Just checked stilltasty.com. Their advice for various dried beans is one year, if "properly stored." Sounds like mine will be safe but likely not very good. Decisions decisions...

I just read that they have a bacon like flavor. Give it a try. what do you have to lose but time?

They are "safe" to consume long past 1-year, especially if you vacuum-seal them, but they take more cooking time the older they are. -Grainlady

I agree, they may take longer to cook but I wouldn't hesitate to cook them. I've had beans last far longer than a year and still be perfectly safe to eat and delicious as well.

Annie

They taste like bacon? Now I'm curious about them.

I have beans way older than that that have been living in my freezer. I really should do something with them. That's the trouble with the bulk food section at Whole Foods or Central Market - I get curious about the various beans and seeds and such, but then don't follow through.

Sally

FYI -

The older pinto beans are, the darker they are. New pinto beans are almost tan in color.

In home food storage we consider the shelf-life of beans as nearly indefinite, when stored properly, but it's still a good idea to rotate them on a regular basis.

A good use for older beans is to mill them into flour. Flour from small white beans can be added to baked goods for a portion of the flour, which increases protein and fiber. Small white beans also have the least amount of beany flavor so work well in baked goods. Bean flour can be added to soup, made into a gravy/sauce, or used as a gluten-free thickener.

Milled pinto and black beans can be used to make "Instant" Refried Beans:

Bring 2 c. of water to a boil. Whisk in 1 c. bean flour. Cook and stir mixture for 1-minute, until mixture thickens. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and cook 6-minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste. For a fluffier bean mixture, use 2-1/2 c. water and 3/4 c. bean flour. Cook 1-minute, until mixture thickens. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan and cook 4-minutes. (Source: Country Beans - by Rita Bingham)

You can also mix beans to make "bean flour". I was volunteering at the Food Bank and was asked what they could do with the different kinds of beans they received as donations that people just wouldn't use. These days, people will remove nearly all kinds of dry beans from their bags and give them back to the Food Bank because they often don't know how to prepare beans, or don't like them.

I suggested milling beans into bean flour and giving recipes for "Instant" Refried Beans. The Food Bank always has lots of tortillas to give in food bags, so when teamed with refried beans, the people get a complete protein that can be served for any meal and is almost universally loved.

A mill was donated to them for the project and the "Instant" Refried Beans were a big hit. They were also able to mix other beans with pinto beans for making flour for "Instant" Refried Beans, so no beans go to waste anymore.

-Grainlady

How very clever.

I probably need to get a food mill. I just need to figure where to put it. lol

Sally

I store dried beans, lentils, rice, etc. in glass jars... mainly so as not to tempt any critters from munching!?! Doubt they ever really go "bad", but can get stale. Found a semi-lost bunch of dried garbanzo a while back. Decided they would be used up... and they NEVER got soft... even after over-night soak and a few HOURS of simmering on stove top. Beans are inexpensive, so if I think I have some "vintage" stuff... I just toss and replace.

sally2-

You need a grain mill (manual or electric models available) for milling hard grains/seeds/beans into flour; and not all grain mills are capable of milling everything, so choose one that fits your needs. A food mill is used to puree soft/cooked foods.

I have a small kitchen, but I managed to rearrange the shelves in my small (closet-size) pantry and store a number of mills on a wood-topped rolling cart that fits in my pantry and gets pulled out when needed. I keep several different mills, including a flaker mill, and an old-fashioned food grinder on the shelves, plus my wheatgrass juicer. Most of these I need to clamp to the wood top in order to use them.

Where there's a will, there's a way. ;-)

-Grainlady

Thanks for the responses. Now my dilemma - recipe calls for cooking 1.5 hours then add veggies and cook until beans are done. I don't want to kill the veggies, so do I add cooking time for the first step? How much? Do beans risk getting overcooked?

(In case you can't tell, this is my first time cooking beans.)

Never mind - I asked too late, at the 1.5 mark. Beans were almost falling apart. No risk of undercooking.

I don't know beans so I can't compare them to other white beans, but I don't get the bacon reference at all. I've also seen that mentioned before.

This post was edited by foodonastump on Sun, Feb 9, 14 at 10:46

FOAS, trying using the PC for beans and see what happens.

Again, you need pot-in-a-pot for cooking beans in a PC.

dcarch

Except I don't have one!

I do not use a pot in a pot to cook beans in a PC, but I do make sure that they have plenty of water and followthe instructions that came with my PC.

If cooking garbanzos in a regular pot, you can add a pinch (or 1/4 tsp) of baking soda to make them get soft quickly. This may make them a bit less nutritious, but they will definitely get soft this way.

If you do not have a PC, I highly recommend getting one - it has made my life so much easier, especially since I use it with the induction burner that I got to go with it. I have run out of counter space, however, and have to store my bread machine when I want to use my crock pot, which I do only every few months. I think the crock pot needs to go into the garage, since I use it so seldom. I did use it last night to cook a chicken so that I can finally make tamales today, however. I do like the way the chicken came out, and it cooked while I slept. I've only cooked beans in the crock pot once, and I left those on while I was at work - starting them at lunch, which I always have at home.

Lars

I never thought of marrow beans as having a bacon-y flavor but having a more creamy flavor than most other beans.

I like to simmer the soaked beans rather than boil them because it seems to keep the skins from splitting. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier.

Ruthanna - your soup has chilled in the snow and is waiting for "tastes better the next day." The one change I made was to add a bit of tomato paste. Seemed a little thin, but I may have added too much "water to cover" before realizing some stuff was floating, LOL.

Lars - getting a PC is absolutely on my list of things to do in the very near future. Problem is, I was all set on one particular one, but now that doesn't seem available. I'll go into more detail on that and my other dilemmata in another post shortly. Clearly I'm overthinking this purchase, true to form, so I need help.

FOAS, for me, I think it is important to look for one that has silicone gasket. Rubber does not last long and it is not cheap to replace.

I also prefer aluminum. Much faster cooking time.

dcarch

Thanks, Grainlady. You're right, a grain mill. That's what I meant. I like your idea of using a cart to hold your appliances.

Sally

FOAS, I wish you lived closer, I have 3 PCs plus a pressure canner (Thanks Peppi!) and I want to find a home for 2 of the PC.

In which case I, too, wish I lived closer!