Does Rinsing Canned Chickpeas Reduce Sodium?

A 2011 study published in the Journal of Culinary Science and Technology found that draining alone reduces the sodium in canned beans by 36 percent. Rinsing those drained beans removes the sodium attached to the beans’ surface, reducing sodium even further, to 41 percent. Supermarket sleuth

In each case, draining and rinsing beans lowered the sodium by about 100 milligrams per ½-cup serving—or 20.7 to 26.5 percent. Rinsed Beans: Goya chickpeas: 24.7% less sodium

Draining and rinsing canned beans will reduce their sodium content by more than 40%. Even so, it is critical to devote a few minutes to get the most out of the exercise. Drain the beans from a colander for two minutes before rinsing them.

They found that, on average, rinsing for 30 seconds reduced the sodium by about 20%, rinsing for 60 seconds reduced it by about 27%, and the 30-minute soak reduced the sodium by about 45%. Simply draining the beans (and not rinsing) removed only about 8%. The moral of the story? At the very least, rinse those beans well!