Lupini beans are not very well known in the US, but they really should be. I predict they’ll soon be one of the hot new “health foods” here; it’s only a matter of time. Not only are they a deliciously addictive snack or appetizer, but are incredibly nutritious and high in protein.
Originally published December 8, 2012.
In this article, I’m going to show you how to cook and eat lupini beans, assuming that most of you reading this have never seen or maybe even heard of lupini beans*.
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What Are Lupini Beans?
Lupini are a very unique type of bean which are popular in Italy, especially at Christmastime.
Lupini are also common in Spain where they are known as altramuces, and Portugal as tremoços. They do not have the taste or texture of any other bean I’ve ever had, and they also eaten differently (see below). Lupini beans are extremely bitter before being prepared, and must be soaked overnight, cooked the next day, then rinsed several times a day for the next 5 or 6 days.
I’ve always wondered who the person was who discovered that if you just keep rinsing these beans that they would actually taste delicious, let alone edible! I can tell you, it’s no one that would get any sort of patent as lupini were eaten by ancient Egyptians! Please don’t let the process dissuade you as the end result is well worth it!
Interesting Fact: Have you ever seen lupin flowers? They are related to lupini beans.
You can just eat lupini beans as a healthy snack, antipasto or also after a meal, as they do in Italy.
With an Italian style preparation, olives are mixed with the lupini at the end of the process, which lend their salty flavor to the beans. It’s a fabulous combination. You can find lupini beans at most Italian markets/delis and middle eastern shops. If you want a large bag of them, on (I would absolutely buy the 3 lb bag on Amazon and make them three different times).
I repeat: don’t let the process of making these intimidate you because there’s really nothing to it. The only caveat is remembering to start about six days before you want to eat them.
If you can boil beans and rinse them, you can prepare lupini.
Of course, these are great to eat as a snack because they’re so healthy and nutritious. Don’t just limit them to the Christmas season, you can eat them year-round. I will warn you though, once you start eating lupini, it’s very difficult to stop; they are very addictive.
*WARNING: Peanut allergy sufferers, please make sure you are not also allergic to lupini beans read here.
How to Cook Lupini Beans
Ingredients
- one bag of dry lupini beans, look for beans without blemishes (I used one 14 oz bag)
- salt
- olives, green (like these, with pits are traditionally used in Italy) or black, with the liquid
Rinse and sort (take out any bad looking beans) the lupini, then soak them overnight, a minimum of 12 hours. Make sure to put a few inches of water above the beans so they don’t dry out when you’re trying to rehydrate them.
Cook the beans
Rinse the beans, then put them into a large pot with fresh water, covering the beans with at least a couple inches of water above them.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat, drain, and place into a large bowl and fill to cover with water.
Rinse the beans for about 5 days
At this point, just keep rinsing the lupini for about 30 seconds at a time, 3 to 4 times a day, for about 5 days (fewer, if you change the water more often.)
The bowl can be kept on the counter; it does not need to be refrigerated.
I kept track of how many times I changed the water over 5 days, and the total count was 18. Yes, this is necessary or you will have bitter beans. Note: do not eat bitter beans, they must lose all their bitter flavor before ingesting them.
At the end of the fifth day, taste a bean, or part of one, to check for bitterness. The bean will not taste good/sweet yet, but you are only checking for bitterness, nothing else. If the lupini beans are still bitter, continue to change the water until they are no longer bitter.
Add salt and olives
Next in the process is to add some salt (about one teaspoon of Kosher salt) to the lupini in the water (do not drain the beans after this). You can also add a can of green or black olives, liquid and all (not under oil). Stir well and taste after about three hours. If it needs more salt, add some. If you make the lupini too salty, just add a little more water.
DO NOT CHANGE THE WATER AFTER THIS and refrigerate, once the salt has been added.
Now the lupini are ready to eat! Use a mini sieve or slotted spoon to put some lupini and olives into a serving bowl, keeping the main bowl in the fridge. The lupini must be kept in water in the fridge, but are best served at room temperature.
How to Eat Lupini Beans
There are three steps. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to put away a dozen in under 15 seconds (don’t ask me how I know this). 🤔
- Take a lupini bean in your fingers and bite part way through the top part of the bean (where the little white part is) to break open the skin, but don’t bite the bean inside.
- Now, just squeeze gently while holding the bean in front of your mouth, and POP the bean in! I told you lupini were cooked and eaten differently than any other bean. 😁
- Discard the skin.
