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.

There are other vegan egg substitutes that you can try if aquafaba isn't suitable for your recipe, such as flaxseed, chia seed, banana, and even avocado! And I'll cover those in another post. In the meantime, give aquafaba a go with one of my recipes below: No-Fail Vegan Meringues.

— I was rinsing the cannellini beans and I wondered whether I could use the liquid the same way you use aquafaba from chickpeas? Or for some other use? A: The liquid from all canned beans shares the basic quality that makes aquafaba so cool — as an egg-white substitute, particularly.

"It's fine to add the bean liquid to many recipes, but if you want to reduce the amount of sodium, it's best to drain and rinse canned beans," the website states. "A 2009 study conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, showed that draining beans removes, on average, 36 percent of the sodium in canned beans.

It's useful. All that starchy liquid will act as a natural thickener for soups, stews, and saucy dishes, making them instantly creamier. It's fast. Skip the draining and rinsing as well as extra thickening agents for a more streamlined experience.

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. Freeze extra liquid for later use.

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.

Why is my aquafaba not forming stiff peaks? ›

Use cream of tartar.

Aquafaba whipped with cream of tartar takes less time to reach stiff peaks. And aquafaba whipped without cream of tartar will also deflate much more quickly. So if your recipe doesn't call for it, make sure to add a pinch or two of cream of tartar for better whipping results.

Although you can keep an unopened carton in the cupboard for months, once it's opened, it should be used within a week. If you don't think you'll get through it all, pop it in the freezer!

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.

*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.

The aquafaba will have a slight bean flavor/smell when unbaked. Once baked into your recipe it's undetectable.

By replacing eggs or dairy with aquafaba, you will miss out on all the nutritional benefits they have to offer. Eggs are a nutritionally dense food, and it may not be a good idea to replace them with aquafaba unless you have an egg allergy or follow a vegan diet.

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.

*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.

Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. (We're not talking about the liquid in a can of any other beans. Stick to the liquid from canned chickpeas—it works best.) This starchy liquid is a great binder directly from the can, but what really makes it magical is that it whips and creates a foam.

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.