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Hi to all,

I guess I didn't make myself clear enough on my initial letter to you all. 

I do know that you can buy dry peas and beans in a grocery store. I have seen only Goya around here in NE. I am very leery of Goya, as their Mesa flour is not GF. I just wanted to know, because of my being an extreme reactor, if any of you had actually called the companies about cross contamination. That is my major issue.   

None of you actually told me that you had called. There were many suggestions to go to a grocery store and buy them. 

One of you wanted to know "what goes on in a health food store"? That was in reference to my comment on "I know what goes on in a health food store, as I used to work in one" Well, that was because I used to package bulk items for the store, as did everyone else, and I kept telling them to wash the scoops out after every item they packaged up. I told them we have Celiacs (whom they made a lot of money off of) "coming in here, that need their food to be "clean" and not cross contaminated". They never listened, because it took too much time to go in the back, and wash the scoops. If you go in a health food store and buy the bulk stuff in the bins, and you get it out yourself, don't believe that isn't cross contaminated either. When they decide to change the container, and put something else in it, it doesn't get washed, it just gets wiped out (more cross contamination).
One person asked if the reason I buy in a health food store was because I prefer organic.  Yes that is the case, and I don't use enough peas to buy a big bag of it that hasn't been packaged in a health food store.

I did go ahead and make the pea soup, but got sick. Hum. Guess I should have called Goya. My mistake. 

 Here is what you all had to say:

=====================

The grocery store has both. They sell them in both bags and bulk, so you'd 
probably want the ones in bags to avoid the contamination. 

======================

Oh my!  Well, so much for buying from the health food store.  Can you order 
bulk through Rainbow or Mountain People?  If you know someone else who can 
order with you, you can do it every couple or three months.  Good luck.
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I just use Goya split peas in a bag and have never had a problem- I am very sensitive so I know I'd react.

==============

How about buying some packaged (one-pound packages) dried peas and
dried beans at the local supermarket, and calling the manufacturer?  They
don't cost much, and you can return them if the manufacturer says there 
is a problem.
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I use pintos or mayacobas from the grocery store. Cook in water with 
chopped onion, cayenne, and a ham hock and "Mexican Oregano" (ymmm). Add 
salt after they are soft. Make a big pot and use them to make bean soup, 
refried beans, put on tacos, red beans and rice, or whatever. Making chili 
sauce from dried chilis is cheap and easier than it looks and puts the 
bottled stuff to shame (try Rick Bayliss' book, or just search the web: 
basically you just brown the dried chili on a burner, soak in water, take 
out the seeds, soak in some water and blend in the blender with some salt 
(and extras if you want: try OJ, carrots, onions, garlic, vinegar, 
tomatoes, roasted tomatillos, avacados).

I make pea soup too: add carrot and celery and peas, and marjoram: and mix 
about half of it with a blender when done.

I react extremely but haven't had a problem: I only use the packaged ones 
though and I wash them well. I figure most "bean factories" don't package 
flour much (they might have whole wheat berries, but those don't fly 
through the air so much as flour does). Also the Mexican products don't 
seem to have so many contamination issues: maybe they don't use flour in as 
many products as we do. Ham hocks I'm leery of lately because they are 
adding more stuff to them, like caramel coloring: I'm looking into making 
my own from meaty beef bones when I get half a beef (soak in salt water and 
cook them in the smoker).

======================
I also am an extreme reactor - last week I got terribly sick from what must
have been contaminated string used to tie up my potroast from a premium
butcher.  I now wash everything, whatever its source.  That goes for
everything from every kind of bin in a health food store.  Now that I have
learned that I not only feel safer, I get sick less often.

I use any dried pea and bean that comes in packages at local markets:  Goya
brand is OK by me.  Just be sure to wash it.
==================

I carefully pick thru all dry beans and lentils before cooking, 
removing anything even mildly suspicious.  Lentils, in my experience 
have the most contamination with grains.  Then I wash the legumes 
with clean water, discard the wash water, then soak/cook.
====================
You can buy the regular dried peas in the grocery store. I guess they are in 
RI, here in the south, Atlanta, all types are available, from lentil to green 
to pinto to black eyed pea to the 15 bean mix, just don't use any seasoning 
packet you find in it.
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WHAT goes on in a health food store???!!  I rely on one all the time.  

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I buy mine at the grocery store -- they are GF.
=======================
As I'm vegetarian, dried peas and beans are a staple part of the protein in
my diet.  They are naturally gluten free and, as they are very different in
size and shape from grains and easily washed, contamination should not pose
a problem - just pick them over first for any not pea-bean items then wash
them in several rinses of cold water.  Any good vegetarian cookbook will
tell you to do this anyway (for hygiene purposes) whether you are GF or not.
======================

Do you buy only organic and that's why you can't buy packaged dry beans at 
other than health food stores?  Just curious

======================


Once again, thanks to you all who took the time to help out. I really appreciate you folks!!

Diana in RI

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