Can You Eat the Skin of a Lupini Bean?
Yes, the skin is edible. I can tell you that my brother and son just pop the whole bean into their mouths. However, I don’t like the texture of the skins, so I don’t eat them.
Once you get started, you won’t be able to stop, but remember, they are beans, so you probably don’t want to eat too many in one sitting. Now you know how to cook and eat lupini beans. Enjoy!
Interested in other traditional Italian dishes for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Just click the following photo or this link.
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Lupini Beans and Olives, An Italian Christmas Tradition (How to Cook & Eat Lupini)
A super nutritious, healthy and addictive traditional Italian snack. Lupini beans and olives are usually served at Christmastime in Italy.
Ingredients
- one bag of dry lupini beans, look for beans without blemishes (I used one 14 oz bag)
- salt
- olives, green (like Castelvetrano, with pits are traditionally used in Italy) or black olives, with the liquid
Instructions
- Rinse and sort (take out any bad looking beans) the lupini, then soak them overnight, a minimum of 12 hours. Make sure to put a few inches of water above the beans so they don't dry out when you're trying to rehydrate them.
- Rinse the beans, then put them into a large pot with fresh water, covering the beans with at least a couple inches of water above them.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Remove from heat, drain, and place into a large bowl and fill to cover with water.
- At this point, just keep rinsing the lupini for about 30 seconds at a time, 3 to 4 times a day, for about 5 days (fewer, if you change the water more often.)
- The bowl can be kept on the counter; it does not need to be refrigerated.
- I kept track of how many times I changed the water over 5 days, and the total count was 18. Yes, this is necessary or you will have bitter beans.
- At the end of the fifth day, taste a bean, or part of one, to check for bitterness. The bean will not taste good/sweet yet, but you are only checking for bitterness, nothing else. If the lupini beans are still bitter, continue to change the water until they are no longer bitter.
- Next in the process is to add some salt, probably about one teaspoon of Kosher salt to the lupini in the water (do not drain the beans after this.) You can also add a can of green (this is the Italian style) or black olives, liquid and all (not under oil). Stir well and taste after about three hours. If it needs more salt, add some. If you make the lupini too salty, just add a little more water.
- DO NOT CHANGE THE WATER ANYMORE and refrigerate, once the salt has been added.
- Now the lupini are ready to eat! Use a mini sieve or slotted spoon to put some lupini and olives into a serving bowl.
Notes
Nutrition info is just for the lupini.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 48 Serving Size: 1/4 cupAmount Per Serving:Calories: 30Total Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 3g
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As I have never had lupini beans, I thought I would try the ready to eat beans from Cento. I thought they were horrible! Is this how they are supposed to be? They were hard as a rock, extremely tough skins and a strange chemical taste. Can anything be done with these to make them taste better? Are your beans similar to these? Thank you for your answer.
Hi tg, no, sadly they are not supposed to be that way. I tried a jar many years ago and they were horrible, too. However, I bought a jar in Portugal last year and they were really good, so I suppose it depends on which ones you buy. Since the ones you have are hard, I don’t think you can reboil them to make them more cooked, but since you will be throwing them away if they’re inedible, I suppose you could try. Then I would rinse them and add salt which should help the flavor, however, I don’t think it’s going to be a good end result, and may put you off lupini for good :( So sorry. Let me know if you try to salvage them.
Thanks so much for your reply. I will try to boil them.
Never eat it raw, because otherwise it’s toxic. The process of boiling and rinsing is mandatory in order to loose all the toxins (It won’t kill you but it isn’t good for your health raw, and it’s the reason for that chemical aftertaste).
Thanks for the recipe. I’m soaking and rinsing regularly for the past 24 hours. Still bitter as poison! I wonder if there is any hope! Ready to dump the whole 3 pound bag in the garbage by now!
The recipe says it takes 5 days to soak the bitterness out of the beans.
Thanks, Vicki! I missed her question!
Sorry, I missed this comment, but if you followed the recipe you’d see that Vicki has added, that it takes about 5 days of rinsing before the bitterness is gone. Did you not read the directions? I don’t understand how you could have thought it only takes a day?
Did you read the instructions? Why would you dump them after only one day when it clearly says to soak and rinse 4x/day for five days? LOL!
I love the level of detail in your article. It really goes beyond the ‘how to’ explanation and and really makes me feel connected to the process.
