Food - Drink
Is It Safe To Eat Canned Beans Without Heating Them Up?
By ANABELLE DOLINER
It makes sense that most recipes call for canned beans to be cooked. Not only will the beans get heated through, but their texture will likely improve and their flavors will meld with the other ingredients, resulting in a cohesive dish. But if you are truly in a pinch (or using the beans for a cold dish), is that step always necessary?
According to Martha Stewart magazine, the answer is no — beans are edible straight from the can. However, since canned beans typically come in a super-salty liquid, you'll likely want to drain and rinse your beans before eating them, which will eliminate an average of 41% of the can’s sodium content.
The reason that beans are safe to eat straight from the can is pretty simple: They're already cooked. Per Epicurious, beans are blanched before being canned with water, salt, and other additives, and then sealed and cooked under steam pressure at a high temperature before landing at your local grocery store.
