I don't rinse the beans from the can; the "bean sludge" you refer to is what makes the juice thick and hearty. Also, in beans (as in rice and other plants) a l

I don't rinse the beans from the can; the "bean sludge" you refer to is what makes the juice thick and hearty. Also, in beans (as in rice and other plants) a lot of the trace vitamins and etc are in the hull, and if you are on a rice and beans diet you don't want to be avoiding that. The introduction of polished rice into asian countries caused a rise in a disease called beriberi among poor people: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriberi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beriberi I also endorse frozen or dried beans. Frozen ones are about as fast to cook as canned.