Ranting about beans

[robertk]

My diet is generally pretty decent. I try to cook most meals from scratch, but I do use a fair amount of packaged foods from the grocery store. In an effort to improve on the things we eat when I'm short on time, lately I have been making more "bulk" recipes and freezing them, rather than buying store bought freezer meals. I figure it's healthier, better quality control, and probably cheaper too. And one thing I've noticed in the process is that I can make these freezer meals without needing any preservatives or emulsifiers or thickeners or anything else that comes out of a lab in China someplace. Just regular food ingredients from the pantry, prep it up, and freeze it. Which begs the question -- if I don't need to use any additives, why does the food industry need to? Makes you wonder. So I've been a bit more aware of food ingredients lately.

I was making some taco salad the other day. Tortilla chips (thoroughly unhealthy, I'm sure), meat, onions, lettuce, tomato, and beans. So I reach for a can of beans. These beans, to be exact.

Now you'd think that a can of organic beans would have an ingredients list like "Beans, water, salt". But let's just take a look at the back of the can.

More water than beans, apparently, but whatever -- then beans, and salt ... and calcium chloride? Now I know what you're thinking. What the heck is calcium chloride? So I did a search, and one of the top few hits that came up was this lovely bit:

Calcium Chloride is a pharmaceutical medication that belongs to a class of drugs known as endothelin receptor antagonists. It is primarily used for managing certain cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions.

Great! Blood pressure meds in the organic beans! And It's also used as a de-icer, a water absorbing agent, and various other things. Doesn't sound much like an organic food, though, does it?

So I checked the rest of the pantry bean shelf.

And to my surprise, almost all of them contained calcium chloride. The only exception was the black beans (which are just beans, water, and salt, in that order, as it should be), and the refried beans. All the other beans have calcium chloride added.

What's the big deal? Because it doesn't belong in there, that's what. Here's some more uses for calcium chloride, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They say it has numerous applications, and is found in a number of household products, including:

• Cement mix accelerators
• Moisture absorbers
• Laundry detergent
• Stain removers
• Fabric softener
• Dishwasher detergent
• Toilet bowl cleaners
• Ice melt
• Pool cleaners
• Deodorants
• Mineral supplements for aquariums and fish tanks
• Facial serums

Do any of those sound like they should share any ingredients with a can of beans??

I guess it's time I learn to use a pressure canner so I can can my own beans.

 

[pepperj]

My diet is generally pretty decent. I try to cook most meals from scratch, but I do use a fair amount of packaged foods from the grocery store. In an effort to improve on the things we eat when I'm short on time, lately I have been making more "bulk" recipes and freezing them, rather than buying store bought freezer meals. I figure it's healthier, better quality control, and probably cheaper too. And one thing I've noticed in the process is that I can make these freezer meals without needing any preservatives or emulsifiers or thickeners or anything else that comes out of a lab in China someplace. Just regular food ingredients from the pantry, prep it up, and freeze it. Which begs the question -- if I don't need to use any additives, why does the food industry need to? Makes you wonder. So I've been a bit more aware of food ingredients lately.

I was making some taco salad the other day. Tortilla chips (thoroughly unhealthy, I'm sure), meat, onions, lettuce, tomato, and beans. So I reach for a can of beans. These beans, to be exact.

View attachment 2185235

Now you'd think that a can of organic beans would have an ingredients list like "Beans, water, salt". But let's just take a look at the back of the can.

View attachment 2185236

More water than beans, apparently, but whatever -- then beans, and salt ... and calcium chloride? Now I know what you're thinking. What the heck is calcium chloride? So I did a search, and one of the top few hits that came up was this lovely bit:



Great! Blood pressure meds in the organic beans! And It's also used as a de-icer, a water absorbing agent, and various other things. Doesn't sound much like an organic food, though, does it?

So I checked the rest of the pantry bean shelf.

View attachment 2185237

And to my surprise, almost all of them contained calcium chloride. The only exception was the black beans (which are just beans, water, and salt, in that order, as it should be), and the refried beans. All the other beans have calcium chloride added.

What's the big deal? Because it doesn't belong in there, that's what. Here's some more uses for calcium chloride, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They say it has numerous applications, and is found in a number of household products, including:


Do any of those sound like they should share any ingredients with a can of beans??

I guess it's time I learn to use a pressure canner so I can can my own beans.

We used buy can beans until......
Now it's bags of beans, or grow our own beans.
Heck look what I got for a gift Robert.

Baked beans.

 

[robertk]

That's a good gift.

 

[pepperj]

My diet is generally pretty decent. I try to cook most meals from scratch, but I do use a fair amount of packaged foods from the grocery store. In an effort to improve on the things we eat when I'm short on time, lately I have been making more "bulk" recipes and freezing them, rather than buying store bought freezer meals. I figure it's healthier, better quality control, and probably cheaper too. And one thing I've noticed in the process is that I can make these freezer meals without needing any preservatives or emulsifiers or thickeners or anything else that comes out of a lab in China someplace. Just regular food ingredients from the pantry, prep it up, and freeze it. Which begs the question -- if I don't need to use any additives, why does the food industry need to? Makes you wonder. So I've been a bit more aware of food ingredients lately.

I was making some taco salad the other day. Tortilla chips (thoroughly unhealthy, I'm sure), meat, onions, lettuce, tomato, and beans. So I reach for a can of beans. These beans, to be exact.

