To Rinse or Not to Rinse

Many people wonder if they need to drain and rinse canned beans, and the answer is, “it depends.” It’s fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it’s best to drain and rinse canned beans.

A 2009 study conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, showed that draining beans removes, in average, 36% of the sodium in canned beans. Draining and rinsing removes, on average, 41% of the sodium.

Reference Jone JB and Mount JR. Sodium Reduction in Canned Beans Varieties by Draining and Rinsing. Poster presentation at the 2009 International Food Technologists Meeting, July 2009.