Use it up · Beans, lentils and legumes

Black beans

Have extra black beans? Here’s how to choose, store and prep black beans, plus 10 family recipes to use it all up, best matches first.

🍽 See the recipes 🧺 Pick a few things you have

🛒 Choosing it

Canned beans are fast; dried beans cost less per serving.

🧊 Storing it

Pantry: Canned: about 12 months unopened; dried: 6 to 12 months in a sealed container (older beans take longer to cook)
Fridge: Cooked or opened: move to a covered container and use within 3 to 4 days
Freezer: Cooked beans freeze well in their liquid

Keep the fridge at 40°F or below and the freezer at 0°F. Freezer times are for best quality; food kept frozen at 0°F stays safe. When in doubt, throw it out. Times from Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System and FoodSafety.gov.

🔪 Prepping it

Rinse canned beans to remove extra salt. Dried beans: soak overnight, drain, then boil hard for at least 30 minutes and simmer until tender.

🥣 Make it from scratch

Black beans from dry

🌱 Grow it

You can grow your own: dry beans. The Food Garden Planner shows how much to plant for your family and when it comes in.

🌱 Plan a garden with it →

📊 Nutrition per 100 g

Black beans (canned). 100 g is about 3 1/2 ounces.

Calories	91 kcal	5%
Protein	6.0 g	12%
Total fat	0.3 g	0%
Saturated fat	0.1 g	0%
Total carbohydrate	17 g	6%
Dietary fiber	6.9 g	25%
Total sugars	0.2 g
Sodium	138 mg	6%
Calcium	35 mg	3%
Iron	1.9 mg	11%
Potassium	308 mg	7%

% Daily Value for adults (FDA). From USDA FoodData Central 175238 (SR Legacy).

🍽 Recipes that use it up

10 recipes, the ones that use the most black beans first.

Plan them into your week in the meal planner, or find recipes for two or three things at once with the “What can I make?” picker.

More beans, lentils and legumes

Pinto beans Kidney beans Chickpeas White beans Lentils Split peas Edamame Tofu All ingredients →

Storage times and buying tips are general guides from the sources below; follow any date or instructions on the package. Cook meat, poultry, fish and eggs to the USDA safe temperatures in each recipe.