How long does cooked beans last in the fridge

Hi, could you please advise if it's best to freeze beans cooked in bulk? Or can they be stored in airtight jars in the fridge? If so, do we add the cooking water to the jar?

Table of Contents Show

Can you eat cooked beans after 5 days?
Can you eat beans after 7 days?
How do you know when cooked beans have gone bad?
Are beans good after 2 weeks?

Thank you!
Irene Wellington
New Zealand

Sassy sez:

Hi Irene - Storing beans with the cooking water is personal preference. Personally, I do keep some of the soaking water when storing my beans because it is flavorful.

When you store beans in the refrigerator, they will only last 3-5 days or so before they start to get yucky -- you will only make the mistake ONCE of storing them too long in the fridge before eating them because they give off a MOST unpleasant aroma if they sit too long.

To store in the freezer, be sure to break them up into batches that make sense (1, 2, or 3 cup batches, depending on the number of people in your household). Then defrost in the refrigerator (takes about 24 hours). We use sealer bags for freezer storage.

When you are ready to re-heat your beans, you have two choices.

You can heat the beans along with a little of the bean cooking liquid which adds a nice flavor;
You can drain and rinse the beans and heat with a bit of water or vegetable broth.

Both ways work fine. It is really personal preference. Sometimes you may not want the flavor of the bean cooking liquid, but most times it is welcome.

Regardless, always STORE your cooked beans in the water in which it was cooked, for the reasons mentioned above (keeps the beans moist, nutrition, and yum-factor).

xo
Sassy

Can you eat cooked beans after 5 days?

Cooked beans will keep up to a week in the fridge and even become more flavorful a day or two after cooking. So if you've got leftovers from a delicious one-pot dinner, either freeze for a future meal, or stick them in the fridge and pack a lunch for school or the office later in the week.

Can you eat beans after 7 days?

How do you know when cooked beans have gone bad?

Signs of bad cooked beans are a sour smell and a white colored liquid surrounding the beans.

Are beans good after 2 weeks?

Open beans can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days; while it may be tempting to store them right in the can, the USDA recommends transferring them to plastic or glass containers. Beans have a low acid content and this makes them slightly more perishable than more acidic canned foods.