cheap tomatoes vs posh tomatoes: the only time I can notice a difference is if I actually go to a deli and buy some imported tins at some daft price. I've never been able to tell much difference between cheap tomatoes and supermarket standard ones - it's no way as significant as it is with baked beans. Having said that, the price of tinned tomatoes doesn't vary to the same degree anyway.

Really, if I want to be posh with a tomato dish I'll buy some tomatoes.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Oh, and I think the one thing that really makes no difference whether you pay 5p or a pound for is chickpeas. I've never noticed any difference at all by price.

 

[tarannau]

Napolina are about the best easily available quality brand out there. Worth it over the standard supermarket tomatoes to me if you're using them a base for a simple tomato sauce for example - slowly cooked they just get thicker quicker and keep a better consistency imo. Best bought when on special or in bulk. I'm not half as fussy when it comes down the tomatoes in, for example, a chilli or stew.

We're lucky around here in that the Portuguese delis keep some excellent tinned tomatoes, highly competitive in price. The pulped tomato (polpa) bottles in particular are pretty much standalone sauces in a bottle. Bit of garlic and chilli and you'll you'll have a cheap and fantastic arrabiata in minutes

To be honest the chances of finding fresh tomatoes with taste to match, at least not at a ridiculous price, is very slim indeed over here.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

IIrC the value items often had artificial sweetner in them? im sure this was the case with the kidney beans a while back

Looked at a can right at the back of the cupboard. Kidney beans, water. That's it. Just looked at a can (not of kidney beans) I think it was cannelini, (I'm not going back down to check) it was water, sugar and salt.

 

[tarannau]

Oh, and I think the one thing that really makes no difference whether you pay 5p or a pound for is chickpeas. I've never noticed any difference at all by price.

Dried ones? Usually age and the condition separates them slightly.

Canned ones and I can't say I've ever noticed any difference either. I'm always more bemoaning the fact I wasn't organised enough to get or prepare the dried versions - they're just better all round.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

To be honest the chances of finding fresh tomatoes with taste to match, at least not at a ridiculous price, is very slim indeed over here.

Unless you get an allotment.

 

[tarannau]

Looked at a can right at the back of the cupboard. Kidney beans, water. That's it. Just looked at a can (not of kidney beans) I think it was cannelini, (I'm not going back down to check) it was water, sugar and salt.

My cheapo Crosse & Blackwell ones have something called a firming agent and calcium carbonate in them according to the tin.

I can't say I really care that much about value beans. If they're cheap I just tend to add them later in the cooking as they generally just seem to be slightly more prone to breaking apart. Tastewise they seem the same.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

calcium carbonate

Chalk? Why on earth?

 

[tarannau]

Unless you get an allotment.

Nah, even my mum's heritage tomatoes from the garden didn't quite match the best tinned ones for flavour, although they were very close. A world apart from even the best supermarket vine tomatoes mind - even a tomato salad or a simple slice in a cheese sarnie was a pleasure.

My old growbag dwarf varieties weren't too bad either. Probably haven't got space for them this year unfortunately.

 

[tarannau]

Chalk? Why on earth?

Sorry, I lost my mind walking from the kitchen to the west wing in our palatial abode.

It's calcium chloride after all. And there I was beginning to dream that they were cheekily using chalk to give the beans some bite

 

[Pip]

I find it cheaper to soak/cook loads of kidney beans, then bang some in the freezer.

Gawd I don't want to open a massive Urban can of toxic worms (or beans), but be careful with that method - improperly soaked or cooked kidney beans contain a high level of a toxin called phytohaemaglutnin (sp?) which can make you really sick. It's for this reason I buy tinned (value since you ask) kidney beans and dried everything else.

While I'm at it, I'm with tarannau on the tomatoes. A lot of what I cook requires tinned tomatoes, and I can't afford to buy decent tinned toms all the time, but when I want something to taste really good I put my hand in my pocket. There definitely is a difference.
FWIW Lidl tomatoes are about 30p a tin, and much better than value or basics.

 

[tarannau]

I must admit, dried kidney beans scare me a little. Unless I'm cooking a massive batch of food and can afford a lone time near the stove it's tinned all the way.

 

[maldwyn]

... but be careful with that method - improperly soaked or cooked kidney beans contain a high level of a toxin called phytohaemaglutnin (sp?) which can make you really sick...

Initially I was anxious about cooking dried kidney beans as it is so time consuming having to soak them for 24hrs and then cook for 2.5/3 hours (plus the added cooking time of whatever dish I use them in), however, the end result is remarkably superior to what you get from a can. I've been using this method for years with no problems. But yeah, I concede, people do need to take care.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

After soaking overnight, change the water and BOIL! A good rolling boil for about 20 minutes before you even think of turning it down.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Dried ones? Usually age and the condition separates them slightly.

Canned ones and I can't say I've ever noticed any difference either. I'm always more bemoaning the fact I wasn't organised enough to get or prepare the dried versions - they're just better all round.

Canned. And I'm the same. In fact I should start some soaking now.