How long do canned beans keep in the fridge?

Discussion in 'Fitness, Health and Wellness' started by Paul@Pittsburgh, Jan 31, 2010.

  1. Paul@Pittsburgh

    Paul@Pittsburgh Moving on

    I want to make a mixed bean salad, but the supermarket I use only has large cans so it makes about 5 cups of beans in total (since I am using 3 different beans). I only want to eat about 1 cup per day if that.

    How long would it last in the fridge in one of those plastic sealed containers like rubbermaid make? Would it last 5 days?
     
  2. Cat Lover

    Cat Lover Writer of my life story

    I would go to a companies web site, like Heinz or whatever brand of beans it is that you buy.... Go to their website, and look around. If there is no info on that topic, then find a contact us link, and email them that very question!! That is a great question. I personally think 5 days would be okay, as long as it wasn't mixed with either mayo or eggs..... Hope this is helpful?
     
  3. tigerbunny

    tigerbunny New Member

    Are you putting a dressing on the salad? Like a vinaigrette or somesuch? That will keep it longer (it's like pickling). If there's sugar in it, it would be more inclined to mold. 5 days isn't unreasonable, I think for beans.

    And yah, what Cat said. Ask the canners.

    Or, you could find friends to feed...take extra to work?
     
  4. PhilipOnFire

    PhilipOnFire New Member

    the canners are unlikely to give that kind of advice because of the food poisoning risk and resulting law suit.
    once the can is open they have no control over the environment and handling of the food.

    do not wash the beans. store them in the original liquid which has some kind of chemical preservatives in it even if they are only some sort of salt and sugar mix. make sure that the beans do not stick out above the liquid surface. store in a sealed glass container. you have no idea how the food might react with plastic over five days. glass is always a safe bet.

    if it does not have grey or any other colour fur growing on it smells either nice or not at all and tastes OK then you are probably fine with vegetable foods.

    personally I would not be thrilled with eating cooked beans kept more than three or four days in a fridge. especially if you keep all the beans in one container and keep opening it and using tools to spoon out beans. each exposure to air adds to the contamination possibilities.
    better to have separate containers for each day which remain sealed until the day of use.
    if there is insufficient storage water then make more using salt.

    however this is all an extremely poor strategy from a health point of view.

    a way of guarenteeing too much salt in the diet.

    better of course to not eat canned beans in the first place which are commercial junk food needed at level zero in a healthy diet.
     
  5. Paul@Pittsburgh

    Paul@Pittsburgh Moving on

    Thanks for the thoughts.

    The canned beans are low in sodium (relatively anyway). They are organic with sea salt - one cup would be about 250 mg which isn't too bad for canned produce, and I also rinse my beans usually before I use them to take off any excess salt.

    But I could substitute some lima beans which I get frozen to lower this salt content even more, but I really didn't see it as that high.
     
  6. PhilipOnFire

    PhilipOnFire New Member

    the amount might not be that high in an individual product but it is cumulative.

    everything commercial tends to have salt in it and then if you add salt yourself you have no clue how much you are consuming and it is almost guarenteed to be too much.

    I avoid commercial products containing salt to a large degree and have not added salt to my food for ten or fifteen years.
    what salt does get added is naturally occuring on sea weeds or in oriental salt products like shoyu/tamari.

    sea salt is better but at the end of the day it is too much sodium chloride and not enough minerals.

    low sodium probably means they have added potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride or some other twisting of the truth.

    also bear in mind that they are claiming low sodium when they are not saying compared to what?
    if a product has added salt then it is not low sodium by any sane definition, they are just saying it is lower than it used to be.
    low sodium would be something naturally not having a salt content in the first place.

    they love to play word games.
     
  7. Coach Morse

    Coach Morse Swim, Bike, Run

    Once opened you should not keep food longer than 7 days (assuming it's kept at a temperature below 41 degrees). You might consider freezing portions if you think you'll need to store it beyond the 7 days, or finding an alternative product.

    Personally I think the best solution would be to cook the beans yourself instead of buying precooked, canned beans.
    :)
     

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