This is showing a good start of these Lupini Beans. Thanks.
So can you eat the seeds of bluebonnets in the state flower of Texas? It is a lupine. But the seeds are a lot smaller than those Lupini beans.
I have no clue, but I wouldn’t, Warren. Try the proper lupini beans 😎
I know I am way way past the time when most people were commenting. I lived in the Azores – Portuguese islands in the Atlantic – as a kid. During festivals, vendors would walk around with these little yellow beans. I loved them! I never saw them again until a small Mediterranean restaurant and market had some for sale. After some searching, I have figured out they are Lupini beans! In the Azores, I don’t remember olives being a part of this.
Thank you for posting how to prepare them (and in English:) )!
Oh these comments are ongoing, Karen. No such thing as “too late” on my recipes :) The manner of serving them with olives is Italian, so that’s probably why you don’t remember them that way. You can serve them with or without, but if you do live olives, I’d suggest trying it as the salty water from the olives really adds to the flavor of the lupini! Enjoy!
You can eat them with olives or without, that is very comun in ”cervejarias” in Portugal main land
Yes, I actually bought a jar of lupini when I was in Portugal last month! They were pretty good for being in a jar!
An easy way to make the soaking easier is to put the cooked Lupini in a cheesecloth sack, and hang them in the toilet tank. Then every time someone flushes the toilet, the Lupini are rinsed! My Italian cousins said their grandparents used this technique.
Wow, George! Never heard of this technique. Personally, I wouldn’t want my lupini in the toilet! ;)
I remember growing upon my grandparent’s farm. My grandma would put the lupini in a burlap sack and place it a nearby creek to cure in about 3days
Wow, now that’s really cool! I’d love to try that someday. Thanks for the note, Jerry. :)
George Nenni, this is genius!
The tank water is clean: refreshed each time someone flushes.
It’s the same potable municipal water as the kitchen sink. And in the tank, closed, there’s no chance of airborne pathogens entering.
Your cousins’ grandparents were pretty dang smart!
[…] Lupini Beans and Olives, An Italian Christmas Tradition (How to Cook & Eat Lupini) – Christina&#… says: December 2, 2017 at 8:03 pm […]
Good morning, I have one more day of soaking. I don’t taste bitterness, but I figure, one more day won’t hurt. Thank you so much for this post, it is most appreciated. Would you share how to can for shelf life. Please & thank you! 🙌 💐
Hi Jo, I’m glad you’re making lupini! I honestly have never canned them and I don’t know if you would just put them in salt water and process them as other beans? We just make them when we want to eat them, so I can’t really advise you. Sorry!
Happy to find this guide as my Italian ex-boyfriend made them and I loved them, and I didn’t write down his method. But finding out about them was one of the best things I got out of the relationship :)
I am on day 4 of soaking. Would the water ceasing to turn yellow be an indicator they are ready?
Thanks Christina!
Hi Erin, that’s pretty funny! :) Yes, when the water stops turning yellow that’s definitely showing you that they’re getting closer to being ready. Let me know how they turn out!
Your recipe is spot on and really it is so easy. It’s a year later, still using it, and eating lupini as I type this :) Thanks Christina!!
Fabulous! They’re so good for you, Erin! :)
How long can you store it in the fridge.
I’d say about 4 or 5 days.
I have mine for months in the fridge, but you must change the water once and while
Ours would never last more than a week! I can’t stop eating them when I start, haha!
I’ve got some ideas for using lupini beans in different recipes that require beans. I have a low carb lifestyle so don’t eat any other kind of bean.
Do you have any experience with freezing the beans? Or, if I made a falafel with them, would they freeze? I like to batch cook, especially when they take so long to prepare!
Oh Kathy, I’m so sorry I missed this comment, but I see why: I was traveling in Australia on this date. I don’t know if it’s too late, but I have not frozen the beans or made falafel with them, so unfortunately, I can’t help you. You’ve probably tried both of these methods by now and I hope they worked for you! My apologies again, I do try to answer questions asap! CC
We’ve been making these for as long as I can remember. Once prepared, my father will take a serving from the salted water and add olive oil, salt, pepper, lots of minced garlic and a shake or two of crushed red pepper. The flavors will permeate the beans and the longer they sit, the better. I have made large batches and canned the prepared beans in their saltwater for over a year of shelf storage. You can buy them in jars ready to eat, but I find them overly salted and rinse them before eating. They really are addicting! Thanks for sharing your method. It’s nice to see others enjoying the same tradition.
