How To Properly Store Beans

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by: SusanneM. | Total views: 7 | Word Count: 418 | View PDF | Print View
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The main reason I like to keep my pantry stocked with dried beans is convenience. I know they will last for a long time if stored correctly and I can whip up a protein rich meal without having to go buy groceries first.

Dried beans are also very economical. Since they contain plenty of protein, the are a good meat substitute. Since the price of meat (and almost everything else) has gone up quite a bit lately, I can keep our grocery budget under control by making more meals that use dried beans as a base.

So, how do you store all these different dried beans, peas and lentils? Take them out of the plastic bag they came in and then sort through them before you put them in their permanent storage container. That way they will be ready to use when it's time to cook them.

The easiest way to sort beans is to spread them out on a table or large cookie sheet. This will allow you to quickly pick through them and take out any beans that don't look right and of course any little rock that may have gotten in there. Not it's time to find a permanent storage container for the beans. Glass jars or plastic containers with tight fitting lids are both good options as are plastic bags that will close. You main goal is to keep your beans as dry as possible. Once you've found an appropriate container, store them on a shelf in your pantry or a kitchen cabinet until you are ready to use them.

Dry lentils, beans and peas will last longest at room temperature. That makes your refrigerator or freezer a bad storage solution.

When you're done repackaging your beans, create labels for the containers that include the type of bean or lentil in the container as well as some indication of when you have bought them. As you buy and package more beans, you need to be able to see at a glance which pack you should be using first (the oldest one).

I also like to copy down any cooking tips and recipes that came on the original packaging. I keep a little notebook that I just add to any time I come across something new on a bean bag.

Dry beans will keep up to 30 years stored in an airtight container on a dry, dark shelf. But to be honest, I have never had any sit around for more than a year.
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