[aviator1]

Hello All:

I opened some white rice and red pinto beans, which were stored 6 years ago.

They were in sealed mylar bags inside of food grade 5 gallon buckets with sealed lids. I had also put oxygen absorbers in both bags.

There were no bugs or contaminants in either bag.

The rice looked brown/yellowish, but cooked fine and is white after cooking. Tastes good.

The beans are not are red as they were, but firm and did not smell bad. We are soaking them and will cook after hydrating.

I have resealed all the ingredients in 1 gallon food saver bags and plan to put them back in the mylar bags in the 5 gallon buckets with new lids.

So far, I would say 6 years of storage is successful. Comments?

 

[Aerindel]

ummmmm.......

Cool story bro?

(you did ask for comments)

 

[Surveyor]

Was thinking of doing the same thing but honey slingin prevailed:thumb:

 

[aviator1]

I should have asked.....

Has anyone stored rice and beans in this manner for a longer period with success?

Do the beans normally lose their color or taste in LTS?

Has anyone stored these items in vacuum sealed bags for this long or longer?

Do the food saver bags still need to be in mylar bags if placed in a sealed food grade bucket?

Thanks for any answers/comments.

 

[Cabinet Maker]

Has anyone stored rice and beans in this manner for a longer period with success?

Yes


Do the beans normally lose their color or taste in LTS?

i don’t know. I haven’t opened mine up.

Has anyone stored these items in vacuum sealed bags for this long or longer?

not if you want them to keep. No such thing as a long term vacuum.

Do the food saver bags still need to be in mylar bags if placed in a sealed food grade bucket?

Mylar with the oxygen tabs are what does the work. The buckets keep the rodents out.

Thanks for any answers/comments.

I think this is the general consensus around here.

 

[bunkerbuster]

I have stored a lot of rice & beans. Mostly in 4 gallon food grade open top steel drums, with lids & clamp rings.

Years back bought almost 80 of those 4G food grade drums cheap from a surplus place.

I use a 5 gallon Mylar bag in each drum, fill the bag, include appropriate 02A's heat seal the bag, place in the drum & seal the drums tight, then store the drums in a consistently clean, dry cool place.

Inside a steel drum like that, RODENTS cannot gain entry.

I have learned (at least for us) its best to cycle out & use them inside 5 years.
Otherwise the beans can turn into un-cook-able rocks, no matter how long you soak them.

Coffee can is for scale

 

[aviator1]

Thanks for your reply. I thought that might happen with the beans.

 

[aviator1]

Thanks for your reply. I put O2A's in the vacuum sealed bags, and will place then back in the mylar bags with more O2A's. Great advice

 

[IamZeke]

Thanks for your reply. I put O2A's in the vacuum sealed bags, and will place then back in the mylar bags with more O2A's. Great advice

O2As and vacuum do not play nice with each other. When the O2A goes into the mylar bag you just heat seal the pouch. You don't pump it down.

No redundancy protection is gained by combining the two processes and you risk the O2A of botching its catalytic reaction.


While vacuum works fine for short storage w/o O2As and quite a few other things, there is no value in vacuuming down long term food.

 

[MikeK]

Has anyone stored rice and beans in this manner for a longer period with success?

Do the beans normally lose their color or taste in LTS?

Has anyone stored these items in vacuum sealed bags for this long or longer?

Do the food saver bags still need to be in mylar bags if placed in a sealed food grade bucket?

Thanks for any answers/comments.

I'm using some that was put up back in 1997/8. In mylar with O2 absorbers, stored in buckets. They are fine. The rice is still white. The pinto beans won't soften no matter how I've tried cooking them. But that's typical of pinto beans. The other beans are fine.

Vacuum bagging is not for long term storage. First off, it doesn't get out ALL the air. It gets out MOST. Secondly, the bags themselves allow air to slowly infiltrate back in again. That's why we use mylar in the first place.

The best way is always check out how the long term storage companies that have been in business for decades are doing it. They have years of experience and lab tests that prove that their method works. They use either mylar or cans, and O2 absorbers.

 

[aviator1]

Thanks for your reply.

Since I already have the contents in vacuum sealed bags with O2A's, I was planning on putting the vacuum sealed bags into a mylar bag with O2A's in the mylar.

