Beans: Canned Beans VS Dry Beans

[@peter5.056]

For my long term needs, I'd choose lentils; simply because they cook quickly and they last a VERY long time. And when Hurricane Laura blasted us a few years ago, I was able to soak lentils overnight, and then bring that water up to a boil for 1 minute, simmering very low for 10 more minutes. The simmer only took about 200 watts of power to maintain, with my induction cooker. Lentils are gonna be the choice that conserves fuel, no matter what that fuel is.

[@DeeMoback]

we love lentils

[@cheesygal]

Good idea! Thanks

[@meanderingmuse8101]

Another advantage of the canned beans is the liquid inside the can. In a grid down situation u would not have to use up any of ur water supply to cook the canned beans. U could easily add other ingredients and make a soup which feeds a few people. The cans are also good to keep in the car for an emergency meal. I do buy both dry beans and canned. Dry ones are really economical if u cook them in an Instant Pot. I cook them up and then freeze some of them for future meals.

[@sarssars-hm2ox]

What to do with the old water bean I understand it's "not bad" but it's used lol. I feel bad for wasting water it's like leave food on the plate i setup my self

[@meanderingmuse8101]

@@sarssars-hm2ox if u don't want it then water some plants with it.

[@minniegibson8722]

Thank you. Older and wiser.

[@schomestead2591]

My pick is bulk dry beans that I pressure can and are therefore ready to eat and shelf stable. Best of both worlds.

[@scout2125]

Personally I store both. I was glad to see you mention using a pressure cooker to cook them. My mom always did when we were kids. One thing you didn't mention is that beans are literally seeds. To have dried beans is to have the ability to grow more food.

[@kathiewade6878]

One of the pros for dry beans that you didn't mention is that you can plant the dry beans, giving you green beans if picked young and more dry beans if harvested later.

[@ChefPrepper]

Yes, excellent advice!

[@thechiclets56]

I would say dry is best, but I had some I kept for about five years, finally went to cook some of them and they stayed hard, even though I cooked them all day. They should have turned to mush in that time, but they didn't. As long as canned foods don't leak, indicating a hole somewhere in the can, seal is broken, or swell, which indicates they've gone bad, canned is probably best. Unless you like your beans hard.....

[@DeeMoback]

EXACTLY ..... dried beans store well BUT they are labor intensive.....they don't soften up easily after being stored.....oldest we have eaten were stored 8 years and we had similar experience as you did

[@firstonesaved]

I started to buy canned beans, instant rice and thin noodles because they take less time to cook and not using as much fuel.

[@DeeMoback]

@@firstonesaved good idea

[@jessemills3845]

When your beans, peas etc stay hard after cooking. Then use then for seed, grow more fresh beans! An that is the key for long-term survival!

[@DeeMoback]

@@jessemills3845 point made

[@milliemrrobinson1074]

If water is hard to get for soaking and cooking, canned beans might be better. For shortages of food, and water still available the dried is best. It's a win-win either way. I have both stored in abundance for each situation. Great information! Thanks, Les!

[@ChefPrepper]

You are welcome! And thanks for watching!

[@skipwd9hre]

As an older couple I can say that we have about 6 mos. of food available. From prepared foods (see prior Vids) to canned meats (see prior vids), vegetables, fruits and condiments (see prior vids). That does not include the Refer. or Freezer. 3 methods of cooking or heating. (see prior vids). Plus 1 container of freeze dried meals (30 days). NOW most of what is stocked is cans of things we normally use from vegies to fruits to condiments. Suggestion is to stock things you regularly use. As you use them replenish them and rotate, rotate, rotate that way your stock stays as fresh as possible.

[@charleswtuggle]

Canned beans

[@richstone2627]

Get both. You can eat the canned beans with no prep, cold, right from the can. Dry beans will last forever if stored correctly. Dry is cheaper but takes water and heat to prep. Get both.

[@debbielofton8358]

Thanks....just keep both

[@jessemills3845]

Cans are good for Short term. As long as, they DON'T freeze! For long term, then a bag of beans is seed and meal!

