Sainsbury's are supporting National Organic Month, or Organic September which is all about encouraging people to think organic and buy organic, even if it's just one item in the shopping basket, so collectively we can start to make the planet a greener place for both people and wildlife to enjoy.
A few of these items I received from Sainsburys will appear on my blog this month though I've got a question for you - "do you seriously believe I can save a bar of organic plain chocolate long enough to write a blog post about it?"
The chilli jelly is nearly all sugar and something I would rarely buy but I know one member of my family that adores it and I will keep it for her to try. The spaghetti isn't gluten free so I can't use that but I'm sure I can find a good home for it.
The honey will be appearing in a recipe for a guest post at the end of the month and the blanched almonds will be used in a savoury dish. I haven't decided what I'll use the tomatoes for but today I'm going to write a little bit about the kidney beans.
Organic Beans
I was so very happy to receive a carton of organic kidney beans in the hamper because we've been buying the SO cartons of organic beans and lentils for many, many years since my son first started out on The Specific Carbohydrate Diet - they contain only organic beans and water, nothing else! If you are a newbie to the diet, I suggest that you follow the instructions for cooking beans which are on the website but we've had no problems with how these have been prepared for years now!
We've always got plenty of packs in the cupboard - so convenient if you don't have time to soak and cook beans.
Uncooked kidney beans contain a high concentration of phytohaemagglutinin, a toxic substance also known as kidney bean lectin. Soaking kidney beans for at least five hours and rapidly boiling them for ten minutes is required to destroy the high levels of this toxin so it's great to be able to find organic cooked kidney beans already prepared.
I've used these Sainsbury's organic kidney beans a few times in my blog posts:
and just last week in my Mixed Bean Salad.
I hope you will be enthusiastic and happy to support Organic September. It's easy to get involved and not overly expensive. Just by swapping one of your everyday products for the organic equivalent you are making a difference!
"By choosing organic we can all support a kinder, greener and better food system – from more bees and hedgerows, better animal welfare, and shorter more trustworthy food chains." The Soil Association.
Disclosure: I received these products from Sainsbury's for review purposes. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.
