Serious question, why does everyone insist on draining canned beans?

My sister watched me dump a can of black beans straight into my chili last month and gave me this whole lecture about sodium and rinsing. I tried her way for a week and my soups tasted watery and flat every single time. Anyone else think the starchy liquid is half the reason canned beans work so well?

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1 Comment

david_stone1mo ago

Draining canned beans is a rookie mistake, plain and simple. That liquid is pure gold, it thickens up chili, stews, and braises way better than any cornstarch slurry ever could. Rinsing strips away all that flavor and leaves you with bland, rubbery beans that need twice the seasoning to taste like anything. Sure, the sodium is higher, but you can just skip the extra salt in the recipe and it balances out fine. Your sister means well, but she's missing the whole point of convenience food, it's supposed to be quick and taste good. Keep dumping those beans in, the starchy water is doing half the work for you.