[@peter5.056]

That's a big consideration in colder climates!

[@ginnidiaz861]

Both!

[@macster9938]

Canned is my first option

[@JaniceKirk-rp5wf]

I buy dry and can them myself, but I also keep some store bought canned.

[@debvanpetten3280]

The one time I cooked beans I gave up, because I had soaked overnight, and then cooked them. They didn't get soft to eat. I gave up and prefer canned.

[@peter5.056]

Test the pH of your cooking water. If you need to, adjust the pH to about 7.8 with food grade baking soda. When I'm at my sister's house, she's on well water with a pH of 5.9, I cannot cook beans with that water unless I raise the pH to 7.8 before cooking. For a long time, I wondered why beans cooked in that well water never got tender. I use a phenol red pH testing liquid, a simple pool test kit, to test it.

[@Lindas5811]

I like the dehydrated beans and use them most of the time.

[@blackwaterprepper]

Love your food comparison videos 👍👍

[@Sentry1835]

💥 Another great video. When it comes to dry beans.... Canned beans are the better choice, even when it comes to storage..... Yes 20 lbs bag is smaller compared to the equivalent amount of can's .... But if you also account for the fuel storage and water storage to prepare the dry beans.... Then canned wins .... Plus it's easier to ration out canned beans for that days meal..... Then trying to estimate how much beans you must pre soak and cook .... If there isn't no way to refrigerate leftovers

[@schomestead2591]

Pressure can your own then you have cheap, canned beans :)

[@jmarylastone]

I have canned lots -dehydrated some and dry some - depends mostly on the type of bean - learned my lesson about "old" dry beans so I tend not to keep very many

[@minniegibson8722]

Excellent advice. Thank you.

[@edbuyers]

Very good video. Love your vid's. I have both but I chose Dry because of shelf life. I rotate my can beans as I use them all the time. I also have both pressure cookers that will cover me in SHTF. Thanks again.

[@cheesygal]

We have both.

[@criminalelement494]

Which one lasts longer? Thought that would be one of the criteria.

[@janhovdet7784]

Cans last years as long as they aren't dented.You can't beat fresh cooked beans,but for ease and convenience, canned..hands down!

[@minniegibson8722]

Canned is best for me.

[@wadeshilts4987]

Great video. Thank you. The only thing I would say is that it also depends on what scenario(s) you are prepping for. Grid down scenarios, law breakdown (refugees from urban disaster areas, zombie apocalypse, etc), short term natural disasters, definitely cans make more sense. Economic depression, massive unemployment, etc, where lack of grid power less likely (where I live anyway), then emphasis ondry makes more sense. Unfortunately, we live in a time when both types of scenarios really need prepping for. Since my situation is seriously constrained financially (senior on social security), I started just picking up a few cans at a time. Now that I have enough of that to last a few weeks, I am buying a a few small bags (1-2 lbs) of beans and rice and one larger 10-20) of each. Then I expect I will go back to the few cans at a time approach, until garden harvest/fall canning season. If grid goes down or power off for more than a few weeks in the next six months, I am pretty much screwed regardless. If loss of extended power holds off until, say, the election, I will be reasonably well prepared...at least food wise.

[@ChefPrepper]

Be sure to check out our Amazon Store! amzn.to/3s9moxE

[@s.leeyork3848]

my top priority is taste; which means I have dry beans AND beans I have canned. Beans are excellent at stretching a meal to feed extra persons so its important to have both. An excellent video; thanks very much!!

[@jaysbaby2012]

Canned beans you can open and eat right away....Dry beans you have to cook for hrs. before you can eat them....... If you are having a hard time getting dry beans to soften, try boiling them for 10 minutes and then let them soak for 24 hrs. Then drain and cook them in a crockpot. Thank you Chef Prepper.....Have a blessed day everyone. EDIT: We never use oxygen absorbers or mylar bags when storing beans, rice or anything like that in buckets as long as they are kept in the original package they came in. All you need is a clean dry bucket with a lid that seals, just place the package of beans or whatever and then pound down the lid. We've never had any issues by not doing any of those un-necessary expensive steps.

