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Substituting Canned Beans For Dried

Is it wise to substitute canned beans for dried?

Is it wise to substitute canned beans for dried?

Most recipes that call for dried beans are soups or stews that require the beans to cook slowly with the other ingredients so that that they release their starches and thicken the dish. When you replace the dried beans with canned beans and shorten the cooking time (cooking canned beans for the same amount of time as dried beans would cause the beans to disintegrate), you sacrifice both the flavor and texture of the finished dish. On some occasions (such as for a salad or quick pasta dish), a recipe might call for dried beans to be cooked, drained, and then added. In these instances, you can safely substitute canned beans. A general rule of thumb is that 1 cup of dried beans equals 3 cups of canned beans.

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