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.
I have 2 suggestions, first only use the Del Monte canned “Whole Green beans” not the cut ones (the whole ones are Blue Lake too). I don’t know why but cut Blue lake beans do not turn out with the same flavor or texture AT ALL. Locally our WalMart and Food Lion carry the whole ones. Second, drain the liquid from the can, fill with fresh cool water to rinse the beans and pour that water off (do this twice) then fill with fresh cool water, add your bouillon and cook as directed. This gets rid of 90% of the metallic flavor problem. That will take the taste up to a whole new level and you may not need to cook them as long either. I use 1 Knorr beef bouillon cube per can of beans, it’s a little on the saltier end but it tastes great!
Thanks for your thoughts Marcia. Everyone has tweaks they like. I live in the south and we have access to bean brands beyond Del Monte and I prefer those. And the tin flavor is removed when you buy a brand that lines the cans and/or you grow your own. I don’t know if you have seen much about the food philosophy here on Feast and Farm (most people don’t read the about page and that’s okay) but we are working hard toward less processed food so a Knorr cube wouldn’t be on my list of recommended bouillons but I’m glad you like your version. I won’t knock it or your beans at all. –Rachel
How long does it usually take to cook down the 90% of liquid? Mine have been cooking for a while, maybe I need to drain some of it off?
Nah Shell, just turn the heat up some if you need to. It shouldn’t take more than 30 to 35 minutes to get the liquid reduced (it depends a lot on how fast you’re cooking them obviously) but somewhere in that range. –Rachel
On my third round of making these. Thank you for providing a clear and concise way to eliminate that “tinny” flavor from canned green beans. Without your help, my canned beans would still be relegated to “mushy mystery vegetable” in a soup. Now they’re the star of their own show!
Great job Annette!
Are you adding boiling water to the better than bouillon or just adding the tsp bouillon to the beans?
Just adding it to the beans with the water they are canned in Donna. –Rachel
How many days can you eat on the green beans After you put them in the refrigerator
Goodness Lori…I’d say a week wouldn’t be out of the question. Just heat them up well and you should be fine. –Rachel
Going to fix this recipe for a Church member who just loss her Husband.
Thanks for sharing.
I’m going to cook these today by adding shitake mushrooms( i have dried ones in pantry) I have them soaking nright now h, thanks for your recipe
Sure Jackie! Mushrooms add a great umami flavor to recipes. I hope you enjoy them! –Rachel
I would like to suggest adding a 1/4 to 1/2 packet of Lipton Onion Soup Mix to the recipe.
You’re welcome to suggest it Dan! It’s not something I use–pre-packaged seasonings often contain additives we don’t cook with (this blog focuses on “real food” which means avoiding the factory made items like onion soup mix) but if someone has a homemade version I’m sure I could get on board with that. –Rachel
I appreciate how Rachael makes the recipes seem easy enough for me to attempt and her down home cozy style. The food she prepares looks yummy & she’s very encouraging to the point you actually want to try making it!
I do want to you to try making it Jane! Thank you for your kind words. –Rachel
Would this work with chicken bouillon too? I have that on hand but not beef.
It does Candi. I don’t think it’s as good but it works okay. –Rachel