[@DeeMoback]

exactly

[@gailstrong8355]

Thank you for this…great way to center one’s thoughts.

[@ChefPrepper]

You are so welcome!

[@ginnidiaz861]

Beans cook very well in solar stoves.

[@steveyaworsky6170]

Another good video. Thanks, Les. To answer your question, I store both. I store 4 types of dry beans in bulk for the long term, and store a variety of other of canned for the short to mid-term. I know canned goods last a long time, but I'd feel better with those sucked down in mylar at the 20 year mark. Then again, I realistically think I'll be lucky to have 15 years left. Then my kids would have to deal with all of it. 🤣

[@camperspecial9666]

I appreciate the video and all the time you put into it. My advice to any prepper is to have both. A simple chart weighing positives and negatives may work for buying a "smat tv" but not when it comes to a vital protein source. I've seen navy beans stored in a metal tin for 30 yrs with no oxy absorbers or dessicants cooked up in 40 min and be absolutely delicious. Buy buld dry while you can and buy canned consistently.

[@ConnersWorld]

Not only the amount of fuel needed to prepare the dry beans you need to soak them, so water that could be used to hydrate your family you till use to hydrate the beans and discard the water. I tend to store both as they both have their advantages.

[@JOSHer-hy7xf]

Wonderful video about beans what about jelly beans

[@PeterMosca-c5s]

Canned beans are the best bet.

[@stefanbearsjr.9253]

Can beans you can eat right away but you don't know how they cook em or what they put in em. Dry beans takes awhile to cook but for some reason to me they taste a whole lot better. I'm not saying anything bad about either. It just depends on your situation and if you have time or need something quick. 1st rule of survival, you gotta eat.

[@justinwinch7325]

When I store different kinds of beans, I tend to make it up different ways. Set them up for say 15 bean soup, red beans with rice.

[@lucyalderman422]

Very few people can eat cooked dryed beans without any extra salt or seasonigs so the dry beans do have a further cost

[@sheilaross8224]

I chose both and have been in the process of storing for about a year thanks for verifying that l have made the right choise. Is there a podcast addressing the best tasting and nutritious canned beans?

[@rharrold]

Both

[@utopicconfections5257]

Here is another co sideration - if the beans are not too old, you can sprout them and plant them. I tried this last year and ended up with 5 pinto bean plants that produced about 1.75 pounds of beans. Interesting experiment. You can test 5-8 beans by wrapping them in a damp paper towel, keep it damp nd warm and you'll know in a few days

[@BarbaraSaunders-d7r]

Simple both.

[@MikeClavetteSr]

Im big on Dry staples in my preps due to the long shelf life and quantity available......... now Canned beans are also in my pantry because there are days that being able to quickly prepare the meal it comes in handy....... now I also keep 12 cans of everything in my preps/daily pantry because its easy to control rotations this includes canned meats........ the freezers..... chest freezer is bulk meats....upright freezer is veggies .... Fish....small packages (meal portions)of chicken/beef/pork and all packaged foods......... but dry goods are a priority around here because we cook from scratch , it saves money ...its healthier and if it came right down to it in a bad situation prep & cooking with alternative methods will be all we have to work with !!!!

[@ritawilliams8754]

I buy both the dry and canned beans. But you better believe the canned beans is my first choice. The dry beans yes you can plant them. I guess it depends on what type of dry beans you buy to plant. What I like about both dry beans and canned beans when there is no power outage you can cook the dry beans and put them in the freezer. With leftover canned beans you can also put them in the freezer. But I still would choose can beans for my first choice. Don't seem like I would choose spending the day cooking dry beans. Tick tock over a propane stove, campfire, tick tock or any other emergency device. Not unless I really have to. If I only ran out of canned beans 🤣 time goes to fast

[@EarthHeartUK]

I have canned and dry. I only have the dry to use when and if my cans run out as I'd sooner have the ready cooked beans cooked up in less time.

