Many of us have relied on that bag of dried beans in our kitchens for many recipes. It is just so easy to toss them in to just about any dish. However, the truth about how long you should really keep your dried beans may have you looking at them differently. You may even be quite surprised!
The Reason Why You Should Replace Your Bag Of Dried Beans Is:
Just because you can keep dried beans forever does not necessarily mean it will be helpful. Old beans will take longer to cook, and the oldest beans will stay tough and chewy no matter how long they simmer.
“Dried beans were fresh beans that were dried,” Peter Miller, author of Lunch at the Shop, reminds us. And that is easy to forget, considering that fresh beans are a sight to behold during only a couple of summer weeks.
Those fleeting fresh beans are dried to extend their shelf-life—but not to immortalize them. Peter says that “dried beans are best in year one, not as good or creamy in year two, and “stiff” from then on.”
Since packages of dried beans today do not come with expiration dates, how can you know their age?You can ensure you are buying from trusted suppliers. Chef Sara Jenkins seeks out “boutique importers or local producers to get the freshest dried beans available.” Small farmers, Sara writes, sell their dried beans the same year they grow them—”and the differences in flavor and texture are impossible to miss.”
Date your beans so that you at least have a sense of when you bought them.
Wow!
Now that you know the great reason why you should not keep your dried beans forever, you may think about replacing them often. How long have you had your dried beans? Did you already know this about dried beans?
Let Us Know Your Thoughts!
Article Source: Food52
Dry beans should keep well for a whole year, keep them in a cool dry place, never store them over the refrigerator! The heat generated there, will cause them to become very hard, i buy my beans in bulk at the Mexican store becouse they sell really fresh beans.