Can You Freeze Baked Beans?
Yes, you can freeze baked beans. The best way to do this is to first cool the beans completely, then transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag, leaving some room for expansion. Baked beans can be frozen for up to six months.
Use only freezer-safe, transparent containers with ideal lids, because that will dictate how long the beans last. If you choose to use freezer bags, think about how many beans you will need for future meals and pack accordingly.
| Steps | |
| Place | Place beans into a freezer-safe, air-tight container allowing for headspace to expand |
| Remove | Remove as much air as possible |
| Label | Then label the bag and freeze it |
If you have lots of beans to freeze, dividing them up in several containers is a good idea. You should not just dump the baking tins of beans in the freezer, rather, you want to split them up into their own individual, airtight containers before freezing. Properly freeze cooked beans by letting them cool fully before placing in a freezer-safe container. Let beans cool completely before freezing, as warm beans may result in the containers or bags blowing apart.
You can defrost beans by taking them out of the freezer and placing them in a fridge overnight. As long as you keep your baked beans in a sealed container or in freezer bags, you can keep baked beans frozen for 2-3 months before they begin to decrease in quality. In this scenario, instead of waiting to bring a store-bought baked bean back to room temperature, you can split it up per serving and put it into the freezer. Instead of throwing away the food, you can keep the remaining baked beans in the freezer, and still get the flavor in 6 months.
It might sound strange to store an open canned baked beans in your freezer, but freezing the leftover baked beans is much more apt. If you have baked beans that are home-made, or leftover baked beans from a barbecue or picnic, freezing can help make sure they will last until the next time. When you freeze, it does not matter whether your leftover beans are made from scratch or started out in a can. It is far more rewarding and healthier to properly freeze cooked beans than it is to store them in a loose metal jar.
Although it is easier to store baked beans using the freezer method, one should not throw an entire bag into the freezer, but instead, breaking them down into smaller portions for use in the future is a recommended approach. Instead, be sure to store cooked baked beans in portions, so that one can prepare one at a time, never having to freeze their cooked remains. With this said, you cannot–let me repeat–you cannot freeze raw beans, because beans do not properly cook when they are thawed.
Not only could the containers potentially break apart and/or blow up, you would also be hard-pressed to remove already cooked baked beans, pop open the cover, much less heat up the contents. Once the beans are thawed and heated to use, you are better off using them all in one day, as refrigerating/freezing them again will not prevent them from getting bad or losing their flavor entirely. You may even opt for freezing the beans in a glass container, so that you can freeze, thaw, and reheat in a single container.
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After you go through the recooking process, do not think about freezing the newly-cooked beans again, because this would be a gateway for rapid bacteria growth, and ultimately, their spoilage. It is recommended that fresh cooked beans are frozen, as it will ensure that they will not lose their flavor by the time you wish to cook them. Regardless if you stored your beans in a freezer, always test for flavor, texture, color, and smell to make sure they are still fresh before starting using them in your other recipes.
You need to use canned beans earlier as canned beans get slimy after approximately 2 months, losing their flavor and ingredients. Even if your can of beans is approaching the best-by date, beans still last longer in a can than in a freezer.
It is also worth noting that after you have opened your beans, they are actually fine to store for three or four days in the fridge, just make sure that, if they were heated, they are cool before putting them in. The good news is that an opened bean jar will keep up to three days in the fridge, as long as you move the beans into a clean, airtight container. There is just one tiny difference between freezing homegrown beans versus canned beans you should know about.
Place beans into a freezer-safe, air-tight container (see details below), allowing for headspace (empty space) to expand, and remove as much air as possible. Remove your remaining beans from the half-tin with any sauces, and spoon them into an appropriate freezer-safe container. Simply transfer the leftover beans to a sealed, airtight container with a tight-fitting lid, or to a freezer-safe sealed bag.
If the idea of having to discard your leftovers is not appealing because you know other people will want to, then you have just received yet another way to preserve your baked beans for later. If your beans are fully cooked before you freeze, you can heat them up in an oven at 200degF-350degF, depending on how fast you want to heat them up.
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In this case, thawing should take between 4 and 8 hours, so if you do this in the morning, beans should be ready for you to heat up at lunchtime. If you are in a hurry, throw beans into a microwave set on Defrost since this temperature is not too intense. Cook your beans over a low flame, and if you are making a dish such as chili or soup, add your canned beans last (they are cooked, so only about 5-10 minutes before it is done should be good–just long enough to warm them) and finish cooking under a low simmer so that they are as firm as possible.
How do you defrost baked beans?
When you’re prepared to use frozen baked beans, whether homemade or canned, place them in the fridge for 8 hours to thaw. You can also defrost it in the microwave using the “defrost” setting. Don’t shock your beans by cooking them right away after removing them from the freezer!
How to reheat frozen baked beans?
If beans are cooked up too rapidly, they will break. To avoid this, continue boiling the beans in a saucepan after removing them from their frozen container. To prevent burning, bring the beans to a boil gradually over medium heat. When the beans are ready, which takes 20 to 30 minutes, lower the heat and continue to simmer.
How long can you freeze baked beans?
The ability to keep meals like beans and lentils for a long time is a benefit of purchasing them. Baked beans from the shop can be kept in the freezer without risking spoilage for around 6 months. But do not, under any circumstances, freeze them within the can. It can be stored in another container.