Kidney beans are a staple in many kitchens. This is because they are delicious and they last for a longer period of time. The other interesting thing about cooked kidney beans is that they can be stored really well in either the fridge or the freezer. So if you are some who always has a busy schedule you can cook them in excess and simply store and reheat them whenever you want to make a quick meal. Below is a step by step guide on how to store cooked kidney beans. Carefully follow them for the best results.
Contents
Store cooked kidney beans in the freezer
NB: this is the best method for storing leftover cooked kidney beans. This is because it really extends their shelf life while preserving their taste.
Step 1
In order to store cooked kidney beans in the freezer, start by draining any excess water from the cooked kidney beans before letting them cool down. This is because if you store cooked kidney beans in the freezer while hot they will cause the temperature of the freezer to change. This will in turn affect the shelf life of other foods.
Step 2
Once the cooked kidney beans have cooled down you need to divide them into meal portions. This will help you since when you want to use them you can simply thaw 1 portion instead of the whole batch of cooked kidney beans.
Step 3
Place each portion in a freezer bag but make sure you leave some space in the bag. This is because cooked kidney beans expand during the freezing process. Therefore, you need to leave a little room for that process. Seal the freezer bags and take out some air in order to prevent freezer burn.
Step 4
Label the freezer bags with the date in which you are storing cooked kidney beans in the freezer. You can also indicate how many people each portion serves. This will actually help you to remember in case you forget. Cooked kidney beans that are stored in the freezer can last for up to 6 months.
Store cooked kidney beans in the fridge
NB: this method only stores cooked kidney beans for a short period of time. Therefore, only use this method when you are certain that you are storing leftover cooked kidney beans for a short time.
Step 1
When storing cooked kidney beans in the fridge you need to start by letting them cool down at room temperature.
Step 2
Once they have cooled down you need to place them in an air tight container. Alternatively you can place them into freezer bags. If you are storing leftover cooked kidney beans in the fridge you can always opt to store them together with their water. That is if you would want to reheat them with their liquid.
Step 3
The last step is to store cooked kidney beans in the fridge. They will last for approximately 3 to 5 days. Therefore, you need to use them within that time frame.
Tips for storing cooked kidney beans
- Store leftover cooked kidney beans within 2 hours after preparation. This is because if you keep them exposed to room temperature for a long period of time they might start to turn bad.
- After thawing cooked kidney beans you should not freeze them again. This is because you will be exposing them to bacteria.
- When storing cooked kidney beans in the fridge make sure that the temperature of the fridge is below 40F. If you are using the freezer then make sure the temperature reads 0 degrees. This will help to extend the shelf life of cooked kidney beans.
How to defrost cooked kidney beans
In order to defrost cooked kidney beans you can transfer them from the freezer into the fridge, and leave them to thaw overnight. However, if you are using your cooked kidney beans in a soup or stew then there is no need for you to thaw them. You can simply add them like that, the heat from the stew or soup will be able to defrost and reheat them. The other method that you can use is to submerge the cooked kidney beans in warm water but you need to ensure that the cooked kidney beans are in a freezer bag. This is because they shouldn’t directly come in contact with the water.
How to cook kidney beans
Kidney beans take a very long time to cook. Therefore, in order to speed up the process you need to follow a few steps that are highlighted below.
Soak kidney beans
In order to ensure that the kidney beans do not spend a lot of time on the stove you need to soak them. There are 2 methods of soaking kidney beans. There is the long soaking method and the quicker method.
Long soak
In order to use this method, you need to start by placing the kidney beans in a large pot. The next thing is to pour water inside the pot such that the kidney beans will be submerged in water. Soak the kidney beans for 6 hours or you can simply soak them overnight. After 6 hours the kidney beans would have doubled in size. Drain the water and wash the kidney beans. The last step is to pour fresh water in the pot and cook the kidney beans. They will take about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the amount of kidney beans you are cooking.
Quick soak
This is the fastest method that you can use to soak kidney beans. In order to you this method place your kidney beans in a pot and add water. For every cup of kidney beans add 5 cups of water. Place the pot on a stove and bring the kidney beans to a boil for 5 minutes. The next thing it to turn off the stove and let the kidney beans soak for an hour or two. When the kidney beans have doubled in size remove the water and place fresh water in the pot. Cook the kidney beans for 30minutes to an hour until they done.
Conclusion
Cooked kidney beans can be stored in either the fridge or the freezer. However, the best method between the two is actually the freezer method. This is because it really extends the shelf life of the cooked kidney beans.
