How to make canned green beans taste better
Reality is that most people don’t have a garden. And if you want to get even more real, it’s probably safe to say you haven’t so much as stuck your pinky finger in any dirt to grow anything, ever. But you like yourself some good green beans and would love that home-grown, slow cooked taste on your dinner table. You can actually get it from a canned green bean. Here’s every tip you need to make canned green beans taste better–or dare I say–good enough you won’t even need a garden.
The secret to make a canned green bean taste better isn’t the least bit difficult, I promise.
And while my grandmother and even my mom still use the bacon or ham-hock approach to their beans, I’ve gone a different route over the last year or so and I have to say, they make some pretty fabulous green beans–leaving them tender and full of slow-cooked flavor when they didn’t take very long at all.
You can use my great bean approach with any style you like.
The trick here is simple: you need canned beans, some beef bouillon and two cooking times. Now don’t die…let me explain.
A note on salt and bouillon
You start by dumping your canned beans into a pot (don’t drain them).
Then I use my favorite beef bouillon called Better Than Bouillon or you can use a cube of it if you’d prefer.
You can find either of these in the soup section of your grocery store.
Certain brands of bouillon are very salty. Powdered ones are terrible. Please keep this in mind and start with half as much if you are afraid of over salting.
I’ve never had any issues with Better Than Bouillon being too salty but I cannot speculate on the others–some can ruin a dish easily so try to get what we know works.
Then you turn your beans on high heat and bring them to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-high and then cook about 90% of the water off.
When there’s a 1/2 left in the bottom of the pan, turn your beans off and walk away.
If you can, leave them sitting on the stove top for several hours. It’s fine to leave them there all day while you’re gone to work or you can put them in the fridge if that freaks you out and do the second step when you get in.
The final step is to bring them back to a low simmer and cook off the rest of the liquid and serve–that takes about 10 minutes or so.
A long rest between cooking gives the bouillon time to really get in to the beans and they take on a soft, slow-cooked flavor.
No one will ever know you don’t have a half-acre of them in the back yard.
I’ll attempt to make this in to a logical recipe you can follow.
How to make canned green beans taste better
Ingredients
- 2 14.5 ounce cans green beans of your choice canned in water
- 1 teaspoon beef bouillon base 1 cube beef bouilon would also work but watch the salt!
Instructions
- In a medium sauce pan, empty in the cans of green beans with their water. Add the beef bouillon.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until the water reduces by 3/4. Turn off heat and set beans aside on the stovetop or in the fridge for one to two hours or overnight is fine.
- When ready to eat, bring the beans back to a simmer on the stove top and cook to remove the remaining water. Serve warm.
How much Better than Bolliun should I use for 5 cans of cut green beans?
Hey Kelley, if you are using the water in the cans, I’d do about 3 teaspoons. –Rachel
I’m sure this is good, but my family expects bacon.
I want your Mother and Grandmother’s recipe, please.
LOL…well Judy do exactly what this recipe suggests, leave out the bouillon and use the canning liquid from your beans and add two pieces of bacon. –Rachel
Years ago my great Uncle Claude talked me through fixing beans this way. This is the first time I have seen the recipe in print. I always get “Wow how did you learn to make beans this way, they are the best I’ve ever had.” I agree!
Thanks for backing me up on this Colleen! People think I’m nuts. 😉 –Rachel
Thanks for the recipe. They turned out great. Simple and delicious!!!!!!
Hi I made these green beans last night, and left them out covered in the pot I made them in all night on the back burner.They are now in the fridge, but sit out about 12 hours.In your opinion are these beans still ok to eat?
Thanks Mark
Yep Mark they’re fine. Just heat them to steaming before you eat them and you should be a-ok. They will probably taste even better! –Rachel
So good! Made these in a pinch for a family dinner and they were great. I added real bacon pieces(prepackaged) when done and also added a little salt and pepper at the end. I did serve these immediately and they were still super flavorful. Thank you for the idea!
Of all the green bean can recipes I’ve read, this is my favorite. It’s fresh to hear ideas so simple that does not require any technical help so I am going to try this and I’ll get back to you how it taste. In a nutshell, what I understand is : you boil it with the liquid and add a second Boolean base flavor 2 the pot and reduce just before half the mass and then turn off. let it sit, when you’re ready to serve reheat and serve. The time between the two reheats is the time that allows the flavor of your bouillon to set in the canned green beans, simple and logical. Serve. The greatest accomplishments are the simplest.!
I agree Rowdy! You understand correctly. I hope you enjoy them! –Rachel
It looks like there is bacon in your beans?
There might have been some in that particular brand I bought. I did put those few slices on top of course, but if there’s any in the beans itself it came that way. 😉 –Rachel
I was hoping this didn’t have any of those “funny” ingredients in it. I have used this product and it is good, but I have a family member with an MSG type reaction to “chemicals” in food. After his experience I don’t want “chemicals” either. I’ll keep searching. KD
Hey Kathy, I realize fully the dangers of MSG and have come a long way in my own journey with food additives. This recipe is one that I made before I had the views I have now and Better than Bouillon, while I love the taste, is not something I use any longer because of the gluten derivatives it contains. According to their website, Better than Bouillon does not contain any “added” MSG–meats have naturally occurring MSG anyway so you could do some research in to the product further if you chose to, but if MSG is your main concern you may still be okay with it. If you wanted another option you could certainly do a good organic beef broth (check again for MSG) and use that instead to cook the beans in. It would work just fine. –Rachel
We like to go camping & do as much prep ahead of time as we can how long could the beans be held in the fridge before using we pre cook & vacuum seal as much as possible so it’s just heat back up & go
Misty two to three days would be just fine. They will taste even better! –Rachel
Do you ever worry about the beans getting mushy?
I am going to be making a huge batch in a roaster for a wedding. Any suggestions?
Hey Lori, you know I’ve had this question asked before and it’s never an issue for me. Green beans should be soft when they are cooked but not down to mush. The variety of bean you use makes the main difference I think. If you want them more firm, look for a “blue lake” style green bean. If you wanted them softer a french cut would do that (they really would be cooked to oblivion with those). I often use a brand called “Allens” which is a flat, wide Kentucky Wonder bean. If you can’t get those where you are (they seem to be a southern thing) then go with a blue lake (it will say they are on the can–Del Monte makes them). –Rachel
Yum, yum yum. I didn’t have beans or Better Than Boullion (end of month), and used fresh onion, fresh carrots, frozen peas, boullion cubes and pepper. Cook as the recipe says, chill and quickly re-heat right before serving.
You can’t beat “Better than Bouillon “! I LOVE that stuff! I use their ham flavoring in the more dense dried beans, like pinto’s, navy and etc. Tastes like you cooked it with ham hock all day! So glad to find a recipe for canned green beans that’s different! Cooking now, and smells and tastes wonderful! (had to sample 🙂 )
I know it’s really good Deborah. One of my favorite bouillons if I don’t have any homemade on hand. I’m glad you enjoyed the beans too! –Rachel