How to Dehydrate Canned Black Beans

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.

Taco Soup Meal in a Jar

Questions and Troubleshooting

LEARN MORE: More ways to use beans, even when you don't like them!