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[Curious Diode]

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[Wolf]

The major difference between chop and gloop is that gloop is a cooked food whereas chop is not. While chop is basically an uncooked food if you add beans and most peas to it these must be cooked first in order to be safe for your bird. The chop also usually contains fruits where gloop often does not. The size of the vegetables and fruit in either food is based on the size of the bird more than on anything else. Although both of these foods can be frozen it is best to not freeze either of them with fruit in them, Either freeze the fruit separately and then add after thawing or just add fresh fruits.

There is a list of safe and not safe items ranging from trees and plants, foods and wood and household items beginning on the second page of this link viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521

I hope that this will be a help to you.

[Navre]

I don't think most of my chop is really cooked. I cook the pilaf, and then mix in all the frozen and canned stuff. I don't think there is enough residual heat to really be "cooking" those ingredients.

I take the gloop, freeze it in muffin tins for individual portions, and thaw at room temperature. I used to thaw in the microwave, but the vet advised against serving warm foods.

I guess the only thing I'm concerned about are the beans. Usually white beans or navy beans. I suppose I could cook them before mixing them in.

[Pajarita]

Yes, Navre, you should definitely cook the beans and they should be boiled (bubbling water) for 30 minutes, at least, because, otherwise, you end up with a toxic lectin in them (see this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytohaemagglutinin).

Now, the main difference between chop and gloop is that chop replaces fresh produce while gloop is used as a staple, replacing pellets or seeds for breakfast, and offered with fresh produce on the side. It used to be that chop was finely done (usually in a food processor) although not as fine as mash (another type of parrot food only this one is almost pureed) so the parrot could not pick and choose and eat a variety of produce every time but, apparently, the lines have now blurred and nowadays there is people who don't make it so fine. My gloop has a course texture because all the grains and beans are whole as well as corn, peas and hominy - the broccoli, blue kale, artichoke hearts and green beans are chopped, the butternut squash and carrots are diced and the sweet potatoes are in chunks. The birds prefer it this way and, yes, they do pick and choose but they end up eating everything so I give them what they like.

[marie83]

I only put the veg and grain/beans in my mix in advance for freezing.
I do minimal cooking, stuff like the beans gets cooked but the veg is mixed in raw or blanched if it's the type to go mushy when defrosted.
I add fresh fruit in on the day it's fed.

On that basis I'm not really sure what I should be calling it! Lol

[Navre]

Yes, Navre, you should definitely cook the beans and they should be boiled (bubbling water) for 30 minutes, at least, because, otherwise, you end up with a toxic lectin in them (see this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytohaemagglutinin).

Okay, just the white beans, or do the green beans need to be boiled, too?

I have been following the recipe on the "gloop for dummies" thread.

"Get a box of Kashi 7 Whole Grains Pilaf (http://www.amazon.com/Kashi-Whole-Grain ... ashi+pilaf) and cook all three packages in microwave according to the package instructions.

Once it's done, freeze half and prepare the other half by adding:
frozen chopped broccoli (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/ShopRite/Bro ... 190400188/)
frozen corn (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/ShopRite/Cor ... 190402632/)
frozen peas and carrots (http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Frozen-Pe ... B008H6EKDW)
frozen kale - I get the blue curly one from Whole Foods but any organic kale works(http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/product ... ganic-kale)
canned hominy - you need to rinse thoroughly: (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Allens/White ... 700754109/)
frozen artichoke hearts -you need to chop them (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Birds-Eye/Ar ... 500003973/)
frozen butternut squash (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Earthbound-F ... 601025120/)
frozen beans - I use these whole but you can buy the regular ones and chop them(http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Hanover/Gree ... 800291008/
sweet potatoes -you can also cook some yourself (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Hanover/Froz ... 800130260/)
beans (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/ShopRite/Sma ... 190015412/)
lentils (http://www.shoprite.com/pd/Goya/Lentils ... 331124560/)

You can add everything still frozen, just make sure there are no 'lumps' of many stuck together, and then freeze in individual baggies with a daily portion (it should be about 1/2 cup). The final product should be 50% grains and beans and 50% veggies but, like I told you before, at the beginning, you need to start with only grains and corn, then add the peas and carrots, etc. until he gets used to eating everything."

All I've been cooking is the pilaf. I have a bunch of this made. Do you think microwaving the frozen portions will cook it enough, or do you need the boiling water to wash away the toxins?

[Wolf]

I cook all the beans that I use and I cook them thoroughly until they are soft all the way through. I only use white or navy beans and green beans and the white beans I cook by bringing them to a full boil for at least ten minutes and then turn the heat of and wait for them to absorb the water, them I drain them and add fresh water and bring them to a full boil once again holding them at a full boil for ten minutes and then reducing the heat to simmer until they are done. Simmering is the point where the water is still bubbling but just barely, a thermometer inserted into the water will still read 212 deg. F. or whatever temperature that water boils using the measurement system you use.
Green beans, I bring to a full boil and reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook until tender. Please note that the green beans that I cook are all fresh. Canned green beans are already fully cooked, no one uses or sell dried green beans where I live.

[Navre]

Are canned white beans already cooked. They seem pretty soft, that's why I thought they were safe.

[Pajarita]

Yes, canned beans are already cooked. As a matter of fact, I also use canned beans (the small white ones) but I cook the lentils myself.

[Navre]

I skip the lentils. I realized that the birds can't read and don't know I'm not following the recipe.