Dried beans cost 1/3 the price of canned beans
Canned beans are convenient. Dried beans are cheap. The gap between the two is some forward planning and fairly little effort.
The Facts
- Canned beans are convenient but come at a price
- Cooking dried beans at home saves money
- Freezing cooked beans creates the convenience of cannned beans
Cooking beans takes time. That's why it is often much more convenient to reach for canned beans, which are ready to heat. This convenience comes at a cost, though, and it's one more area where home-cooks can squeeze a little more out of tight grocery budget.
Here is the math for red kidney beans, purchased at a national grocery chain in Alberta, Canada:
- One pound of dried beans yields the same amount of cooked beans as three 540ml cans of cooked beans.
- 1 pound of dried beans costs $2.17
- 3 cans of cooked beans cost $6.00 for the store brand, and $6.75 for a name brand
- A household that uses 2 cans of dried beans per week would save at least $67 per year
$67 in savings may not seem like much, but for households where every penny counts it does make a difference. For example, this amount could pay for a gift for a grandchild at the end of the year. However, currently relatively few tap into these savings, because Canadians on average eat less than 2 pounds of beans per year per person!
The potential for saving money is significant once households start planning more meals around beans and other pulses. Increasing the consumption of beans, lentils, and chickpeas would not only increase the savings from cooking dried legumes at home. There would also be huge additional savings if eating more plant protein resulted in spending less on buying meat. In that case, the savings would still be significant, even when purchasing the more convenient canned beans.
Cooking beans is fairly simple:
- Optionally soak beans overnight covered in cold water. Lentils don't require soaking.
- Drain, rinse, and cover the beans with fresh water
- Bring them to a rolling boil for at least 10 minutes to kill harmful lectins
- Simmer for 45–60 minutes until tender, or finish them in a slow-cooker
- Divide the beans into smaller portions and freeze some for quick meals in the future