Swedish bean balls with lingonberry gravy
Here’s a post I never thought I’d write: a post about food packaging (read on, I swear it’s not as boring as it sounds!). Last month I went on a trip to Sweden with Tetra Pak to learn all about a product called Tetra Recart (you might have seen some of my pictures on Instagram!). If you’re not sure what Tetra Recart is, it’s these cartons, which you may have seen in lots of shops in recent years (since 2007, in the UK) – they’re usually filled with foods that you’d expect to see in a tin can, like these black beans (but also tomatoes, soup, fruit, sauces, pet food…):
If I’m honest, when I was first invited to Sweden to learn about Tetra Recart, I thought it might be a bit boring. I can’t say I’ve ever given food packaging much thought, and it’s definitely not a topic that I would ever have actively described as interesting. But, Tetra Recart is actually really cool technology – the food is put in the carton when it’s totally fresh (raw veg, etc), and once it’s all sealed up, it’s actually cooked inside the carton. Even the design on the front of the carton is cooked without being affected – it’s really clever!
So now, I have developed a bit of a geeky interest. Some people collect stamps, some people watch trains… I’m into food packaging. Honestly, I bloomin’ love Tetra Recart. I found learning about the packaging so much more interesting than I thought I would! And seriously, these cartons are so much better than normal tin cans for so many reasons. Here are just a few:
– They only use about 60-70% of the space of tin cans, for the same amount of food, so they take up less space in your cupboard (as well as being easier to stack). Plus, they also take less space on supermarket shelves, which is great for the shops themselves.
– Because they use space more efficiently, you can fit 14% more packs on each truck – meaning fewer trucks on the roads, and less truck emissions (something which I think is awesome).
– They’re lighter than tin cans, so easier to carry home from the shops (about 17g for a carton, compared to 50g for a tin can).
– There’s no metallic taste, like you sometimes get with tins.
– They have no sharp edges, so they’re great for getting kids involved with cooking.
– They’re easy to open – you don’t need to dig around in your kitchen drawers to find a tin opener.
– There’s no danger of rust, so half-used cartons can be put straight in the fridge.
I could go on and on, but these cartons really are well-designed and easy to use, as well as being totally recyclable, containing really fresh food, and being much easier to store and transport.
Thumbs up all round.
(if there’s a Tetra Recart fan club, I feel I should be the leader. Food packaging groupie number 1!)
As usual, I wanted to tie this blog post in with a recipe, and the first thing that comes to mind when I think about Swedish food is IKEA meatballs! (sorry, Swedish readers, I know your country’s cuisine has a lot more to offer, but that’s the first thing that sprang to mind)
Obviously I needed to make the meatballs vegetarian, so here’s my attempt: Swedish bean balls with lingonberry gravy! I’ve never actually tried the IKEA meatballs for obvious reasons, so I apologise if these bean balls aren’t a true likeness – but they were really tasty, and made for some pretty incredible comfort food with mashed potato and lashings of gravy, so I’m sticking with them.
The bean balls themselves are pretty simple – just cannellini beans (from a Tetra Recart carton, obviously), with some breadcrumbs, onion, and fresh dill (which is a herb I need to use way more often! It’s lovely). They’re made way more interesting with a very generous drizzle of lingonberry gravy, made with vegetable stock and jam. I know what you’re thinking – jam in gravy is weird. It’s very, very weird. I’m totally not disputing that. But somehow, it just works.
The title of this post is a slight lie, I must admit – I didn’t actually use lingonberry jam in my gravy, since I couldn’t find any. I used bramble jelly instead, since it’s my favourite jam, and I knew I could use it up easily – let’s face it, nobody wants a jar of jam in their cupboard that’s only been used once, and will remain untouched for the next ten years. So although lingonberry jam is the most authentic, you can use whatever similar jam you fancy. I’ve not exactly gone for authenticity here (remember how we’ve put cannellini beans in your Swedish meatballs?).
Serve your Swedish bean balls and lingonberry gravy with an enormous scoop of mashed potatoes and a veg of your choice (I went for asparagus, since it’s my baby), and you’ve got yourself a plate of heaven.
Make sure you keep an eye out for Tetra Recart cartons next time you’re looking for a tin of food!
Note: I was not paid to write this blog post, although I was flown to Sweden in March to learn all about the Tetra Recart product. All opinions are my own. I really am a bit of a Tetra Recart fangirl now.
Swedish bean balls with lingonberry gravy
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin CommentIngredients
For the Swedish bean balls
- 230 g cooked cannellini beans ~1 cup
- 1 slice large wholemeal bread stale is fine, torn into chunks
- 1 fairly small onion cut into chunks
- Small handful fresh dill
- Salt
- Black pepper
For the lingonberry gravy
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 250 ml vegetable stock ~1 cup
- 2 tbsp single cream
- 1 tbsp lingonberry jam or similar fruit jam / jelly
- Salt
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
- Add the ingredients for the bean balls (cannellini beans to black pepper) to a food processor, and process until a paste is formed.
- With clean hands, roll the mixture into balls (I made 12), and place on a lined baking tray. If the mixture is too sticky to roll easily, just add a few more breadcrumbs, mix well, and try again.
- Bake the bean balls for around 30 minutes, or until firm and slightly crispy.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan, and add the flour. Cook over a medium-low heat for a minute or two, stirring constantly, then add the vegetable stock a little at a time, stirring until smooth each time before adding more. Add the cream and jam, and mix until combined. Season to taste, and serve with the bean balls and mashed potato.
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
I can’t believe how amazing these bean balls look! I have fond memories of Ikea meatballs from when I was a child, now a vegetarian I am really inspired by this recipe :)
Thanks Micaela, hope you enjoy them if you give them a go! :)
I never knew that the contents of these tetra packs were actually cooked in the cartons! I do know that Baxters Soups are cooked in the can so must be a similar idea. The only time I have Lingonberry Jam is at Ikea. I tend to substitute with Cranberry Jelly when recreating their iconic meatballs at home.
Yep, it’s done in the same way that they cook the soup in the tins :) and cranberry jelly would be a great substitution!
These sound stunning! I admit I’ve never given packaging much thought either! Sounds like you had a fab trip :)
They look really fantastic. I must admit I totally adore the swedish meatballs from IKEA, and that amazing gravy they use.
I’ve never really noticed beans in a packaging like this; I would prefer it too.
I have to look for it next time I am out shopping.
I have been meaning to try more Swedish recipes but have been too lazy to do so. I am drooling over these. I don’t normally think about packaging but I am going to be looking at getting things in tetra packs since it offers such good value.
I had no idea those packs came from Sweden. Love the veggie version of IKEA meatballs and sauce, looks great!
I found the information about the packaging very interesting! I wanted to find out more about Tetra and I am so glad you posted about this. I avoid any canned foods due to the the BPA content and so Tetra Recart sounds like an amazing alternative. Thanks for sharing.
As for the recipe, excuse me while I’m off to the shop to get the ingredients! Love it xx
Tetra Recart really is better in so many ways! I definitely avoid tin cans as much as I can now :)
I am sad that the bacon paste didn’t make it in to this ;)
Haha no, Chris ate that within about 2 days!! The mushroom paste is still going strong though :D
Wow, these sound amazing. Goodbye, IKEA! I’ve actually had their kottbullar in my pre-vegetarian days but I wouldn’t know if I still remembered their actual taste aside from being hearty. And the lingon is the best part about the dish, really.
Authentic or not I bet your beanballs are delicious in their own right and would be perfect paired with lingonberry jam. Actually, I think IKEA sells it.
Ooh really? I’ll have to keep an eye out for it next time I go :)