Question about lentils

[Diane Lane]

I'm getting some lentils ready to cook, and it occurred to me that they'd work well for a crafts project I have in mind. I know y'all are great sources of information, so I wanted to ask here if anyone knows how they hold up long term. I don't want to use them (as a filler in a sewing project), only to find out later that they disintegrate, or attract bugs, or some other issue I haven't considered. If so, is there something else you'd recommend instead?

 

[GadgetGuy]

I used to cook them a lot years ago. It would come out looking like soup, which I didn't mind.

 

[Mockingbird]

I have used things like dry rice and lavender in sewing projects, but I have not used lentils. I would be concerned about attracting pests. Years ago I did this wall hanging project that had these areas where you glued things like dried beans and corn, and with time even though this was covered with a resin, the bugs eventually found it and ate into it. I have heard of people using castor beans in things like bean bag chairs, Really though it is now hard to get these as dry beans because they contain something that is poisonous although the name of what that is escapes me.

 

[Diane Lane]

I have used things like dry rice and lavender in sewing projects, but I have not used lentils. I would be concerned about attracting pests. Years ago I did this wall hanging project that had these areas where you glued things like dried beans and corn, and with time even though this was covered with a resin, the bugs eventually found it and ate into it. I have heard of people using castor beans in things like bean bag chairs, Really though it is now hard to get these as dry beans because they contain something that is poisonous although the name of what that is escapes me.

Thanks, @Mockingbird, that was my concern. I know people sometimes use rice or sesame seeds for the projects, too. I really like the size and heft of the lentils, but I definitely don't want to attract undesirables. I've heard of castor beans, but am not familiar with them. I'll have to look into that, maybe it would be a good alternative.

@Shermie that's what I'm doing later, making lentil soup, yum!

 

[GadgetGuy]

Thanks, @Mockingbird, that was my concern. I know people sometimes use rice or sesame seeds for the projects, too. I really like the size and heft of the lentils, but I definitely don't want to attract undesirables. I've heard of castor beans, but am not familiar with them. I'll have to look into that, maybe it would be a good alternative.

@Shermie that's what I'm doing later, making lentil soup, yum!

Great! Enjoy!!

 

[Duck59]

The only problem I have ever had with lentils cost me a tooth. In fairness to the lentils, it wasn't their fault, but the presence of a small stone in their midst. I duly bit into the stone and heard a loud crack. Result: one tooth less.

 

[Diane Lane]

The only problem I have ever had with lentils cost me a tooth. In fairness to the lentils, it wasn't their fault, but the presence of a small stone in their midst. I duly bit into the stone and heard a loud crack. Result: on tooth less.

I'm super careful to go through and check for pebbles or other foreign materials. I broke a crown on a piece of shell, while eating Fried oysters at a restaurant years ago, and learned that lesson the hard way.

BTW, the lentil soup was delicious @Shermie!

 

[Duck59]

I'm super careful to go through and check for pebbles or other foreign materials. I broke a crown on a piece of shell, while eating Fried oysters at a restaurant years ago, and learned that lesson the hard way.

BTW, the lentil soup was delicious @Shermie!

The tooth episode was quite a saga. I was working in Eritrea and had to go through a phenomenal amount of bureaucracy and other palaver to get everything sorted out. At least it gave me the best part of a chapter for the book I wrote later!

 

[Rosyrain]

I have used rice in sewing projects, and made my kids some bean bags for bean bag toss before, but the bags eventually split from being tossed around, so I am not sure how long they would hold up before potentially attracting bugs. I think keeping them very dry is the key to long term use.

 

[Diane Lane]

The tooth episode was quite a saga. I was working in Eritrea and had to go through a phenomenal amount of bureaucracy and other palaver to get everything sorted out. At least it gave me the best part of a chapter for the book I wrote later!

Wow, yes, I'll bet that was quite an experience. Glad you were able to get it fixed, and later, write about it. I'm sure readers could feel your pain!

@Rosyrain I've had rice packs in the past, and have never had an issue with them. I think the lentils have a really nice weight, which would be great on eye pillows, because for some reason, the slight weight relaxes me. It's very humid here, so I always have to take that into consideration. I'll have to do some research before I figure out what I want to do.