HUGHTON, Sask. — Alma Copeland often tested lentil recipes on the workers at her family’s seed cleaning business.
It was also common for her to take a lentil dish to a speaking engagement or social gathering to educate others about the once little know crop.
Today, pulses are common on restaurant menus, said Copeland, who tries to incorporate them into family meals at least once a week.
The home economist said pulses were not well known when her family started growing and processing seeds near Hughton, Sask.
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“I thought people needed to be eating them more if they were growing them. Everybody had them in their bins but nobody was eating them,” she said.
Copeland has contributed to and recipe tested for numerous cookbooks over the years, written a food column for The Western Producer and given presentations on pulses to teachers and service clubs, educating them on their nutritional benefits and how to use them in cooking. Their versatility extends to pulse recipes from soups to salads. They can also be pureed for use in baking such as muffins.
Copeland said lentils can be ready in 20 to 30 minutes and do not need to be soaked like some dry beans.
She said they are gluten free, contain soluble and insoluble fibre and are a source of folate for pregnant women. They are also a good choice for vegetarians.
“If combined with a cereal, you get a complete protein,” Copeland said, citing meals of corn or wheat and legumes.
The United Nations has designated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses. The Canadian pulse industry hopes to increase demand from Canadian consumers and also spur further research.
