Can You Reheat Kidney Beans Safely? - SafeBite | Food Safety Resource (2024)

Many people online tell you how to reheat kidney beans, but no one guides you through the safety aspect.

When it comes to food hygiene, we must do things safely. One missed or incorrect step, and you could be facing a painful week. But that aside, it could even be downright dangerous.

When not treated correctly, kidney beans can be highly toxic to humans; in this article, I’ll use research from trusted sources to explain how to safely reheat kidney beans.

Is It Safe to Reheat Kidney Beans?

It’s always safe to reheat kidney beans when cooked from a tin if they’ve been stored properly after cooking. This is because they have been pre-soaked and pre-cooked, as stated by the Food Standards Agency, so they don’t contain toxins.

However, if improperly cooked or stored, they can begin to grow bacteria, which can be harmful.

To cook and store correctly for reheating, use the following:

• Cook to 80°C or boil for 10 minutes.
• Cool to 21°C within the first 2 hours, then refrigerate at 5°C or below.
• Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

This will ensure they are safe to reheat.

Raw Kidney Beans

Raw kidney beans are slightly different, as they haven’t been presoaked or pre-cooked.

Raw kidney beans contain Lectin, a protein that binds to carbohydrates. This causes the lectin to resist being broken down by the digestive system and allows it to remain stable in acid. This ultimately causes digestive problems for humans. This is the primary concern people have about kidney beans.

The preparation of these for reheating is slightly different. We need to do the following

• Soak them in water for 5 hours at a minimum to remove lectins
• Drain the water and boil in fresh water for 30 minutes. (Unboiled beans become five times more toxic)
• Cool to 21°C within the first 2 hours, then refrigerate at 5°C or below.
• Store in the fridge for up to 7 days.

After following those steps, your kidney beans will be in the fridge and ready to be reheated.

How to Reheat Kidney Beans

Typically, people reheat kidney beans when they are part of a meal, such as a chilli con-carne

Therefore, I’ve written the following reheating methods that will work for kidney beans on their own and for meals where kidney beans are one of the ingredients.

Reheating in the Microwave

Microwaving is the most common method; reheating kidney beans is entirely safe when done correctly.

1. Prepare your kidney beans or meal containing kidney beans on a microwave-safe plate or bowl.
2. Add a tablespoon of water to hydrate the beans so the microwave can cook them more evenly. Cover with a microwave-safe lid to retain more moisture during cooking.
3. Heat on full power for 60 seconds and stir.
4. Heat a second time for a further 60 seconds,

Since microwave cooking times vary depending on the amount of food being cooked, these steps assume you are using a standard portion size for one person.

If cooking more significant portions, you must lengthen the cooking times and ensure the food is piping hot afterwards. Your microwave should come with rough timings for the weight of the food you are cooking that you can use as guidelines.

The FSA recommend stirring the food halfway through cooking in a microwave. This is because microwaves do not heat evenly; they tend to cook the edges first and then the centre last. If you don’t stir, you won’t heat all the food to the required temperature.

Reheating on the Hob

The hob is a quick and safe method of reheating.

1. Add your kidney beans or meal containing kidney beans to a saucepan, and turn the heat high to boil it.
2. Once bubbling, stir your meal thoroughly to ensure it is even cooking throughout.
3. Bring the heat back down and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring once after 2-3 minutes of simmering.
4. Serve your meal.

The key to safely cooking on the hob is to boil it and then cook it for 5 minutes. The high temperature will kill any bacteria and toxins that may have started growing.

Reheating in the Oven

If done correctly, you can safely reheat kidney beans or meals like chilli con carne containing kidney beans in the oven.

The two most important factors when reheating in the oven to keep your food safe are the temperature and preheating.

To reheat kidney beans in the oven, follow the steps below.

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Place your kidney beans or chilli con carne into an oven-safe tray or bowl.
3. Cook for 15 minutes and check the food, ensuring the food is piping hot.

For food to cook safely, it needs to reach 75°Cfor 30 seconds or 80°C for 6 seconds. So, if you want to be extra safe, check the temperature of the food when it feels piping hot.

But generally speaking, if the food is piping hot when you pull it out of the oven, it should be safe to eat.

How to Check Food Temperature

Checking the temperature of food is a requirement for guaranteed safety. It will be safe to eat once it reaches the right temperature for the right amount of time.

The best and most accurate way to check food temperature is through a digital thermometer. These thermometers can quickly and accurately detect the temperature of food.

Here’s our recommendation if you’re looking to buy one:

Once you have your digital thermometer, you can measure the temperature and compare it against the required times as advised by the FSA, which are:

• 60°C for 45 minutes
• 65°C for 10 minutes
• 70°C for 2 minutes
• 75°C for 30 seconds
• 80°C for 6 seconds

Following those guidelines will ensure your food is cooked safely every time.

Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to the FAQ section, which is dedicated to answering any additional questions about the safety of reheating kidney beans.

All our answers are researched using trusted sources to give you confidence in food safety.

How many times can you reheat red kidney beans?

According to the FSA, you can only reheat kidney beans once. Some people have claimed that you can reheat them multiple times, and whilst this may not have affected those individuals, you still increase your likelihood of getting food poisoning.

This is especially true if the meal you reheat contains meat such as beef in a chilli.

Can you reheat chilli con carne with kidney beans?

You can reheat chilli con carne with kidney beans since they can be reheated independently and as part of a meal.

Your main concern with reheating chilli con carne is the beef. You need to ensure that you cool it down quickly after the first time cooking it and store it in the fridge.

Cooked meat can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. So, this is the time frame you will need to follow to store your chilli con carne.

After 3-4 days, reheating chilli con carne with kidney beans is no longer safe.

Conclusion

Due to their toxins, such as phytohaemagglutinin, kidney beans can be extremely toxic and dangerous to humans. However, when cooked and prepared correctly, not only are the bacteria killed, which can cause food-borne illnesses but the toxins are also destroyed.

Reheating them safely can be done with various cooking methods, such as microwaving, cooking on the hob, and oven cooking. However, you cannot reheat them slowly, such as in the slow cooker.

They are also versatile ingredients, so you can reheat them on their own or as part of a meal like chilli con carne.

Following the safety advice in this article will ensure your food is safe to eat every time. We’ve used trusted sources to gather the information, giving you the confidence to reheat them safely every time.

See our trusted sources below.