Ooh, spicy lupini! That’s something I’ve never thought of, Gabriel! That’s a great idea to can your own (if only I could not eat them to can them, haha!) I agree, the only time I bought a jar already prepared I think I threw them away. Horrifically bad (don’t think they were Italian though). Thanks so much for your comment and hope you enjoy more of my “cucina povera” type recipes! :)
Processed and jarred lupini are terrible!
This recipe is pretty authentic.
Dry lupini are available in middle eastern grocery stores.
[…] So, back in Sausalito, we popped into a little cafe in town and had some coffee and pastries, then walked along the main street which offered little boutiques selling their jewlery, gifts and knick-knacks, interspersed with restaurants and other shops. There was one shop in particular that caught my eye, called Venice Gourmet, which sold lots of gourmet food, kitchen tools, gifts and even loads of British candy! Alas, their prices were quite high, so I only came out with a few bags of dried lupini beans. […]
Lupini beans have been a part of our Christmas Eve tradition since I remember growing up in Italy, and now my whole family enjoys them as well.
Aren’t such traditions lovely!?
Someone in Australia is producing and selling these with flavouring. The advert came up on my social media page. It shocked me because they were selling 1.5kg packets for $50!! I jokingly told my Portuguese husband that his dad and my Nonno would be horrified if we payed that much money for lupini!! I admittedly haven’t had them since my Nonno passed away. He was the lupini maker in our family. I thought I’d get the recipe to make for my family at Easter this year. Thanks for the recipe. We never put olives with ours but I can say as a child they made good weapons to launch at your cousins across the table!! We’d bite the end off and squeeze hard and watch them launch!! I’ve enjoyed looking at your other recipes too.
Hi Diana, since I’m currently traveling in Australia, I’m less shocked than I would have been at home (almost had a heart attack yesterday at seeing $4 doughnuts)!! Goodness, prices are outrageous here, and I agree, the lupini price is insane! Glad you’re going to make them for Easter, as I’m sure your nonno would be so happy that you are doing this, too! We would try aiming and shooting them into each others’ mouths (more difficult than other foods due to the speed)! haha! Enjoy and thank you for your lovely comment! :)
and don’t forget the Pizzelle. The kids love them
Absolutely, Dino! So do adults! :)
Wow. I have never heard of these! How cool! And to know they are related to the lupine flowers? Extra cool!
Really and truly? WOW, I think you’d love them, David!!
I know I have never tried lupini beans! I think I need to now. They don’t seem hard…but like all beans they just need to be soaked, just 6x longer!
I’ll have to give you some to try! Chock full of protein and other nutrients!
Hi Christina:
I love Lupini but have never made them myself. I’m going to go up to Claro‘s today and pick up a big bag and try your recipe! Mike
Excellent! Let me know how it goes, Dr. Mike!
My mom’s family is Portuguese and we grew up eating these. It is tough to find them, my mom never made them herself, I think she needs this recipe!
Yes, has to be an Italian or middle-Eastern market to find these, mostly. I love that Amazon has them, though!
It really does make you wonder how the “edibility” (if that’s a word) of certain foods was discovered! I’m grateful that you can actually find pre-soaked lupini (skins on) around here from time to time. But it’s nice to know you can also make them at home, armed with patience and a little care.
Isn’t that incredible? The only jar I tried would have put me off lupini for life, so I’m sticking to homemade! :)
I’m embarrassed to say I haven’t even seen or cooked lupini beans. Thanks for all the tips and interesting facts. Now I want to cook them!
And thanks for including me on your holiday list (well, my books, anyway!).
Not embarrassing at all, Jill! I am assuming that they’re not a “thing” in Corsica if you’ve never had them? Your books deserve to be on every holiday shopping list!!
Great recipe and good to read all the additional comments. I am particularly interested in a recipe or some comments on how to preserve the Lupini beans for storage after the have been soaked and rinsed. I would like to have some that I prepare for a brine and eating from the fridge and others that I keep preserved out of the fridge in cellar. Does anyone have some tips or additional guidance as to the method to preserve the lupini beans for longer storage out of the fridge? How to do this and how long they will keep? II am still in the soaking and rinsing stage (no salt as yet).
Thanks!
