Green Beans from a Can That Don't Taste Like It! Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

How do you make green beans not taste like the can? ›

I use regular salt & pepper and get the lemon flavour from a T of lemon juice. Next time, I'll use some lemon zest as well! I also tend to add a good dash of cayenne pepper when I want to kick it up a little! The family enjoys it every time, even my picky eater!

I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls.

The reason for this metallic taste lies in the canning process. Canned vegetables are packed in saltwater, which can pick up the flavor from the metal around it. This happens during the cooking process.

Unless the recipe tells you to keep the canned beans in their liquid, you should drain your can and give the beans a good rinse before using. This will improve the flavor and texture of your finished dish. Open your cans of beans using a can opener. There may be sharp edges from opening the can.

Blanch Them

Blanching your greens is key to getting that bitterness level down. Because glucosinolates are water-soluble compounds, a lot of them are leached out into the water, allowing for a less bitter green.

If you're wondering what is the secret ingredient for restaurant-quality refried beans, the answer is fat. Restaurant-made refried beans honor traditional Mexican culinary practices by adding a hearty helping of lard or bacon fat drippings to their recipe.

One of the primary reasons for draining and rinsing canned beans, or any canned food, is to remove some of the excess salt.

You simply need to add plenty of flavor to the liquid and leave the beans inside until they soak enough of it. The best way is to use stock, broth, or flavor the cooking water with bouillon.

Use the blanching method

After draining your vegetable of choice, allow them to sit in a pot of boiling water for about two minutes. Then, drain the vegetables again and transfer them immediately to a bowl of ice-cold water.

Which is better, canned or frozen green beans? ›

Green Beans: Depends

Sure, frozen green beans may be higher in nutrients than canned, but we feel the optimal choice depends on how you're going to utilize them. If you're serving them solo, frozen green beans are the way to go. If they're being added to a cooked dish or casserole, canned green beans are just as handy.

The main different is the texture. Because French cut green beans are sliced so thinly they cook up silky and tender. The slicing also turns the veggie from a tube to a strip, which helps the beans absorb the flavors they're cooked with (more on that below).

Seasoning Dried Beans

Dried beans cooked with sea salt and water are delicious, but adding an onion, garlic, or other aromatics to the pot will make them even more flavorful! These simple additions turn the starchy bean cooking liquid into a fragrant broth that's just as tasty as the beans themselves.

"To reduce the gas caused by eating beans, you can either soak them before eating them, which helps to draw out some of the gas-producing sugars, or cook them with kombu, a seaweed that contains the enzyme glutamic acid that helps to break down raffinose," says Kunik.