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Eat expired bulk legumes/rice?

1K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  lmonter 
#1 ·
We bought a 25 lb bag of white beans and brown rice last year... and the 'expiration' date is for this month. I still have about 12 lbs of each left.

Tell me what you think of expired food.
Cooks differently?
Throw it away?
Donate it?
Eat it?
How long will it really last?
And, where do I buy 'fresh' legumes/rice that doesn't expire in a month?
 
#2 ·
I wouldn't hesitate to eat them. Legumes and rice don't really "expire" in my books. They might go a bit stale over time (and can sometimes develop a rancid taste depending on if the oils have gone off) but it's a far cry from say, mouldy fruit or bread (which would be truly expired). If the rice and legumes smell, look and taste fine (boil some up individually to see), then continue to use them in dishes. :)
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the tips. I can't store rice in a freezer, except maybe outside in the winter. I wonder if storing it in smaller containers/jars would help. Vacuum sealing would cost more money. Hmmmm.

Is this the same for wheat? We are thinking of buying whole wheat berries... I thought it could store for 20+ years or so.
 
#5 ·
I have always heard that wheat berries last practically forever. You might want to look on craigs list for a vacuum sealer. I picked up a barely used one at a yard sale for $11 a couple of months ago and I do use it to store my rice in mason jars. At the time I was curious how easy they were to get used and there were a lot of offers on Craigs list. I use it for quite a few things, including cat food when I open a new bag because my cat is very picky about eating the food towards the end of the bag.
 
#6 ·
Uh... we'd been eating white jasmine rice that FIL had bought for to Y2K until last year when bugs managed to get into it, and keep sealed yogurt/sour cream/cream cheese for months past the magical date, so I may not be the best person to ask (because my answer would be a resounding 'eat it!'). Our brown rice we had was good for about 2-3 years just in a gamma seat bucket before it started smelling/seeming off.

So... if it looks good and smells good and there's no bugs, rock on.

And yes, wheat berries last for.ev.er. I have some hand-me-me down berries from my mom from our family farm. They're at least 20yo hard red wheat berries, to be used when I finally clean out my grinder again. Some of the nutrient value may have gone down (like 10-20%, maybe), but it's still edible and in the pantry (aka, paid for).

As for donating, they're even pickier about expiration dates. They'd just end up tossing things, especially if they were already opened.
 
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