Canned vs. Dry beans: What are you paying for convenience?

I paid about $.90 for this can of beans. 

But notice the sodium content... (you can also buy some brands with lower sodium)  The serving size also boasts a total of 1 3/4 cups of beans.  After emptying and measuring the can, there was actually only 1 1/2 cups.

One pound of dry garbanzo beans cost about $1.25.  It produced 6 cups of beans after cooking. The main inconvenience is the time is takes to cook, so there is an added energy cost and time factor.  I add almost one tablespoon of baking soda and water to the dry beans and let them soak overnight if cooking in the morning or all day if cooking at night.  This helps to soften them and should lessen the gas factor.

This is the comparison of the canned beans on top and the amount from the dry beans that I cooked.  Canned beans cost about $0.60 a cup and the dry were about $0.21 a cup.  This is all dependent on the prices of the local market in your area, but it is safe to say that there is a considerable cost savings by cooking your own beans.  They taste better, you control the salt content, and you save money.  You can also make a large batch and freeze what you don't need for your meal.  It can work well for beans that will be mashed in recipes like hummus and refried beans. 

So, what are you paying for convenience?  About three times as much in this case.

Enjoy!