How Much Liquid Should You Use To Make Baked Beans

Grilling season is upon us. Invite your friends and family, break out the folding chairs, and cue the music; it's time to throw an outdoor barbecue bash! Equally important is the food that you choose to serve. Will you select a traditional menu of grilled burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and baked beans?

When preparing the perfect get-together, food is a must, and that food must be tasty. Baked beans are a side dish that often doesn't get the love it deserves. If you're in a hurry, it's easy to open the can, empty its contents into a dish, pop it into the microwave, and serve. Baked beans taste fine when provided in this fashion, but adding a little zing makes a difference. Give those beans the love that they deserve.

If you choose to forgo the can and make baked beans from scratch, you're really giving your guests the royal treatment. According to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, this method involves soaking and boiling the beans. How much water should you use when preparing your epic side dish?

By adding water, you're helping the dried beans soften and cook more evenly. Soaking the beans and incorporating different spices and adds flavor layers to otherwise flavorless beans.

Bon Appétit shares that you should soak beans overnight, as it reduces cooking time. Soaking helps the beans keep their texture and structure with fewer split-open beans and bean bursts. Per Bon Appétit, submerge the beans in a bowl of water, cover, and soak them overnight. Serious Eats recommends emptying one pound of small white navy beans into a pot and cover them with a few inches of cold water. This will ensure that they won't dry out. Then, stir in one tablespoon of salt and allow the beans to soak anywhere from twelve hours to one full day. The beans will soften and soak up all of the salty flavor. After the beans have soaked, drain the liquid and rinse them with fresh water.

When it's time to cook those beautiful beans, return them to the pot and cover them with fresh water or chicken broth (via Life Made Simple Bakes). Remember to make sure that the liquid is a few inches above the beans while cooking. Spend Smart recommends covering beans with 3 cups of liquid per cup of beans, or 10 cups per pound. Enjoy!