Mardi, I would just can them as that’s how they are sold in the shops (when they are in liquid in jars). I found just the thing for you! Scroll down to the canning part. I’m not endorsing to do it like this as I don’t even have time to read it, just passing it on for you: http://www.pennmac.com/page/418/418
Thanks so much for the reply and link. I wondered if you or anyone else might know if when canning (as they are beans) if they should be jar boiled or pressure canned. The link seems to suggest jar boiled but I know many things need pressure canning to meet the high temp required for killing bacteria.
Thanks for any advice
Mardi
[…] (assemble at picnic), Sweet Potato Chips, Pickled Eggplant (to eat with bread) Spicy Cole Slaw, Lupini, Olives, Veggie […]
I see some recipes say to boil for only 15 minutes because they will turn to mush. The ones in the jars (Cotas), seem almost raw. I will be trying to make them myself and use your recipe. Thoughts?
Wow, 15 minutes for beans? I’ve never boiled any beans for only 15 minutes and had them be cooked.
I actually have some lupini soaking right now and can’t even tell you how many times I’ve made them and NEVER had them turn to mush. Here’s the thing, Barbara, a lot of bloggers out there see a recipe and put it on their site, having made that recipe once. They have no history with the recipe, no experience, yet come across as an authority. It’s frustrating for people like me because we see that people who don’t know being confused by the misinformation that is being shared.
For example, I just saw an Eton Mess recipe described as a trifle this morning. It is NOT a trifle, but someone who has never heard of Eton Mess will now continue their life thinking it is a trifle :( Sorry I’m writing so much, but what I’m trying to say is that if you follow my directions, your lupini will be cooked thoroughly (not overcooked or mush) and will taste really good in the end! :) This is the way my Nonna, all my aunts, my mother and me have always made them (they were all born in Italy and know their food). Let me know how they turn out for you! Christina
I made this in a large batch, since I never had the beans before and they were in a donation.
Love them but I have ran into a problem.
How to store ? If I put them in the frig I get the usual problem with olive oil when it gets cold.
Answers please
Hi William, just put them in the fridge in the water they are seasoned in (with salt). They will keep for about a week in the fridge this way. No oil, please. :)
As a small child I remember my grandma preparing food, she had a pantry lined with shelves of her preserved veggies. Ruby red tomatoes with green basil leaves, crooked string beans, speckled red and green, roasted peppers, marinated eggplant and my fathers favorite lupine beans. Whenever o smell basil, or see those jeweled colors i transported back in time to those happy times.
Just made them ! I added vinaigre, salt, garlic ( lots of it) and olive oil..
It is awsome !
It took me a couple more days to get the beans ready, because I forgot them ..lol
Yes, it varies depending on how often you rinse them, but so glad you liked the end result!! Thanks for letting me know!
I am a little late in making my comment but only today came across your web page. In Australia we have the sweet Angustifolia lupin bean ( sweet lupins) and they do not require any soaking – being low in alkaloids it is safe to ccok. A quick soak if you wish perhaps then cook. Just thought I would add my comment. Looking at all the comments I am considering looking at exporting. We produce 80% of the worlds lupins here, mostly sweet. Cheers.
Wow! That’s amazing, as I’ve never heard of sweet lupins! So if I understand correctly, they aren’t truly “sweet” just not bitter like the ones we get, so they taste the same as ours just require no constant rinsing? I hate all the water it takes to make them because we’re in a horrific drought. Let me know if you do export them, thank you, Ian!
My story is a little different. First, I buy them already prepared in a bottle. They are good. But, the rest of the story, : when I was very small, 2 0r 3 and lived in North Eastern Pennsylvania, my Grandmother used to go to the church fair bingo and they used dried lupine beans for bingo covers. Today , I just bought a bottle to snack on. I was looking up the nutrition value when I came upon this website. Thanks for the info,
How cute is that!? Love it, thank you, Jan!
In my grandparent place..pickling spices were added after the long “rinse”/brine time. Classic…
That’s interesting, Rich.
Thanks for your recipe. I’ve been trying these for a couple of years and was not successful. I can’t wait to try your recipe
Works every time, Pat! Good luck!
