[GhostUser]

Sorry if this is a stupid question or has been asked before. We did the grocery shopping thing tonight. I found 2 bags of beans (white and pinto) hidden in my pantry that I forgot I had. I would say I bought them about a year ago. So I have them soaking in water now, to make um, something special with them. Bad me for not seeing them before. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/veganpolice.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":notvegan:"><br><br><br><br>
I could not find an expiration on the bags and I could not find the answer to the search I did.<br><br><br><br>
Think they are okay? Heck, I don't know. My mom even called me a couple weeks ago to see if I wanted some of their dried beans also. I did not take them, cuz she thinks they may be about 3 years old. Should I?<br><br><br><br>
So..... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/stupid.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":sign:"> Are they okay to eat? The bags has not been opened. I just get weird with stuff like this. Thanks.

 

[Blue Plastic Straw]

Beans don't really "expire" but when they get old they may take quite a bit longer to cook. I cooked up some white beans that I've had in a jar for over a year, and they were fine.

 

[Gita]

I think they even found some in the pyramids of Egypt-- edible of course. In a sense, enzymes inherent to the bean catylise the growth cycle when the right environment exists. With age the ability grows less but they are good for many years. Dry beans are living. You can hear their little shrieks when you throw them in the boiling water.

 

[karenlovessnow]

I would worry about those 'little bugs' that seem to appear in flour and stuff like that...but since the beans weren't opened, that's probably not a concern...maybe beans don't get those 'little bugs'...

 

[Misty]

Nah.. I've never seen weavels, those lil bugs ( lil moths or lil maggot lookin things? is that what you are talkin about?) in dried beans, they are mainly found in flour and oats. I think beans have a pretty long shelf life. Even stored in the same tub as my flour that had weavels, my beans were not contaminated.

 

[angaustinbrody]

I read in my Super Baby Food book about dried beans yesterday. The author recommends putting the beans in a bowl of water and any beans that float up to the top of the water are bad beans.

 

[BeanLady]

Nope, your dry beans are good pretty much forever, as long as bugs don't get to them. That said, it's true that the longer they've laid around, the longer they will take to cook up soft.<br><br><br><br>
(Can I say how much I love dry beans, especially since I'm poor? They are infinitely forgiving, nutritious, filling, varied and tasty, and amazingly easy to cook. If I had my way, every state/city/local agency that helps poor people would give everyone, at a minimum, instructions on how to use dry beans!)

 

[Tempeh-Tantrums]

I agree with BeanLady. I've had bags of beans that were forgotten about, f-a-r back in the cubboard, and they still cooked up just fine.<br><br><br><br>
(Of course that shows how often the cupboards get cleaned out around here)

 

[orapunzel]

Same here... just used up some pintos that were languishing in my pantry closet for heaven knows how long!<br><br><br><br>
Bean lover here, too. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">