How WASHING baked beans turns them into haricots and saves £120 a year

How RINSING a can of baked beans instantly turns them into trendy haricots – and saves 30 pence a tin!

  • On This Morning yesterday Holly Willoughby suggested washing sauce off beans to save money – prompting laughter from her co-host and chef James Martin 
  • However, plenty of people on Twitter have since said the tip is a great one 
  • Rinsing off tomato-based sauce transforms baked beans into trendy haricots 
  • Baked beans generally cost a third of the price of haricots, offering a substantial saving of £120 a year based on consuming one tin a day 

Washing the sauce off a cheap tin of baked beans – instantly transforming them into haricot beans – could save you up to £120 a year.  

This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby offered the tip to chef James Martin on the daytime television show yesterday and despite the Yorkshireman having never heard it before, plenty of watching viewers said they’d saved a fortune using the handy hack.  

On Twitter, budget cook Jack Monroe chimed in to do the maths, saying that a 22 pence tin of cheap baked beans could be transformed into a plain cooked haricot beans, which cost around 55 pence a can for a similar weight.  

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In yesterday’s cookery slot on This Morning, James Martin scoffed at the idea of using rinsed baked beans in a sausage and bean casserole – but Holly, and plenty of viewers, were adamant that it was a sensible idea


A can of basic supermarket beans costs around 22 pence. Take away the tomato sauce and a can of haricots will add 30 pence to the price, costing around 55 pence a tin

Not only does washing off the sauce offer a healthier option; it’s where a can of beans’ sugar content is found but should you wish too, you could re-use it in a pasta sauce or similar.

After This Morning posted Holly’s hack, Monroe wrote: ‘I stand by this! Cheap baked beans, 22p. Haricot beans, 55p. If you rinse the sauce/brine off, you end up with the same amount of naked little beans, it’s just one costs almost 3 x as much as the other. 

She added: ‘If you use a can of beans a day this tip can save £120 A YEAR.’

On yesterday’s show, James Martin appeared unconvinced about the tip, saying a researcher had asked him whether you could make his sausage and bean casserole using washed baked beans. 

Over the course of a year, a 22 pence can of beans would see consumers save £120 if they bought those instead of a 55 pence can of haricots (based on consuming a can a day)

At that point Holly remembered the show had featured the tip before, upon Monroe’s advice.  

On Twitter, @roguesnbrogues wrote: ‘My mum always used rinsed baked beans when she made chilli, she didn’t see the point in spending more money on something that wouldn’t be eaten otherwise.’ 

@sarahmckeown67 added: ‘Used this little gem last night in my veggie cottage pie, 1/2 tin baked beans rinsed off and popped in pan.’   

@McBazingaVet griped: ‘How is it we are made to pay so much more for beans without the b***** tomato sauce anyway?’ 

@Celticommuter penned: ‘Absolutely right, I have done it many times.The sauce is revolting anyway & the texture easier to work with.’

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