[…] Recipe from: Christina’s Cucina […]
[…] We stopped for drinks at a lovely outdoor bar. They even gave us free snacks (notice the lupini?) […]
[…] with a delicious toasted fig bread (remember, I don’t like figs-I loved this bread), some lupini and olives, homemade tomato jam, which was incredible, and Italian honey. Of course we had a large basket with […]
Just a follow up on my Lupine beans Christina. I followed your recipe and they turned out the way I remember how they should taste! I did add the pitted kalamata olives at the end but it didn’t say they were in oil. When I added them to the beans I saw the oil floating on top of the water. I checked the jar again and it showed the oil in very small print in the list of ingredients not on the front label where it would usually say what they are packed in. I removed the olives and rinsed the beans. Fortunately after the final rinse I poured the beans into 4 canning jars to keep in fridge. So only that first jar had the taste of the olives…just glad I didn’t add the liquid from the olives because even though I rinsed the oil off it still had the flavor of the olives. After that…..just before I served them I decorated the lupine dish with the olives that I strained the liquid from first and that worked great. I added more salt and black pepper before serving. Since we were traveling so much over the holidays I took them with me and served and taught our hosts and guests how to eat them. Some liked, some did not….not all Italians there. But my husband and I and the Italians that were also guests at our Filipino friends New Years Eve party enjoyed them and were excited to see them. I soaked for five days as per your recipe and rinsed on an average of 4 times a day…..a few times it was only 3 rinses. I know the beans were fresh. I purchased them at the busiest Italian store in the Pittsburgh area….The Pennsylvania Macaroni Co….they also have a website and take orders online. When I got there after Thanksgiving the store was packed with customers and the lupine barrel was almost empty and I was going to buy whatever was left in it but as I was scrapping the bottom to fill a bag an employee came with a huge bag of lupine beans to fill the barrel so I know these were fresh and they were selling fast! So you were right when you said that dried beans can go bad in your reply to my first email. I hope nobody has to experience sour lupine beans after all the time and effort it takes to prepare them. Knowing that can happen I will ask for the best buy date on the shipment if they are filling barrels with the beans. So thank you for the good information and advice. Warmest wishes to you and your family for good health and much joy in the New Year.
I just made some two weeks ago, and it took less than two days to have ready to eat. I am arbic and we do eat them through out the year but it is a must have around Christmas time when all the family gathering around for Christmas. If you are near an Arabic store or international market look for a Brand called ( Cortas ) they have the lupini in a 1lb bagsand they are not bitter. I soaked them over night for about 18 hours then washed them and boiled them for about 40 minutes. I washed them a couple of times then soaked them in cold water and little salt. They were ready to eat right away but they tasted great on the second day after cooking them since they were soaked with the little salt overnight.. I put them in the friedge for a week till Christmas eve and everyone enjoyed them even the people who tried them out for the first time. We sprinkle some chopped Italian parsely on top for a little color and falvor
I have never heard of these quick lupini, Lubna. That would be great, especially here in CA where we are in a drought as it takes a lot of water to rinse the beans over so many days. Thanks so much, I’ll look out for them! CC
Love this. We eat them with Spanish and Portuguese food. Will definitely be trying your version as part of pre-Chrstmas antipasti.
Yummy, aren’t they? Enjoy, Jennifer! CC
Ahhh the lupine beans! Thoughts of Christmas and family….lots of family…..dance through me head! My Mom always made lupine beans for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day…..they are addictive….especially with family and company sitting around the table talking and eating lupine beans. I made them several times since I have my own family so to keep the Italian tradition alive. But the last time I made them (2 years ago) they tasted sour and I threw them out. I soaked, drained, soaked in fresh water for 3 weeks as my Mom taught me. So I have been timid about making them again. I live in the South and I can’t find them down here so when I go back home to the Northeast I go to an Italian store to buy Italian foods that I cannot find down here. There is no expiration date on the package as the merchant bags the beans from a bulk bin. Since I usually purchase them in the summer I refrigerate them in my vegetable bin until I am ready to use them at Christmas. When I tasted that last batch they were not mild and nutty….they were sour. My Mom is deceased so I can’t ask her and there are not many Italian-Americans here that would know. Possibly your Mom or other posters may know if dried beans can spoil. But other than that one problem they are so worth the time and effort and I would like to continue the tradition. My Mom also put ground black pepper on our lupine along with the salt. She did not add the olives but I think I would like it and will add them to mine. They make a prettier presentation then the bowl of plain lupine beans. Thanks for sharing your experiences and tips. Best regards, Joanne
I live in Santa Monica, CA..there is a great market Baycities…they sell Italian, Greek, Spanish, Indian, etc.
