easy

❁ Dried and canned beans are great food to keep on hand. You may want to stock up when they are on sale.

❁ Dried beans are usually cheaper than canned beans but take longer to cook. Canned beans are fully cooked and ready to use cold or heated.

❁ Split peas are mature peas that are allowed to dry before harvesting. When the skins are removed, they naturally split in half.

❁ Either yellow or green split peas can be used in most recipes. Yellow split peas have a mild flavor while green split peas are slightly sweeter.

✿ Choose blueberries that are firm, dry, plump and smooth-skinned. Color should be deep purple-blue to blue-black.

✿ Blueberries do not ripen after picking.

✿ Avoid soft, shriveled or moldy fruit.

■ Store dried lentils in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place. Use within 1 year for best flavor and less cooking time.

■ Cooked lentils can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months. Divide into recipe-sized portions for quick use.

• Heat, air and moisture speed up the spoilage of whole wheat flour.
  • Store in a cool, dry place
  • Use airtight containers or re-closable plastic bags to keep out moisture and insect.