I'm a big fan of canned beans—they're convenient, affordable, and, most importantly, delicious. At least once a week, I use canned beans and legumes like chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, and white beans in chilis, stews, salads, and more. And though I'm not always one to follow recipes to a T, when the instructions call for draining and rinsing canned beans, I dutifully dump them into a colander, run cold water over them, and drain them.
It turns out there are several good reasons that recipes call for rinsing canned beans. One commonly known reason is that rinsing can remove up to 41% of the sodium (i.e. salt), according to The Bean Institute, a website managed by the Bean Growers Association of North Dakota and Minnesota.
To learn more about why you should take those "drain and rinse" orders seriously—plus when you might want to skip rinsing—I spoke to Richard LaMarita, chef-instructor of Plant-Based Culinary Arts at the Institute of Culinary Education. Here's what I learned.
3 Reasons to Rinse Canned Beans
"Rinsing does three things besides reducing salt content," says LaMarita. Here are three reasons why rinsing canned beans makes sense:
1. It impacts the flavor of your food: "[Rinsing] gives the bean a cleaner mouthfeel and prevents the gel-like coating from altering the flavors of the surrounding ingredients." This is why you might want to rinse canned beans even if you are making a dish that calls for additional liquid, as tempting as it might be to use the liquid from the can.
2. Get consistent dishes every time: LaMarita says another good reason to drain and rinse beans is so you can consistently replicate dishes. "If you rinse your beans thoroughly, you will have a consistently flavored product, but if you do not rinse them, different amounts of salt will remain in the dish each time you cook it, and it will be hard to cook consistently," he says. So if you want your chickpea curry or black bean tacos to taste the same every time you make them, go ahead and give those beans a rinse.
3. It may mean you'll be less gassy: "The reason the juice has a gel-like texture is that it is full of soluble fiber," says LaMarita. "A significant and sudden increase in fiber consumption can cause bloating and gas. The fiber in the beans might do that anyway, but rinsing the beans helps." LaMarita adds that for people who normally have a high-fiber diet, the difference between using unrinsed and rinsed beans might not be that noticeable and that symptoms generally go down over time, but if you are cooking for people who don't eat a lot of fiber, they may feel bloated afterward.
"The liquid is viscous, and tastes pretty good," says LaMarita. "It is also perfectly healthful to consume, so from a flavor perspective there is nothing wrong with not rinsing."
Indeed, unrinsed canned beans can be great from a culinary standpoint in dishes like this white bean soup, where the liquid adds a "starchy richness," as the recipe developer Sheela Prakash notes.
Draining but not rinsing canned chickpeas can also make for very creamy homemade hummus. Still, LaMarita comes down on the side of rinsing most of the time. "It depends on how much fiber you want to ingest, and who you are cooking for," he notes.
What If You're Using No-Salt-Added Canned Beans?
If your biggest concern with canned beans is the sodium, you can certainly use no-salt-added or low-sodium canned beans, but LaMarita still recommends rinsing in most cases for the same culinary and gas-reducing reasons you'd rinse canned beans with salt.
Regardless of the amount of salt added to the canned beans, LaMarita says, "You still have to taste them and ask—is it the correct amount [of salt] to create a balanced dish?" and adjust for salt accordingly.
The Takeaway
Even if you are not concerned about sodium, in most cases it's a good idea to rinse canned beans. Rinsing beans can improve the flavor and texture of the final dish and can help cut down on how much gas they produce. So, for your culinary success and intestinal comfort, give those canned beans a rinse unless your recipe specifically says not to.
Canned beans are packed in a solution of water, salt, and starch. That solution can leave a glossy film on the beans, interfering with not only mouthfeel (slimy beans are a little off-putting), but also the ability of the beans to cling to other ingredients in the dish and absorb those flavors.
It depends. It's fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it's best to drain and rinse canned beans. A 2009 study conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, showed that draining beans removes, on average, 36% of the sodium in canned beans.
The gas-producing fibers are released into the soaking water, and discarding it removes some of these compounds. Rinse canned beans without sauce before eating or using in recipes.
The liquid in good canned beans is just the water and salt the beans were cooked in… filled with delicious bean flavor. And this liquid is a great thickener for not only the specific dish you're making at the moment, but for any dish that could use some thickening, some salt, and some bean flavor.
This means that the contents have spoiled and are not safe to eat, even after cooking. Not every sound is a bad sound when opening a can, however. It is normal to hear a small hiss when you break the vacuum seal — in fact, this is a good sign.
The reason that beans are safe to eat straight from the can is pretty simple: They're already cooked. Per Epicurious, beans are blanched before being canned with water, salt, and other additives, and then sealed and cooked under steam pressure at a high temperature before landing at your local grocery store.
Beans are super healthy, full of vitamins and minerals, protein-packed, and fiber-rich. But canned beans can be high in sodium, which is a problem for those with high blood pressure and those who want to avoid it. According to Dr. Gourmet, there are 400-500 mg of sodium in a 1/2 cup of canned beans.
Because Beano contains a specific enzyme to break down in specific foods, it will not be useful if the gas you are experiencing is not due to vegetables, proteins, or whole grains.
"The packing liquid can sometimes muddy the final presentation, depending upon the packing liquid. If you are adding cooked canned beans to soup or chili, then you should not need to rinse them if you plan to allow the liquid to season the preparation."
Much like the delicious pot likker from a pot of simmered dry beans, the liquid in canned beans is full of flavor that shouldn't go to waste. It's useful. All that starchy liquid will act as a natural thickener for soups, stews, and saucy dishes, making them instantly creamier.
Canned beans are minimally processed and can contain sodium, potentially up to about 500 milligrams, Rissetto said. “Those conscious of their sodium intake should be mindful of this.” High salt intake is linked to increased blood pressure and risk of stroke, kidney disease and heart conditions, Basbaum noted.
The reason that beans are safe to eat straight from the can is pretty simple: They're already cooked. Per Epicurious, beans are blanched before being canned with water, salt, and other additives, and then sealed and cooked under steam pressure at a high temperature before landing at your local grocery store.
The starchy leftover liquid from canned beans or simmered dried beans can also be used as a substitute for any stock or broth or added to thicken soups, stews and sauces. Freeze extra liquid for later use.
If you're wondering what these are, Newgent explains: “Saponins are a group of naturally occurring plant compounds found in beans and other plant foods, like quinoa and spinach, that can produce foam when they're dissolved in water or other liquid.” Saponins are known for causing this soap-like lather (fun fact: “sapo” ...
If you don't have time to presoak, don't sweat it– your beans will still be tender and delicious. However, there is one exception: if you're starting with old beans that have suffered moisture loss (Primary Beans defines as beans older than 2 years from harvest), a presoak may help you achieve evenly cooked beans.
Address: 2033 Gerhold Pine, Port Jocelyn, VA 12101-5654
Phone: +8524399971620
Job: Central Manufacturing Supervisor
Hobby: Jogging, Metalworking, Tai chi, Shopping, Puzzles, Rock climbing, Crocheting
Introduction: My name is Edmund Hettinger DC, I am a adventurous, colorful, gifted, determined, precious, open, colorful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Simply-Recipes-Rinse-Canned-Beans-LEAD-OPTION-01-9d4d74dc148a4f30a76cfed9ae068bc6.jpg "The 3 Reasons You Should Rinse Your Canned Beans (1)")
