Dried White Beans | Cook's Illustrated (2024)

FAQs

How much does 1 cup of dried beans make? ›

1 CUP DRY BEANS MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS COOKED BEANS.

directions. Bring peas or bean, bay leaf, garlic, and water to simmer in large saucepan. Simmer, partially covered, until beans are just tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt, cover, and let beans stand until completely tender, about 15 minutes.

You can expect 1 cup of dried beans to yield about 3 cups cooked beans. One pound of dried beans (which is about 2 cups) will yield about 6 cups cooked beans. If a recipe calls for canned beans: 1 15-oz can of beans equals about 2 cups cooked beans.

A 16-ounce bag of dried beans yields roughly 5 or 6 cups of cooked beans, while a 15-ounce can of cooked beans yields roughly 1½ cups.

Cover with 3 cups of water per 1 cup of beans. Use 10 cups for a 1 pound bag. Do either a short soak or a long soak. Short Soak – Bring beans to a boil, boil for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat, and let stand covered for 1-4 hours.

Brining Formula: For 1 pound of dried beans, dissolve 3 tablespoons of table salt in 4 quarts of cold water. Soak the beans at room temperature for 8 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse them well before using.

Baking soda creates an alkaline environment which reduces soaking and cooking time and preserves the beans' skin. As a result, the old bean's color comes to life, keeping them vibrant instead of dull. Compared to the grainy texture offered by old beans, baking soda beans can yield a creamy and smooth texture.

Beans soaked in salt or baking soda brines performed much better in comparison to those soaked in just water. Beans brined in baking soda performed even better than those in the salt brine. This was true across the board regardless of the type of the bean.

If you're using unsoaked beans, rinse them in a fine mesh strainer before you add them to the pot. Bring the water to a gentle boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes, discarding any foam that rises to the surface. Add seasonings & continue cooking.

It is possible to soak beans for too long before cooking. Beans should soak for 8 to 10 hours overnight. If they are soaked for longer than 12 hours, they can lose their familiar flavor and become overly mushy. For the best result, refrain from soaking them for too long.

How long to cook white beans after soaking? ›

Drain soaked beans and transfer to a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with cold water, add onion and bay leaves and bring to a boil; skim off and discard any foam on the surface. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, gently stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

1 pound of dried beans = 3 cups of dried beans = 6 – 7 cups of cooked beans. 1 2/3 - 2 cups of cooked beans = 1 can of canned (14 - 16 oz.) beans.

Cooked, dried beans just taste better.

In fact, canned beans can have a metallic taste, or they can be too salty or mushy. Cooking with dried beans lets you season them to to your taste and control how long you cook them — making sure they're just as firm or as soft as you like.

The Case for Dried

We could spend a day talking about all the reasons to love dried beans: They're more cost-effective than canned; they're tastier; there are tons of cool varieties to choose from.

One cup dry beans = three cups cooked beans, drained. One pound dry beans = six cups cooked beans, drained One pound of dry beans makes about 9 servings of baked beans or 12 servings of bean soup.

The ratio of dried to cooked black beans is about 1:3, meaning 1 cup of dried beans will yield 3 cups cooked. Here are some common conversions to refer to: ½ cup dried black beans = 1 ½ cups cooked beans. 1 (15 ounce) can black beans = 1 ½ cups cooked beans, drained.

The average human-sized cup coffee takes about 70 coffee beans to make, and anyway, usually coffee ratios are determined by rate, rather than a per-bean basis.

A portion of uncooked beans typically doubles after cooking (e.g. 2 cups uncooked equals between 4-5 cups of cooked beans). Average serving size is estimated to be 1/4 cup of uncooked beans (56.70 grams) per person (approx. 1/2 cup or 113.40 grams of cooked beans).