Dehydrate canned beans and have shelf-stable, instant beans ready for meals in a jar, hiking or camping meals, or emergency meals when cooking is a problem. They are a super-easy dehydrating project perfect for beginners to pros!
Why dehydrate canned beans?
Dehydrating canned beans makes them shelf-stable to add to other meals for easy storage and transportation for:
- Emergency meals
- Meals in a jar quick pantry meals
- Meals in a jar for Christmas gifts or holidays
- To help build a pantry for someone in need
- Hiking/backpacking/camping meals
- House warmning gifts for newlyweds or single adults moving out for the first time
- Reduce pantry space
How to Dehydrate Canned Beans
Use your favorite cooked bean for this process.
Step One: Rinse Beans
Rinsing beans helps remove the excess sodium and the starchy bean liquid they are canned in
Step Two: Place on Dehydrator Trays
You do not have to line your dehydrator trays as long as your trays have a small grid. If not, you can use mesh or fruit leather trays (there is a possibility of staining depending on the bean). This will also be helpful when the beans are dried as they do have a lot of skins that dry small and can get all over the place.
Step Three: Dry at 125°F / 35°C
This may take anywhere from 5-8 hours depending on the:
- Texture of your beans
- Humidity in your home
- Your machine
- How tightly you pack your trays
Step Four: Dryness Test
Your beans will be dry when they are crunchy (you can test one or two with a taste test), have begun to break through, and plink when you drop them on a hard surface
Step Five: Condition
Condition your beans by placing them in a large jar, shaking them once or twice a day, and look for signs of moisture build-up. Conditioning is important to equalize the moisture within the jar and to check for signs of sticking or moisture build-up on the jar lid or sides. If you notice that, put them back into the dehydrator to dry more.
If you see mold buildup, you need to toss out the contents of the jar and start again.
Step Six: Store in an airtight container
A canning jar, an airtight plastic storage jar, mylar bags, or plastic vacuum seal bags will work, depending on which is best for your pantry storage. Use an Oxygen Absorber if you'd like for long-term storage, but nothing is needed for short-term.
Beans will last for two years and more, if properly stored.
Watch me dehydrate black beans and make a meal in a jar
Yield of Black Beans
1 15 ounce can of beans = 8 ounces of beans (drained) = 2.5 ounces of dried beans (1 cup of dried beans)
6-8 cans of beans will fit into a half gallon jar (depends on the size of beans and the size of the can.
How to Use Dehydrated Black Beans
To rehydrate:
To use beans:
In a pot or container, cover beans with just enough water to cover them, and simmer until desired consistency.
For soups, stews, casseroles
Toss into the soup/stew and allow them to simmer and warm. They are already cooked, so need no extra time other than to rehydrate, which happens fairly quickly.
Questions and Troubleshooting
Yes, just remember that they have a tendency to break, depending on the firmness of the beans
Yes, simply cook your beans the way you like, and then dry them
Yes, depending on how long they were cooked, the thickness of the skin, and the firmness of the beans, you'll find that between 20-80% will break. That's okay! It's the way it works.
Any cooked bean will work!
LEARN MORE: More ways to use beans, even when you don't like them!
📖 Recipe
Dehydrate Canned Beans
Equipment
- colander
Ingredients
- 1 Can of beans use any bean of your choice
Instructions
- Rinse beans in colander
- Spread onto dehdyrator trays
- Dry at 125°F / 52°C for 5-8 hours
- Test for dryness
- Conditoin
- Store in an airtight container for 2+ years
Darcy's Tips
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only. Nutrient information for dehydrated foods is based on fresh. Use ¼ of the servicing size for the same nutrient information. Thus 1 Cup of fresh fruit has the same sugars as ¼ dried.
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Tena says
I'm cleaning out my canned goods pantry and wondered if you've made chickpeas as snacks with seasonings like taco or ranch? Your ranch with cucumber is delicious btw!
Darcy Baldwin says
I have, but don't have a tutorial on it. Give it a try -they are fab!
Lisa M says
can dried beans be ground to powder for capsules? Can capsules be stored in the freezer for longevity? I am worried about mold if I don't dry them or condition them properly, and I am exploring homemade capsules for the non-veggie eaters in my life.
Darcy Baldwin says
Yes, you can store them in the freezer, but if you follow proper drying and conditioning, mold isn't an issue.
Tami says
I am learning a lot and thank you for your help! Do you have any recipes for 1-2 servings? I love soup, but my husband is not a big fan of much more than Pasta fagioli soup... I just do not need to eat it every day for a week 😉
also my sister lives in hurricane territory and wants to do the same as her husband also is not a fan... Thank you, we are both learning from you!
Darcy Baldwin says
I do not, just cut the amounts by half.
Marsha McCarthy says
I’m new to dehydrating and love that you can dry canned beans! So cool. Thank you Darcy
Darcy Baldwin says
Glad it's helpful to you.
K says
What about dehydrating cooked beans? Dry beans cooked cooked??
Darcy Baldwin says
That's what these are - so yes, if you cook your beans and want to do extra to dehydrate - do it.