Bean Equivalent

[egirl]

What is the dry weight equivalent to a 15 oz can of beans? I know it must vary on the bean type, but as I always use dry beans, how do I measure when when a recipe calls for a 15oz can of beans?

[LGBurns]

You can usually tell how many cups a can of beans yields by looking at the serving size and then multiplying it by the number of servings (for example, if it says a serving is 2/3 cup and it yields 3 servings then there's 2 cups of beans in the can). Usually I figure that one cup of dry beans yields three cups cooked (I think that's right--I have a guide I use at home so I'm doing this off the top of my head). You could figure how many cups a 15-oz can yields then figure how much dry yields that much cooked.

[jazzyjas]

Use a liquid cup measure of 8 oz = 1 cup so 15 oz would be just shy of 2 cups of cooked beans with or without liquid (depending on whether the recipe requires draining of the can of beans)

jas

[Luiza]

Some time ago Phoebe pointed out that a 15oz can of beans is equivalent of only 1 1/2 cup of cooked beans (without liquid). From experience, adding 2 cups cooked beans when a 15oz can is called for is way too much. I think beans are a 1:3 ratio dried to cooked, as LGBurns said, so that would be 1/2 cup dried beans.

[Grace]

Originally posted by jazzyjas:
Use a liquid cup measure of 8 oz = 1 cup so 15 oz would be just shy of 2 cups of cooked beans with or without liquid (depending on whether the recipe requires draining of the can of beans)

Actually, liquid measure and weight measure are two different things. The 15 oz. listed on the can refers to the weight, not the volume, so using a liquid measuring cup wouldn't be accurate. Using the serving size as LGBurns suggests would be a better and also easy way to figure it out.

[Beth]

The most accurate would be the serving size and calculating, but I'd say that Phebe and Luiza have a good rule of thumb with 1 cup dried to 3 cups cooked/canned. I remember a recipe that called for 1 cup of black beans. That left me with probably 1/3 of the drained can left -- about a cup and a half total.

[jazzyjas]

I stand corrected.

Jas