I used to think dried beans were a total waste of time

Honestly, I was a canned bean guy for years. I thought the whole soak and cook thing was just a hassle for people with too much time. The moment it clicked was last month when I was making chili and my friend, who's a chef, asked me why my grocery bill was so high. I said the canned beans were just easier. He pulled out his phone and showed me the math: a 2 pound bag of dried black beans for $2.50 makes the same as about 8 cans, which would cost me over $8. I tried it that weekend, cooking a big batch in my slow cooker. The texture was way better, they held their shape, and the flavor was cleaner. I froze portions in old yogurt tubs. Now I feel silly for spending triple the money for years just to save maybe 20 minutes of prep. Has anyone else made the switch from canned to dried and noticed a big difference in their weekly food cost?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_bell1mo ago

Totally get the canned bean habit. My grandma used to soak beans overnight in a big pot on the stove. The whole house smelled like them cooking. She would never touch a can. Said the taste was all wrong. I finally tried her method and she was right. It is a different food.

tessa9221mo ago

So your grandma was basically a bean hipster before it was cool? Mine just used to complain about the price of canned soup. I guess we all have that one old person who was weirdly right about a random food thing.

betty_shah8d ago

Yeah @brian_bell is onto something with the overnight soak. The texture is just better, holds up in chili without turning to mush. My trick is to add a pinch of baking soda to the soaking water, softens the skins right up. Canned beans are fine for a quick fix, but they always taste a little metallic to me. Once you get the timing down for dried beans, it's hard to go back.