I bought a bag of lupini beans because I remember as a kid in New Jersey my mother would always have them.
I soaked them in salted water for 5 days and changed the water 3 times a day. Then I boiled them for 30 minutes.
Then I soaked them again for 3 days and changed the water 3 times a day. Okay..you may think this to much work
to do for a silly bean. But in cooking great foods, so what…do it and you will be rewarded.
I made Christina’s Lupini Beans with Olives.. Yes it is worth the time doing it. You will be richly thrilled and happy.
So happy they turned out for you, Fred! They are super easy to make, it’s just remembering to rinse them all the time that takes some effort! I hope you’ll continue to make them…soon it will be time for the Christmas batch! Thanks for stopping by! CC
Fred….I think you misunderstood my question to Christina. I don’t have a problem with the time involved preparing lupini beans….I have done it before as did my Mom. I was actually doing it for three weeks and rinsing and changing the water twice a day. My question was…..do dried beans spoil because the last time I prepared them they were sour….not bitter like when they are not ready but sour. I knew they were not supposed to taste like that and threw them out. Christina said that dried beans can go bad and I may have gotten a bad batch. I think that probably is what happened. But I am going to try Christina’s recipe…..it takes a lot less time than the way my Mom and I did them! I will be going back to Pittsburgh in a couple of weeks and will purchase again but I am going to ask the merchant if there is an expiration date on the bulk supply he has because there is no date on the bags that he fills and stocks on his shelves. So they may have been old and not good anymore. Thanks for your interest. I agree the foods that we grew up with in our Italian family take time and effort to prepare but are oh so worth it!
Hi Joanne, actually beans can go bad, so maybe you just got a bad batch, but maybe they just weren’t rinsed enough, because that’s why they taste bitter, when they are not fully rinsed. Maybe you could try my family’s recipe here, because we only rinse them for about a week, but that’s changing the water several times a day. Let me know if you try, and how they turn out. Good luck!
Thanks Christina. I am going to try them again this Christmas and I will try your recipe. Good to learn that dried beans can go bad. I will see if I can find the lupine beans in a large grocery chain in Pittsburgh. They have a large Italian population there so they may carry them in the larger grocery stores. The little Italian store where I always bought them is always busy but I’m sure it doesn’t do the volume that the large stores do and possibly the beans were old and went bad. Thanks again and I will let you know how it turns out this year!
Sounds good, Joanne! Lots of luck! CC
I remember eating lupini beans as a kid. My mother would always have
them on the table. I forgot about them as I grew older, until I saw a package
of them in my Italian market in Santa Monica.
I am now trying your method of preparing them. Can’t wait to have them for
Christmas. keep sending more Italian things to eat.
What about tripe. I always enjoyed going home to Mom and she would
make me tripe with tomatoes. She was from Naples and my father
was from Calabria.
Boy, did I eat great. And I still carry on the Italian tradition as do my
grown children do when it comes to eating.
My friends can not believe that I use a bottle of olive oil each week.
Thanks, Fred Caruso
Love to hear this, Fred! I’m sure the lupini will bring back so many memories…I love them so much, I even make them during the rest of the year.
Unfortunately, I’m not a tripe-lover. Nonna used to make it in Italy and my mother likes it, but the smell while it is cooking is off putting to me, but don’t worry, I have lots of other authentic Italian recipes to share. You can look up “Italian” by cuisine under my recipes tab and see all the posts I have done so far. Let me know if you need to print one off and it doesn’t have an EasyRecipe printable option, as I am working on adding this to all of my posts.
Love to hear that you and your family are continuing the wonderful Italian traditions with food and if you’re using a bottle of olive oil a week, I say you’re doing something right! :)
Thank you for stopping by! Christina
I grew up with Lupini and in fact I am making a batch right now…will do another batch at Christmas. Since I have two Italian stores near me, I have no problem getting them in bulk. My mom cooked them a little different…soak overnight, at least 12 hours. In the morning, add a handful of salt to the water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, cool in same water and then change the water (at room temperature) 2-3 times a day for 5-7 days. Use your judgment on the bitterness. My mother served with salt and black pepper but this time I might try with the olives. As a child, I used to enjoy popping them out of the shell before eating. As an adult, when I get lazy, I eat skin and all. Yes, these are addictive and sometimes I eat too many at one sitting. They are a very healthy snack and worth the time. Although, I find non-Italians not receptive to the bean.