Are Lentils Generally Mealy?

I usually use regular old brown lentils when i make my curried lentil handpies every few years. I don't remember them being mealy. But recently i finally cooked up some French de Puys lentils (little, olive green, oval)i had had in the pantry for 1-2 years. They were def'ly mealy.(I had to put alot of effort into making the soup such that the other components took away ones attention from those mealy lentils! Does your experience say this is normally how those lentils are, or is it because they were old? Thx much.

LeBec Fin
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3 Comments

nutcakes
nutcakes January 5, 2014
They are firm and can have a little chew to them. I do not think of them as mealy but the texture is entirely different than brown lentil and I like then a bit al dente too. Esp for salads.
 
twinjadojo
twinjadojo January 5, 2014
Agreed. I typically cook my puy lentils al dente and use them in applications where you want a firm, individuated mouth feel. Belugas will be even firmer in the mouth. Where you want your lentil to disappear into one another, definitely go for brown, red, yellow or common green. I think the firmer skin of the puy along with a long and liquidy cook-time gave you the mealy result.
 
Maedl
Maedl January 5, 2014
I would not describe lentilles du Puy as mealy, but I would say that they have a firmer texture than the common green lentils. I would use the du Puys for salads or as a stand alone vegetable. For soups, or for when you want a smooth texture, I'd go for the green lentils--or red lentils if you want a different color. Perhaps your lentils were a bit too old.
 
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