A big pot of beans goes a long way, especially if you live alone. Now, in many ways, this is great — an excellent vegetarian protein, beans can be added to soups [1], salads [2], dips [3], stews, and many other dishes — but sometimes getting through an entire batch before they spoil can seem daunting. When I have more cooked beans than I think I'll consume in a week, I freeze the extra, so that I'll have them on hand the next time a dish calls for a cup or two.

Like with freezing any small, moist food, be it banana slices [4], berries [5], or, in this case, cooked beans, it's best to first dry the off as much as possible and then freeze them on a half- or quarter-sheet pan, so they don't clump together in one mass.

After they're dry to the touch and mostly frozen (an hour or two), transfer the beans to a freezer-safe resealable plastic bag, labled with the date, type of bean, and quantity. I typically freeze beans in 1 1/2 cup portions, as that's the same amount as is in a can and many recipes call for this volume.