Should I just empty the bags into the mylar bag?

 

[MikeK]

Should I just empty the bags into the mylar bag?

That's exactly what I would suggest. Add a new O2 absorber and no vacuum sealing. If you trust that the mylar has no pinholes, otherwise, I'd suggest new mylar also.

 

[Aceoky]

Only way I know to really store pintos for any long term is to fully cook, then dehydrate them, into mylar with O2A , also saves on water/fuel/time IF things go "south" as you can re-hydrate them in a thermos with hot water if need be.

 

[charliemeyer007]

I think rotation after X number of years is best. Having the ability to make distilled water can help with old beans. A pressure cooker/canner can make distilled water and cook at a higher temperature (be safe about it). Vinegar can help with old beans too. With molasses you can do a good sweet and sour beans.

 

[IamZeke]

Only way I know to really store pintos for any long term is to fully cook, then dehydrate them, into mylar with O2A , also saves on water/fuel/time IF things go "south" as you can re-hydrate them in a thermos with hot water if need be.

This can work with all kinds of beans, but it really shines when done to pintos, given their poor storage reputation.

I think that if preppers want to put beans aside long term then they should:
- consider cooking and dehydrating them if not using pintos.
- always doing that for pintos.
- store lentils if they don't want to preprocess them.

In general, the pinto is the poorest storage choice for beans. The fact they are the cheapest option is why we can't seem to get preppers to steer away from them.

 

[bunkerbuster]

Zeke & Aceoky speak the truth about LTS of beans.
Cook, dehydrate, once done, store in heat sealed Mylar.

After learning that years back, its the only way I LTS pinto beans.

LOL, sure saves FUEL trying to cook pinto beans that turned into ROCKS.

I also cook/dehydrate pintos, mash & season into refried beans & dehydrate/store the same way.

 

[Peter]

Only way I know to really store pintos for any long term is to fully cook, then dehydrate them, into mylar with O2A , also saves on water/fuel/time IF things go "south" as you can re-hydrate them in a thermos with hot water if need be.

Great idea, a quick question, how long do you dehydrate them for and is there a way test they are dry enough to seal up? or is a little moisture not a problem. I've almost given up on pintos and most of what I've been buying lately are northern beans.

 

[IamZeke]

Great idea, a quick question, how long do you dehydrate them for and is there a way test they are dry enough to seal up? or is a little moisture not a problem. I've almost given up on pintos and most of what I've been buying lately are northern beans.

The standard for everything coming out of the dehydrator that you intend to put away in mylar should be hard/brittle/crisp.

Water is never your friend in LTS dry food storage. If it bends or gives then it needs more time in the machine.

 

[Toyboy]

I'm using some that was put up back in 1997/8. In mylar with O2 absorbers, stored in buckets. They are fine. The rice is still white. The pinto beans won't soften no matter how I've tried cooking them. But that's typical of pinto beans. The other beans are fine.

Vacuum bagging is not for long term storage. First off, it doesn't get out ALL the air. It gets out MOST. Secondly, the bags themselves allow air to slowly infiltrate back in again. That's why we use mylar in the first place.

The best way is always check out how the long term storage companies that have been in business for decades are doing it. They have years of experience and lab tests that prove that their method works. They use either mylar or cans, and O2 absorbers.

This is my experience as well. I made a pot of ham and beans 30 days ago, northern beans, half on my counter in mason jars, the other half I had to pull out of mylar, oa2, in a 2 lb metal coffee can. I cooked the beans on low in a crock pot overnight, they were fine, good in fact. the ones in the coffee can had been there probably 10 years.

I have been unsuccessful with that same method using pintos half as old. I still have probably 50lbs of pintos in storage, but they are no longer in my lts purchase and store program because of this issues. I have used black beans, split peas and kidneys that were 10 years old with no problems. lentils are easy. they now are my bulk purchase and store, with the other beans for variety. probable 5 lbs of lentils to 1lb of any other type

 

[Grannygrump]

Anyone tried old pintoes stored in #10 cans from Honeyville? Wondering if that type of storage would work better if not than I’m thinking grinding the beans than soaking and cooking might be an option