Lupini Beans...a favorite Italian snack and FUN to eat!

July 21, 2018Robin Ratajczak

Lupini beans bring back so many fond memories of spending summers with friends and relatives in Italy. August in Italy is filled with nightly “Festas” and at every Festa there are Lupini beans! While attending Festas that are celebrated in every small town , we danced to popular music, rode carnival type rides and snacked on olives and lupini beans. Lupini beans, when reconstituted are an amazing and nutritious snack to eat. They have a skin surrounding the bean that you bite with your teeth to release the bean and you throw away the skin. As kids we always had fun popping those beans in our mouth and enjoying the salty nutty Italian flavor. You can add garlic or hot pepper flakes to your water and salt once they are finished and resting in your canning jars. This will add an adventurous taste! Whenever I’m missing Italy I buy a pound of dried lupini beans and 7 to 9 days later (yep 7 to 9 days) I’m back in Italy....or so I pretend!

It’s super easy just takes a little patience!

Purchase a pound dried lupini beans. This will yield three canning jars once done.

Rinse and cover with lots of water and then let so soak 24 hours.

After 24 hours ....rinse and cover them with water and bring them to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes, turn off flame and let rest for 24 hours.

Rinse and soak each morning for the next 7 to 9 days ...or until the bitterness disappears.

When you have achieved the appropriate nuttiness ...do a final rinse, place in canning jars, cover with water and 1 heaping tablespoon of salt and they are ready to eat!