Q&A: Liquid in canned beans can be used as aquafaba (2024)

FAQs

Q&A: Liquid in canned beans can be used as aquafaba? ›

A: The liquid from all canned beans shares the basic quality that makes aquafaba so cool — as an egg-white substitute, particularly.

Aquafaba is the water or brine you find in canned beans. Typically, you'd rinse the beans in a colander or strainer to wash away the liquid, but with aquafaba you save the brine and whip it up with a hand mixer or stand mixer until it's light and fluffy.

The liquid in good canned beans is just the water and salt the beans were cooked in… filled with delicious bean flavor. And this liquid is a great thickener for not only the specific dish you're making at the moment, but for any dish that could use some thickening, some salt, and some bean flavor.

However, aquafaba can be made with just about any bean! Make it using our white beans – Cannellini Beans, Limas (Butterbeans), Great Northerns or Navy Beans, for a neutral color and taste similar to Garbanzo Beans. Use Black Beans for a rich, dark colored aquafaba that has a stronger, more earthy taste.

So whether you're soaking fresh chickpeas or using canned, don't throw away the 'juice'. That liquid is a valuable ingredient known as aquafaba. It makes an outstanding egg white substitute, somehow embodying the same viscous texture and ability to whizz into fluff.

*1 15-ounce (425 g) can of chickpeas typically yields about 1/2 cup (120 ml) aquafaba, which typically whips up into ~2-3 cups aquafaba. *Nutrition information represents one 15-ounce can worth of aquafaba, which has minimal calories.

In order to properly reduce the sodium from canned beans, it is important to rinse them correctly. "Draining and rinsing canned beans can reduce their sodium content by more than 40 percent. But taking just a few extra minutes is key to getting the most benefit," The Bean Institute website states.

Officially called aquafaba, the liquid included in cans of beans is typically starchy and salty, though those qualities differ based on the brand of beans. Feel free to dip a spoon or finger in to taste it before using. “It has a viscous body from the fibers of the beans.

But most people can enjoy more beans with less gas with the help of these tips: Soak beans overnight in water, then drain, rinse and cook in fresh water. This decreases the oligosaccharide content. Cooking the beans in a pressure cooker may reduce the oligosaccharides even further.

But if you have excess bean broth, use it to cook more beans or lentils, thicken soups, season and drink like bone broth or add to quick breads and doughs. When I have it, I use rich, unsalted black bean broth in place of water for my sourdough discard chocolate cake—yum! Bean broth also freezes well.

What are the best beans for aquafaba? ›

Some people have had success with using the leftover liquid from other types of white beans, such as cannellini beans. However, we recommend sticking to chickpeas, as this works best. And we definitely suggest staying away from very dark beans like kidney or black beans — the results are (quite literally) not pretty!

You will need to defrost the Aquafaba overnight in the refrigerator before using. Always smell your Aquafaba before using it. It will smell like spoiled beans (not pleasant) if it is no longer good. Toss it if this is the case.

Use aquafaba in meringues, creams, icing, cookies, cakes, mayonnaise and as a butter substitute (by blending it with oil). The starchy leftover liquid from canned beans or simmered dried beans can also be used as a substitute for any stock or broth or added to thicken soups, stews and sauces.

Is aquafaba healthy though? While it's not loaded with nutrients, it's super low in calories and doesn't contain additives or any ingredients that aren't favorable when it comes to our health.

Three tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one whole egg, while two tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to about one egg white. Keep in mind that a can of chickpeas yields about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of this liquid, so about eight to 12 tablespoons.

Officially called aquafaba, the liquid included in cans of beans is typically starchy and salty, though those qualities differ based on the brand of beans. Feel free to dip a spoon or finger in to taste it before using. “It has a viscous body from the fibers of the beans.

Aquafaba is the name given to the watery liquid created when legumes (like pinto beans, kidney beans or chickpeas) have been stored in water. The aquafaba is full of proteins and plant solids and can be used in some recipes as a vegan substitute for egg white.

Aquafaba is commonly made from chickpea water, though some people have used soy or neutral-tasting beans like cannellini as a base. Whipped into a stiff foam, it's an excellent replacement for egg whites – and a cause for rejoicing among vegans.

The liquid from a can of cooked garbanzos is the standard for aquafaba. You can use the liquid from other beans, as well, like white beans, and obviously, the liquid from kidneys or black beans would be strongly pigmented and show in the final dish.