I rinse off my canned beans

[emglow101]

I always find myself rinsing my canned beans. I rarely eat canned products. But sometimes I like the convenience of the beans. I have some T.Joes white kidney beans that I will stir into some sauteed onion and a small amount of pancetta. I don't use the canning liquid ever. Should I use it ?

[BobB]

Depends on what I'm making. For a bean salad type of thing I will definitely rinse them. But when I'm adding them to chili I do not, as I find that the slight sweetness of the canning liquid complements the heat quite well.

Also, I have a quick "I'm feeling lazy tonight" dish where I heat up canned black beans, season them with cumin, cayenne, and black pepper, and add grilled sliced kielbasa or bratwurst. Very tasty. If I rinsed them I'd need to create some sort of sauce of my own (yeah, I know, not that big a deal, but I did say this is a lazy night dish).

[redfish62]

I rinse cans of sweet peas, for some reason they add sugar to the can.

[flourgirl]

I always rinse canned beans. The liquid is kind of nasty and rinsing washes away a lot of the sodium.

[luckyfatima]

I have read that the liquid also contains a lot of the sugars that cause *ahem* wind, so when you rinse the beans you are further reducing potential for digestive distress.

[FoodPopulist]

Some of the cans of beans I use have explicit directions to drain and rinse the beans.

[AAQjr]

I was always taught that there are lots of nutrients in that liquid. Esp with pintos and black beans I cook them down more with the bean liquid and a bit of water and use it if possible. I only throw it out if im using it for a salad.

[wyogal]

I'm sure there are (nutrients in the liquid), but it just tastes nasty. If I'm doing beans from scratch, dried beans, then I will use the liquid. Otherwise, if using canned and I'm that worried about the nutrients, I'll take a vitamin.
I know, I know....

[AAQjr]

Alls I know is that they taste better if boiled in the juice for a bit before eating. Most of the time beans are a bit too firm out of the can

[wyogal]

I don't eat beans straight out of the can. I rinse them, then may add back some fresh liquid to cook them (warm them, actually). I've never had a "too firm" bean from a can. Taste and firmness are two different things. Boiling that liquid is not going to make it taste any better.

[escondido123]

I also rinse them before using.

[Heatherb]

The only time I keep what I call 'bean juice' is when I rehydrate dried beans. The stuff that comes in the can I just get rid of through rinsing. I have no idea what's actually in it and I read so much about BPAs, I figure it's best to just clean them off a bit.

[MRS]

i do also. that liquid is usually really sodium-heavy. yuck!

[luckyfatima]

The liquid just seems slimey and icky to me. I don't like using canned beans much anyway, but when I do I put the beans in a strainer and run water over them and rinse very well.

[thimes]

it is gross, you're doing the right thing by rinsing them.

[emglow101]

It's always gross to me. Even if used in a soup.

[GH1618]

Usually, the liquid contains sugar. Get rid of it.

[hotoynoodle]

i have never purchased, nor seen, canned beans that include sugar as an ingredient.

i rinse them too because the liquid tastes nasty and is super high-sodium. the only canned beans i could tolerate are garbanzos anyway. others were too mushy.

you can make big batches of beans and portion and freeze them, btw. they freeze very well.

[wyogal]

NOT added sugar.
"Drain and rinse canned beans. That will get rid of some of the gas-causing raffinose sugars (and almost half of the unwanted sodium)."
http://www.med.umich.edu/umim/food-py...

one can google "raffinose sugar" and learn more about it.

[hotoynoodle]

that's the same reason not to use the soaking liquid for the cooking liquid. not what was said by gh1618 though.

[wyogal]

Not sure what you are reading. You seemed to dispute the sugar comment. The liquid in canned beans contains sodium and sugars, which can be discarded by draining and rinsing. So yes, "Usually, the liquid contains sugar. Get rid of it."

[wyogal]

I rinse canned beans, too.