Old beans - use or toss?

[Taedareth]

I have come into possession of a 5-gallon bucket of pinto beans. Not sure how old they are - possibly a year or maybe as old as 6 years. They seem okay (if a bit dusty?) But the environment was humid and the beans are kind of, well, rubbery. Like the texture of a raw peanut.

Should I try to dehydrate them for eating later? Throw on the compost heap? Try to sprout them and grow in our garden?

[moon mountain mama]

I would be concerned with mold (not always visible) at the least, which is very hard to digest and hard on the liver.  Even if they were boiled the toxins would still be in them.  Rubbery definately means exposed to moisture.  I would do everything else but eat them.  Sprout in garden, science projects, compost piles, for the animals, etc.

Also, you could try sprouting them, if they don't sprout you know for sure they are compromised.