Freeze This Food

Can You Freeze Cooked Beans?

Checked against sources
Illustration of cooked beans

Batch-cooking dried beans and freezing them is one of the great kitchen economies, and they take to the freezer happily. The trick is to freeze them in a little of their cooking liquid, which cushions the beans and stops them drying to a mealy skin. Portion before freezing so you thaw only what a meal needs. Frozen, they hold their quality for about 2 to 3 months.

Can you freeze cooked beans?

Yes — it freezes well
How long it keeps frozen
2 to 3 months for best qualityBased on USDA's cold-storage window for cooked dishes; at a constant 0 °F (−18 °C) they remain safe much longer, but the beans gradually soften and the flavour flattens.
How to freeze it
  1. Cool the cooked beans quickly after draining off only the excess liquid — keep enough to barely cover them.
  2. Spoon them with that liquid into freezer tubs or bags in roughly one- to two-cup, meal-sized portions.
  3. Leave a little headspace because the liquid expands as it freezes, then seal and press out trapped air.
  4. Lay bags flat to freeze into thin slabs that stack neatly and thaw fast; label each with the type and date.
How to thaw & use
Thaw a portion in the fridge overnight, or tip a frozen slab straight into a simmering pot or soup and warm it through; reheat until piping hot before serving.
Texture & quality
Beans frozen in their liquid thaw plump and close to fresh; drained and frozen dry, their outer skins toughen and wrinkle. They soften slightly with freezing, which is no loss in soups, chillis, stews, and dips, where most frozen beans end up. Slightly undercook them if you know they are bound for the freezer.

More in this group: Freezing cooked dishes & leftovers

Frequently asked questions

Should I freeze cooked beans in their cooking liquid?

Yes, keep a little of it. A thin layer of liquid over the beans shields them from freezer air, so they thaw plump instead of drying into a mealy, wrinkled skin. Drained-dry beans freeze acceptably but lose more texture.

Can I freeze beans from a can the same way?

You can, though if you only need part of a can it is often simpler to refrigerate the rest. To freeze them, rinse, then pack in fresh water or a little broth, portion, and treat them exactly like home-cooked beans.

Do I need to thaw frozen beans before adding them to a dish?

Not for cooked dishes. Drop a frozen portion straight into a simmering soup, chilli, or stew and let it warm through. Only thaw them first when you want whole beans for a salad or to blend smoothly.

Why did my frozen beans turn mushy?

Beans soften a little with freezing as ice forms inside them, and overcooked beans soften further still. If you cook specifically to freeze, stop a touch early so they finish at the right texture when reheated.

Sources

Related