Which format is right for you?

Families who cook in batches

If you often make hummus, couscous, curries or salads for several people, consider multipacks of dried chickpeas. You’ll need to plan ahead for soaking and cooking them before your meal.

Households preparing quick meals

Ready-cooked chickpeas in jars or tins are a good choice if you want to put a dish together without soaking. Check the quantity of chickpeas once drained, as well as the storage instructions after opening.

Shoppers who check the label

If organic certification, ingredients, salt or origin matter more to you than pack size, compare these details for each product. Origin and organic certification answer two different questions.

What should you look for?

Multipack of dried chickpeas

Choose this if: you often cook in batches and can prepare the chickpeas in advance.

Bear in mind: Carrefour’s four-pack of 500 g bags needs soaking followed by cooking.

Multipack of tins

Choose this if: you want to spread several ready-to-use tins across different meals.

Compare: the quantity of drained chickpeas, which is different from the total weight shown for each tin.

Large jar

Choose this if: you plan to use a large quantity of ready-cooked chickpeas in one meal or recipe.

Bear in mind: once opened, follow the storage instructions rather than treating the contents as an unopened store-cupboard item.

What to consider What to check Who is it for?
Stocking up and preparation The number of bags, their weight, and the soaking and cooking instructions. If you’re preparing several meals from a store-cupboard supply, you can set aside time for cooking. Around 40% of shoppers would put this need to stock up first.
Quick to use The words ‘ready cooked’ and, for jars or tins containing liquid, the drained net weight. When you need to put a meal together quickly, you’d rather open a tin or jar than soak dried chickpeas. Around 30% of shoppers would prioritise convenience.
Organic status and ingredients The EU organic logo, ingredients list and ‘salt’ line in the nutritional information per 100 g. Before choosing a pack size, you want to check that the product is organic and compare its ingredients. Around 30% of shoppers would put these checks first.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Confusing the container’s weight with the amount you can serve

    For a tin or jar containing liquid, the net weight includes that liquid. The amount of chickpeas you can use after draining may therefore be different.

    To compare two formats, check the drained net weight. The DGCCRF states that this information must appear on the label of food sold in a covering liquid.

  • Buying a large multipack of dried chickpeas without planning how to prepare them

    For Carrefour’s family-sized pack of dried chickpeas, the stated instructions call for 12 hours of soaking, followed by 2 h 30 of cooking in a saucepan or 1 hour in a pressure cooker.

    Choose this format if you can fit the preparation time into your meal plans; otherwise, check out the ready-cooked options.

  • Assuming all organic products have the same ingredients

    Organic certification doesn’t replace checking the ingredients and nutritional information. A product labelled ‘no added salt’ may still list salt in its nutritional information.

    Check the ingredients, any listed allergens and the ‘salt’ value per 100 g for the product you choose.

  • Relying on a multipack without checking availability

    An online product listing doesn’t guarantee that your chosen format is available in your local shop or for your preferred collection option.

    Check that your chosen multipack is available before planning meals around that pack size.

Brands and retailers to compare

Carrefour

Carrefour listings show several ways to buy organic chickpeas in larger quantities: four 500 g bags of dried chickpeas, three 460 g Sabarot tins or a 660 g Jardin Bio Étic jar.

  • These products let you compare a multipack of dried chickpeas, a multipack of ready-cooked tins and a large jar.
  • Check that your chosen product is available and that your preferred collection option is offered before making your selection.

Bio Village / E.Leclerc

Bio Village offers a 500 g bag of dried organic chickpeas. It’s worth considering if you’d rather decide how much to cook each time.

  • A 500 g bag lets you try dried chickpeas without immediately buying a 2 kg multipack.
  • The E.Leclerc listing advises contacting your local store to check whether this product is available.

Auchan Bio

Auchan Bio offers a 330 g jar of chickpeas: a ready-cooked option rather than a family-sized multipack.

  • The listing provides the ingredients, nutritional information and storage instructions after opening.
  • For this jar, Auchan advises keeping it refrigerated in the covering liquid and consuming it within two days of opening.

Lidl / Goldensun

Lidl’s Goldensun range of organic pulses includes a chickpea option.

  • This option is worth considering if you’re looking for dried organic chickpeas.
  • Check the bag’s weight and availability at your local supermarket before choosing it for family meals.

Jardin Bio Étic

The 660 g jar of organic chickpeas listed at Carrefour is suited to recipes that need a larger container of ready-cooked chickpeas than a small jar provides.

  • The listing gives organic chickpeas, water and sea salt among the ingredients.
  • Choose a jar size that you can use up after opening, following the product’s storage instructions.

Joybuy products

Related products will be available soon.

Frequently asked questions

How can you tell if chickpeas are organic?

Look for an organic farming claim and the EU organic logo on the packaging. The Ministry of the Economy explains that the term ‘organic’ must meet the requirements of EU organic farming regulations; a French origin claim is not a substitute.

Which weight should you compare on two tins of chickpeas?

For tins containing liquid, compare the drained net weight to work out how many chickpeas you’ll have after draining. The DGCCRF states that this weight must be shown for food sold in a covering liquid.

How long can you keep a jar after opening?

Follow the instructions on the jar you’ve bought, as they apply to that specific product. For its 330 g jar of organic chickpeas, Auchan advises keeping it in the fridge in its covering liquid and consuming it within two days.

Does ‘no added salt’ mean ‘salt-free’?

No, the two claims don’t mean the same thing. D’Aucy’s organic ‘no added salt’ chickpea jar lists 0,08 g of salt per 100 g. Check the ‘salt’ line in the nutritional information for the product you choose.