Canned beans question

[disasterStrikes]

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but in my (over 40years) of life, I haven’t used canned veg/beans (with the exception of baked beans)

I picked up some canned black eyed beans from Lidl today, and wanted to double check (daft question alert); are all canned beans/veg pre cooked? So I could use them in cold salad without any worries of funny tummy?

the can doesn’t have any sort of info (like boil for x time or anything).

thank you to those who answer!

Yes, although often it’s a good idea to rinse carefully and drain (more than you’d expect) as the juice in the can isn’t always healthy for you (sodium?).

Chickpeas and mixed beans are nice cold (not recooked). There are lots of recipes online for bean salads !

Tinned pulses are wonderful. I go through about 8 tins a week! Rinse well. Experiment and see what you enjoy.

Ahhh thank you!

This feels like a new door has opened up…where have I been all this time!!

I’ve used tinned beans for decades and only just found out that you should rinse chickpeas especially well as the liquid makes you fart.

You can also make vegan meringues from the liquid!

I just rinse them. I never use “baked beans”, funnily enough.

Yes, canned beans are cooked! There's a great Portuguese salad: black eyed beans, tuna, chopped red onion, chopped black olives, parsley, olive oil, white wine vinegar.

The canning process pressure cooks anything in a can, so beans, lentils etc can be used straight from the tin, for instance in salads.

Chickpea water, or aquafaba is far too useful to throw away. It's packed with plant protein, so add it to sauces or casseroles, also it is an egg white substitute, to use for meringues, mayonnaise, frosting etc.

Oooh, yes, I love mixed beans. A good rinse and drain and they’re good to go. I make a ‘salad’ with them, add a bit of dressing - and have it with chicken or fish.

Oooh I'm a huge fan of canned beans! I try to have cannellini, kidney, mixed, chickpeas and either black or black eyed peas in the cupboard at all times.

An easy dinner in our house is cannellini beans, tuna, any salad bits, oil and vinegar and herbs. My kids love it.

You can make lots of variations of hummus, try different beans and extras.

I always rinse, but you don't need to.

So many varieties of canned beans out there!
They're always cooked and they are sitting in a thick liquid called aquafaba ( bean water) which has many nutrients in it.
If you're concerned about sodium look for low or no sodium canned beans.
Sometimes if you're not used to eating beans you will have 'digestive problems', shall we say, but the more that you eat them, the more tolerant your digestive system will become.
They are nutritious, slow to digest and are full of protein and fiber and very useful for a lot of special diets.
The recipe I'm making today for chili con carne said not to rinse the beans but to include the aquafaba.
If you're making a salad you would want to rinse the beans very well.

Oooh, thanks for this, useful 👍

I use them to make a houmous type dip, if I dont have chickpeas in, just same recipe but with butter beans or cannelini, oil, water, salt and tahini, lemon juice and garlic and then whatever other herbs/spices you want

But just be aware,
"The gas-producing properties of aquafaba are linked to the oligosaccharides, a type of carbohydrate found in beans that are not easily digested by the human body, and which can be found in the liquid. These undigested carbohydrates are then fermented by bacteria in the large intestine, leading to gas."

I used to make a hoummous salad dressing that I had at lunchtime that was a tin of chickpeas plus the aquafaba, some olive oil, lemon juice and some spices, and jeez, the farting later that day! I now rinse off the chickpeas and use water for the liquid and there is a noticeable reduction in the gas production department.

I made black bean salsa last night. With avocado, tomatoes, spring onion, chilli, lime juice and coriander and a bit of mint as I had some. Was nice with a lamb burger..