Trouble cooking pulses

Markcheese

The last few times I've done a veggy soup the pulses I've chucked in haven't cooked...
Now I'm not a total novice I'm not chucking in unsoaked haricot or chickpeas , the first time I just fecked in soup mix and left it to simmer ,today I put a soup on around 9 and put in some green split peas , came home at lunch, hard as rocks, turned it off and gave it about another hour of simmering at tea time still a bit firm so I blitzed

CJhaughey

Had you put salt in the soup? It tends to harden pulses IME.
I always soak before adding them to anything. I think if you just add them dry the centre won't absorb the water before the outside of the grain cooks and becomes a kind of barrier to further absorbtion.
Maybe they are old stock?

Minder

Same experience here. Made Scotch broth with pearl barley, and two types of split pea - the greens and the yellows. Pre soaked for 24 hours. Pre cooked before adding to the broth. Pearl barley was fine. Peas were hard as the hobs of hell even after 5 hours of cooking. No salt in either the pre cooking or the broth.

Do these need some bi carb like dried marrowfat peas used to have in th 1970s and 80s?

Markcheese

I always put bicarbonate in chick peas ,I don't soak lentils and they work fine...
Never had a problem with soup mix before , wouldn't really have thought about soaking soup mix , and don't think I've ever soaked split peas ... But I will next time ... And bi-carb - ect ect...

rubadub

If you are doing it a lot I would recommend thinking about getting a pressure cooker. This is a good one

http://www.argos.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?storeId=10152&catalogId=14551&langId=111&searchTerms=PRESTIGE+DOME&authToken=

I wouldn't go near any others in argos.