[@KHelgerson-rq5rd]

I’ve canned pintos and pork and beans and baked beans!!!

[@krisqueen5939]

🌷Dry😁

[@kg4021]

Buy dry peas and lentils. They are cheaper than canned and no need to soak. Just boil some water and cook like rice.

[@ChefPrepper]

Yes, excellent advice!

[@joedoakes8778]

Another excellent video. People seem to focus on one thing, usually price, for their purchases. Some kid me for over-thinking things like this but you have to. Video idea, Les. Compare canned beans. I've bought canned beans and other foods that were cheap and it showed. Second rate product AND far too much liquid.

[@gailstrong8355]

Here is a thought. Buy dry, cook then pressure cook and store?

[@ChefPrepper]

Yes, would work very well for those who have the equipment and time.

[@AJeepADroneAndAnOldMan]

Which one will stay on the shelf longer?

[@DeeMoback]

good video ...... on point

[@sarssars-hm2ox]

I'm worried about water

[@ChefPrepper]

If water might be an issue, then as far as beans are concerned, canned would be the best option. Instead of requiring water, lots of water, they have "built in" water.

[@debbiewithem1715]

Mostly can but i have both

[@ChefPrepper]

I think having both is a good idea too.

[@SilverBull-r3c]

Old man can’t just sit at home without wanting the world to end

[@ChefPrepper]

Don't want the world to end. It never will. But, good to have some "insurance" for the times that are coming in which many people will be thinking the world is ending. Thank you for watching.

[@fooyung1987]

I lost the thought process on this one. Clearly both is the right answer, but the comparison didn't seem consistent with other products or circumstances... Anyone who has the time and resources to cook rice would nearly always also be able to cook dried beans with only slightly more planning required. I'll grant you a rapid movement of a few hours or even days, canned would absolutely preferred, but even on cattle drives ole Cookie most always managed to have a batch of beans ready day or night due to his planning ahead. Static locations would also provide far more opportunity to use left over heat from baking, cooking, or even the morning campfire to simmer a pot of beans. Even driving, many (though certainly not all) vehicles have enough room in the engine compartment to mount a cooking vessel near the engine suitable for a long slow cook of beans or whatever. (My uncle used to prepare an entire turkey dinner in a large roasting pan which he then secured to a metal shelf he had fitted between the radiator and fan of his Cadillac. Each time he stopped for gas or a stretch, he would baste the turkey and rearrange things as to how they were cooking. When he arrived at the end of his 10-12 hour drive he'd walk into the kitchen with the huge roasting pan, requiring only a few minutes to make gravy from the drippings and dinner was on. I can't confirm personally but i've heard that his return trip often saw the huge roasting pan similarly loaded with racks of ribs, brisket, or whatever low and slow cook meal items he acquired for a ridiculously low price. He was notoriously frugal and was always proudest of the bargain he had gotten on something rather than the thing itself. The Cadillac mentioned was in fact the best bargain of his life I suspect, being frugal was second only to his work ethic and early rising habits, the latter of which found him often waiting for the morning paper to arrive at around 4am. One morning he found an ad for a nearly new Cadillac for an impossibly low price, obviously a prank but on the off chance he phoned immediately. The man confirmed and stated something to the effect that first one here with cash gets it!!!! Well my uncle got there first, the man selling elaborated that his wife may get everything else in the divorce but she "AIN'T GETTING MY CADDY!!!" The price? "First guy here with a $50 bill! No $1s $5s $10s or $20s!!!" )

[@annpickle3817]

I have can and dry

[@giakhalsa7971]

If you don’t have water, you can’t cook beans. I’ll take the can.

[@lauriereynolds7219]

I cook dry then dehydrate…

[@Garboon1]

Dry beans water to soak them a while. Yhrn some to start cooking them..when water and fuel to cook them is not plentiful, canned beans already to use is more logical.. J M O😊

[@TheTaurus1988]

Also have to calculate calories and energy lost to prepare dried beans, canned beans are ready to eat

[@ChefPrepper]

Great point!