When cooking a large amount of dry beans, you may want to freeze them for several meals. Once the beans have finished cooking, drain them in a colander and allow the beans to cool completely. You can speed this process by rinsing them with cold water, just be sure to drain them completely. Transfer them to a freezer-safe container, plastic container, freezer bags or vacuum-sealed bags. Transfer to freezer until ready to use in your cooking, just like you would a drained can of beans. Beans will keep their shape better if you thaw them slowly in the refrigerator overnight or by adding to your recipe toward the end, so they don’t cook too long. Beans keep in the freezer for about 6 months. Add frozen beans directly to recipes like chili
or beans and rice. They’ll thaw right in the pot or pan.