Answer : A Our recipe editor, Patsy Jamieson, has looked into this topic, consulting a food scientist at Bush Brothers Beans. He told her that the company had sent samples to an independent lab, which found that you remove 40% of the sodium when you rinse canned beans thoroughly. (The brine is salty and the nutrition facts on the label refect the entire contents, including the brine.) That fgure is similar to 2009 research presented at the Institute of Food Technologists Conference by Joshua B. Jones and John R. Mount of the University of Tennessee. They found that drain- ing alone reduced sodium content by 36%, while draining plus rinsing got rid of 41% of the sodium in a can of beans. All brands and all types of beans tested demonstrated signifcant reductions in sodium by draining and rinsing.
Our own Patsy Jamieson adds, I just picked up some beans the other day and was happy to discover low-sodium canned beans at the supermarket. Bushs reduced-sodium black beans, for example, contain 240 milli- grams of sodium per serving, compared to 450 for regular black beans. If you also drain and rinse these beans, you can get down to less than 150 milligrams of sodium per serving.
(Looking for Patsys recipes? See this months Special Supplement, which is packed with quick recipes for whole grains of every type.)