How Do I Store Dry Beans?

sue@witchwood · #21 05/11/10, 08:05 PM

I lost a significant amount of rice/dried beans etc to bugs until I started storing them in gallon glass jars with screw on lids that my son would bring home from his part time pizza parlor job (sweet pepper jars). So far so good, they have been fine for months. I clean them well and soak the lids with baking soda, they tend to retain the sweet pepper odor. The best part is that they are FREE. I'm sure your local pizza shop would give them to you.I keep all kinds of dried goods in them.(oatmeal,etc.)

I used icing/filling buckets for storing flour-I bought empty ones at local donut shop, it did not keep bugs out( I did freeze flour first to kill any existing critters) Gamma lids would be a better choice

ChristyACB · #22 05/12/10, 05:17 AM

I finally found a good source for organic chickpeas dried in bulk here locally. I'm getting a 5 pound bag to test.

Is it normal to have insects? How should I examine them before storing them in jars? Is there some visual clue if they are just eggs? Thanks for any help!

sue@witchwood · #23 05/12/10, 05:54 PM

I think I am only having trouble with moths and their larvae. My husband and I have been building our own home for a few years. We are living in the basement while we finish the main living area and we don't have good screening on the doors. We have to keep them open for decent ventilation in the summer and the moths are able to get in. I really have to keep on top of them to prevent infestation in my pasta and dried goods. But as i mentioned, the glass jars are doing a wonderful job and I have some scrap cedar that I have been keeping with other dried goods that seems to be working well as a natural repellant

65284 · #24 05/12/10, 10:50 PM

We vacuum seal our dried beans in bags with our Food Saver, freeze the bags for 2 weeks and then store the bags in 5 gallon buckets with lids. We get our buckets from a local barbecue joint, they have had pickles, onion powder, BBQ sauce, spices etc. in them so I know they are food grade plastic, and feel comfortable using them.