How Long Do Black Beans Last In The Fridge (And Why)?

Exact Answer: Up to 5 days

The shelf life of black beans would be around 5 days depending on how they are stored. The shelf life of black beans would depend on if they are cooked or uncooked. The smell and texture of the black beans would change if they are going bad.

The black beans can be stored at room temperature and fridge depending on how many days the person wants to store them there. The uncooked black beans can stay good for around 8 to 10 months in their dried form. There are many ways in which the person can store the black beans.

The beans can be stored in a dried form or cooked form. The black beans are also available in canned form. The canned beans come with or without salts. The shelf life of canned beans depends on if they are opened or sealed.

How Long Do Black Beans Last In The Fridge?

The shelf life of black beans would get hugely affected by the below-mentioned factors such as:

Heat exposure- The canned black beans should not be stored in hot places. The canned black beans already come with water which would host bacteria growth if stored in hot places. To store the black beans safely, the person is supposed to store the black beans in the fridge or freezer.

If any person is willing to store black beans in the freezer, defrosting them before cooking is vital. Once the black beans are brought back to normal temperature, don’t put them in the fridge again. The dried beans should be stored in cool places with no water. Heat can be a reason for the growth of harmful bacteria present in the environment.

Moisture exposure- It’s vital to avoid the black beans contact with moisture. The moisture is not at all good for any type of canned, dried, or cooked food. Moisture is known to affect the texture and quality of the food.

The person should put the black beans in an air-tight container before putting them in the fridge or any other cool place. The canned beans already contain some amount of moisture in it. Therefore, canned beans should not be stored in moisture-rich places.

Why Do Black Beans Last In The Fridge For This Long?

The shelf life of the black beans can be extended by storing them according to requirements. Sometimes, the beans can be used even if they are damaged. The person should see if the can is damaged or not. If the texture or smell of the black beans is not affected. Then the person can eat them after the best before date is passed.

The best before date means, the food item is best if consumed before the given date. The expired beans can cause bacterial diseases if they are consumed after getting expired. The bacteria such as Pseudomonas syringae may have grown in the dry beans.

These bacteria may get transferred to the person’s body if the person eats the dried beans. People who have sensitive bodies will face many health problems after eating bad quality beans with bacteria.

There are many beans with a shelf life of more than 3 to 4 years such as black beans and navy beans. The black beans can also last for more than 36 months if stored safely. The person should put the beans in a container with clean hands. As dirty hands may have many bacteria that would get transferred to the beans.

Then these bacteria can reduce the shelf life of beans by degrading their qualities. The poor quality beans may not have a long shelf life as compared to premium quality beans.

Conclusion

The shelf life of beans is long if they are stored in their dried form. Storing the cooked or canned beans for more than one week is only possible if someone stores them in the freezer. Everyone should avoid storing the dried beans at room temperature as it would go bad in a few months.

The fridge is the best option for storing fruits, vegetables, and beans longer than the expiry date.

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/S15327914NC441_8
2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1750-3841.2007.00625.x