Have you cooked a large pot of beans and wondered: How long do cooked beans last in the fridge? If so, we can provide you with all you must know about cooked beans, their expiration date, and how to store them. Store your leftover beans correctly, can preserve their flavor and nutritional content.
This article will discuss cooked beans and how long they will last refrigerated. So, let’s dive in.
How Long Do Cooked Beans Last In The Fridge?
Cooking beans every day is too much work. Preparing a large bowl and storing them sounds like a great idea. But how long do cooked beans last in the fridge?
When you store your beans properly in the refrigerator, they’ll last as long as 5 days. Here you can pack them in refrigerator-safe air-tight containers or resealable bags.
Bacteria love nothing more than higher temperatures, ideally anywhere from 40°F to 140°F. As such, you should refrigerate your beans no more than 2 hours after cooking to reduce the temperature.
To further increase their shelf life, you can store them in heavy-duty freezer bags or containers. The cooked beans can last up to 6 months when stored in the freezer.
This best preserves their nutrition and flavor. But you must ensure that oxygen cannot enter the bags, which will lead to bacteria breeding.
Can Your Beans Go Bad Before Cooking?
The shelf life of your beans would depend upon the type you are using. If you use dried beans, they have an indefinite shelf life. But you’ll need to pre-soak them before cooking. However, if you use the more convenient canned beans, they can go bad as soon as you open the lid.
You can store canned beans for up to 5 years in a dark and cool place. But as soon as you open the lid, the clock starts ticking. Whether you cook them or not, you must store them in a refrigerator once open. Without cooking, they will go bad within 5 days.
If you are using fresh beans, they can go bad faster when compared to dried or canned ones. You can safely consume these beans 1 or 2 days after the stipulated expiration date. However, giving them a sniff test before eating is always recommended.
Conclusion
Cooked beans are full of fiber and other nutrients. You can add them to a salad or cooked rice bowl and enjoy a healthy meal. Preparing them can be quite a task. Hence, most prefer to pre-cook and store them in a refrigerator.
You can consume these beans for up to 5 days if you pack them in sealed refrigerator-safe container. Knowing this is integral to answering the question, “How long do cooked beans last in the fridge?”.