View attachment 2185235

Now you'd think that a can of organic beans would have an ingredients list like "Beans, water, salt". But let's just take a look at the back of the can.

View attachment 2185236

More water than beans, apparently, but whatever -- then beans, and salt ... and calcium chloride? Now I know what you're thinking. What the heck is calcium chloride? So I did a search, and one of the top few hits that came up was this lovely bit:



Great! Blood pressure meds in the organic beans! And It's also used as a de-icer, a water absorbing agent, and various other things. Doesn't sound much like an organic food, though, does it?

So I checked the rest of the pantry bean shelf.

View attachment 2185237

And to my surprise, almost all of them contained calcium chloride. The only exception was the black beans (which are just beans, water, and salt, in that order, as it should be), and the refried beans. All the other beans have calcium chloride added.

What's the big deal? Because it doesn't belong in there, that's what. Here's some more uses for calcium chloride, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They say it has numerous applications, and is found in a number of household products, including:


Do any of those sound like they should share any ingredients with a can of beans??

I guess it's time I learn to use a pressure canner so I can can my own beans.

I think I kind of fell in love with eating beans 40 yrs ago. Refried beans, grits, couple of fried eggs, bacon, toast.

Homemade is the only way when it comes to food period.

 

[pepperj]

That's a good gift.

Made with ❤️
We're having some for dinner tonight.

 

[robertk]

So this bean thing inspired me. I got a pressure canner. Today I canned 8 lbs of dry beans, which made 19 pints and 7 quarts — and the ingredient list is “beans, water”. That’s all. No chemical anything.

I feel better already.

 

[Gene Mean]

Nice job
So now shelf stable?
And just heat and eat?

 

[ncsuwolf]

Big canner/freezer myself, but just a question……you took dry beans (ultimately shelf stable) added a bunch of time/costs (jars, rings, lids, etc) to make them shelf stable for a year or two. Why? Convenience of not having to soak and cook whenever the bean jones hits? Also jarred beans take up a lot more space than dry.

…..and fyi an instapot will turn dry beans to ready to eat in about 20 min.

 

[robertk]

Big canner/freezer myself, but just a question……you took dry beans (ultimately shelf stable) added a bunch of time/costs (jars, rings, lids, etc) to make them shelf stable for a year or two. Why? Convenience of not having to soak and cook whenever the bean jones hits? Also jarred beans take up a lot more space than dry.

…..and fyi an instapot will turn dry beans to ready to eat in about 20 min.

Fair point. But yes — convenience. You don’t even have to heat them if you’re in a hurry or total grid down. Just open and eat. Also easy when you just need a small quantity.

 

[pepperj]

What type of pressure cooker did you purchase.
We want to do some if broths and meats up.

 

[robertk]

What type of pressure cooker did you purchase.
We want to do some if broths and meats up.

This is the one we got. Works great!

 

[Oregon Viking]

Calcium chloride is a white, odorless, and highly soluble salt that is used as a food additive. It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Uses in Food
Calcium chloride is primarily used in food to:
Firm fruits and vegetables: It helps prevent fruits and vegetables from becoming soft and mushy, especially in canned goods.
Enhance texture: It improves the texture of processed cheeses, dairy products, and meat products.
Extend shelf life: It acts as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and mold.
Reduce oil absorption: It can help reduce the amount of oil absorbed by foods during frying.
Add flavor: It provides a slightly salty taste to some foods, such as pickles.
Sources of Calcium Chloride in Food Calcium chloride is naturally present in small amounts in some foods, such as dairy products and leafy green vegetables. It is also added to many processed foods, including: Canned fruits and vegetables, Processed cheeses, Processed meats, Sauces and dressings, and Pickles.

 

[Oregon Viking]

We have this and it works great!!

Amazon.com

 

[pepperj]

We have this and it works great!!

Amazon.com

That Ninja is too fast, I missed it.

 

[robertk]

We have this and it works great!!

Amazon.com

You use it for canning?

 

[robertk]

Calcium chloride is a white, odorless, and highly soluble salt that is used as a food additive. It is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Being recognized as GRAS doesn't give me any warm fuzzies. Companies can put whatever additives they want on that list by doing their own safety studies (no conflict of interest there), and there are not really any hard rules about it. To give it some perspective, the EU equivalent of the GRAS list has about 400 substances on it. The US GRAS list has over 10,000. I'd rather stick to foods that were manufactured by Mother Nature.

 

[Red-Coat]

For information, there are three levels of ‘organic’ certification labelling permitted by USDA: “100% Organic”; “Organic”; and “Made with Organic X”.

“100% Organic” means what is says (all ingredients and processing aids must be certified as organic).

“Organic” (as for your Walmart beans) only requires that a minimum of 95% of the ingredients are certified as organic.

“Made with Organic X” only requires that a minimum of 70% of the ingredients are certified as organic (excluding salt and water). The ‘X’ part of the statement may include up to three ingredients, food groups, or combination of ingredients and food groups, but the statement “made with organic ingredients” is not allowed without specifying them by name.

In all cases, non-organic ingredients produced using “excluded methods” such as genetic engineering, sewage sludge fertilization, or sterilisation by ionizing radiation are not permitted.

[retired Regulatory Manager for a multinational grocery manufacturer]

 

[Oregon Viking]

You use it for canning?

We had canning in mind but the Ninja is not suitable.

 

[xr7ator]

Beans beans the magical fruit. The more you eat the more you toot. The more you toot the better you feel so eat more beans in every meal.