Good news: as I'm sure you saw in the title of this blog post, the short answer to the question of "can you freeze baked beans" is YES!
It is totally possible to preserve your favorite baked beans recipe in the freezer while keeping the best quality flavor and texture.
However, there are a couple key tips and tricks you should know about so that your beans don't get freezer burn and they are still delicious after thawing from frozen.
After all, you don't want to watch the perfect side dish grow mold in the fridge, right?
In this post, you'll learn:
Baked beans are a dish originally from the UK where the beans are stewed in a sweet tomato sauce over low heat. They are commonly served with eggs and toast or as a side dish to a main meal.
In the United States, baked beans are most popular during the summer months for family gatherings and barbecues. They are made with tomato sauce, brown sugar, and occasionally bacon or ground meat.
You can buy canned baked beans from most grocery stores or make the best homemade baked beans (the better option), both at a low cost.
My recipe for healthy baked beans is an amazing homemade recipe that will wow your taste buds and grant you first place in any competition.
But don't take my word for it! Here's what Pete from Texas said: "I’m from Texas and I made these last night for a BBQ and everyone said they were the best baked beans they’d ever had! I wish I’d made more so we had leftovers!"
And Sally said: "I made these for a church gathering and everyone RAVED about them! They were so delicious. And I love that they're healthy! I can't wait to make these for summer BBQs."
So if you've only had canned baked beans before, you've gotta try my best healthy baked beans! They're refined sugar free, made entirely in one pot, and pair perfectly with over 50 different recipes, too. You will absolutely love them!
Almost all types of beans will freeze well, as long as you use an airtight container! Some of my favorites include:
In addition, you can freeze cooked beans, a can of beans, or homemade beans of any kind.
Keep reading to learn how to freeze baked beans for the best results!
Whether they were canned or freshly made, baked beans will last up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container.
If you've made homemade baked beans before, you know how delicious they are!
But if for some reason they're not completely gone by the time your meal is finished, you have three options: eat them in the next 3 days, throw them away, or freeze them.
If you don't want to eat baked beans every day four days in a row but you don't want to throw them away, freezing them is the best option.
You can also freeze them if you purposely made them ahead of time and want to eat them at a later date.
Yes, as long as they are not in the can. Freezing unopened cans of beans increases the risk of the can cracking or exploding, the beans getting stuck in the can, and the beans having a metallic aftertaste.
Since canned baked beans have a long shelf life, you don't need to freeze them just to freeze them. However, you can totally pour them straight from the can into a freezable bag! Follow the instructions below to make sure you freeze them properly.
Absolutely! Freezing leftover beans is a great way to minimize food waste and a great option for a quick meal on busy weeknights. Follow the instructions below to make sure you freeze them properly.
Yes, as long as they are cooked first. If you freeze dried beans, they will dry out and crack, so it's a bad idea. Cook them in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or in a pot on the stove before freezing.
You can freeze beans in a variety of ways: a glass container, glass jars or mason jars, plastic bags like ziploc bags and reusable silicon bags, or a plastic container with a firm seal on the lid.
The freezing process for baked beans is simple, but it's important that you don't skip any steps.
If you're starting with hot beans, let them sit in the pot for a few hours until they have cooled to room temperature.
If you're starting with canned beans, you're ready to proceed.
If you're starting with refrigerated beans, let them sit out for an hour or so.
I prefer ziploc bags because you can fit more in the freezer, but tupperware will work too, as long as it has a tight lid. The most important thing is the seal on the container; you don't want any air getting into the baked beans during freezing.
If you have a large batch of baked beans, it's wise to divide them into smaller portions for easy freezing and reheating.
Add your beans to your storage containers of choice, leaving at least one inch of space at the top of the container if it's a tupperware.
It's important that the frozen beans have enough space to expand so the texture of the baked beans isn't compromised during freezing.
If you're using plastic freezer bags, pour the beans in, zip closed, and flatten on the counter into one thin layer. Not only does this make storing in the freezer easier, but it makes defrosting easier too!
There are three easy ways to thaw frozen baked beans:
Out of these three options, I've gotten the best results from submerging in hot water, especially if you froze in a ziploc bag. This is the perfect compromise between thawing quickly and thawing thoroughly.
There are lots of reheating methods for baked beans, but the easiest one is in a pot on the stove. Reheating on low heat over 20-30 minutes ensures you get the best taste the second time around and the beans have plenty of time to warm without splitting.
You can also heat in a microwave-safe container or in the oven.
Whichever cooking process you choose, choose a low temperature for a longer period of time, especially if you have a high quantity of beans to reheat!
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Fresh baked beans are amazing, but what if you want to save for later? This blog posts talks about how to preserve leftover baked beans and uncooked beans, as well as the best way to reheat them so they taste just as fresh and delicious next time.
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