When cooking and meal prepping it’s useful to know how canned bean amounts convert to dry bean weights. So how many standard cans of green beans make up one pound? Let’s look at the math behind this common canned bean quantity conversion.
The Standard Weight of Canned Green Beans
The most popular sized can for canned green beans is 14-15 ounces. This approximates to:
- 0.875 to 0.9375 pounds per can
So one standard can weighs just under one pound.
To get a full pound of canned green beans, you would need:
- About 1.07 to 1.14 cans
The exact number of cans depends on the specific can size, which can vary slightly between brands. But in general, you need just over 1 can to equal 1 pound of canned green beans.
Factors Affecting Canned Bean Weights
A few factors lead to small variances in the weight of canned green beans:
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Bean density in the can – more densely packed beans will weigh more per can
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Liquid content – cans with more liquid and less bean solids will weigh less
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Can size – some brands use slightly smaller or larger cans which affects weight
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Bean style – whole vs. cut beans may weight differently per can
That’s why checking the actual weight on the can label provides the most accuracy versus relying on a standard conversion number.
Calculating Substitutions Between Canned and Dry Beans
You can also use the weight of canned beans to calculate substitutions for dry bean amounts:
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1 pound dry green beans = approx. 4 to 5 cans
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1 can (15 oz) green beans = approx. 0.3 to 0.35 pounds dry
These canned to dry bean conversions account for the fact that dry beans expand in size after cooking and absorbing water.
Tips for Measuring and Weighing Canned Beans
To get the most accurate bean weights and measurements:
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Weigh canned beans in the can on a kitchen scale for easiest measuring
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For drained bean weights, strain in a colander and shake gently before weighing
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Use a dry measuring cup to avoid packing down beans, which gives incorrect volumes
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For precision, weigh larger volumes of drained beans in grams instead of measuring cups
Nutritional Value of Canned Versus Dry Beans
Canned green beans retain a significant amount of the nutritional value of dry, uncooked beans:
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Rich source of fiber, vitamins C, K, folate, iron, magnesium
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Canned beans may be slightly lower in some water-soluble vitamins like vitamins C and B due to canning processing and liquid
Overall, canned beans are nutritionally comparable to cooked-from-dry beans, making them a healthy pantry staple.
Converting Recipes Between Canned and Dry Beans
Knowing the conversions between canned and dry bean weights allows easy recipe substitutions:
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Replace 1 pound dry beans with 4 to 5 cans green beans
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Swap 1 can beans for 1/3 to 1/2 pound dried beans, adjusting cooking time
With the math of bean weights in mind, you can choose whichever bean format works best for the dish you are making.
Summary
To convert green bean quantities:
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One pound of canned green beans is approximately 1 to 1.1 cans
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For each pound of dry beans, substitute 4 to 5 cans of green beans
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Check actual can weights for the most accurate conversions in recipes
Understanding the relationship between dry, canned, and frozen bean weights provides flexibility in the kitchen. With this guide, you can easily swap bean formats for any recipe with confidence!
Conversions and Equivalents
Remember these tips for bean equivalents:
- Half a cup of dried beans is equal to one 15-ounce can of beans.
- One 15-ounce can of beans is equal to 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans that have been drained.
- 1 1/2 pounds dried beans = one #10 can of cooked beans (109 ounces).
Canned beans are the same as cooked beans, so it’s usually better to cook dried beans first before measuring them for a recipe that calls for canned beans.
If the recipe calls for exact amounts, you should always cook and drain the dried beans before measuring them. You can use the average amounts as a rough guide to figure out how many dried beans you need. Many bean recipes are fairly forgiving and adjustable. But to get the right balance in a three-bean salad or a pot of mixed bean soup, you may need to make some changes to the amounts of canned and dried beans so that one bean doesn’t take over the dish.
Measurements
Use these helpful average conversions and general rules of thumb to measure dried beans:
- One pound of dried beans is equal to two cups of them.
- About 6 cups of cooked beans from 1 pound of dried beans
- 1 part dry beans = 3 parts cooked beans
- 1 cup dried beans = 3 cups of cooked beans
- 1/3 cup dried beans = 1 cup of cooked beans
These general rules are a good place to start, but they change depending on the size of the bean. When cooked, bigger beans like pinto and lima beans give you a little less, while smaller beans like garbanzo and navy beans give you more. Remember that when you cook dried beans, they more than double in size and weight. Most of the time, you should be able to guess how much you need.
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FAQ
How many pounds is 2 cans of green beans?
How many cans is 1 pound of beans?
How much is 1 pound of green beans?
How many cups is 1lb fresh green beans?
How many green beans are in a pound?
We found that 1 pound contains about 35 to 40 green beans which yields about 3 cups chopped, making a 1/3 pound purchase just about right for a 1 cup chopped green bean recipe. Remember when cooked, 1 cup of green beans will reduce in quantity by 2 to 3 tablespoons.
How many green beans in a cup?
After surveying the selection we discovered that 1 pound of green beans would be the best measurement for our how many green beans in a cup testing sample. We found that 1 pound contains about 35 to 40 green beans which yields about 3 cups chopped, making a 1/3 pound purchase just about right for a 1 cup chopped green bean recipe.
How much green beans should I Cook per pound?
When you are measuring your green beans, remember that cooked beans will shrink a bit. Every cup of fresh green beans will reduce by about three tablespoons once it’s been cooked. Therefore, you should cook about 1 ¼ cup of fresh green beans to make sure you have enough per pound.
How many cups of green beans in 8 pounds?
This also means that 8 pounds of green beans equal 24 cups. That is for fresh green beans only though, as the calculations change a bit for frozen or canned beans. I’ll break things down a little further for you in the hopes that you find this information useful in your canning endeavors.