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Maybe all the batches of beans I have eaten from this sack over the past 3-4 yrs is well past their optimum shelf storage time limit and its happened so subtly I have not noticed.
Well, a nice steak is quite good. I haven't had a good steak in years. What I have gotten, when I have gotten steak, has been pretty mediocre.
I had a great steak in KS a few years ago, in a tiny little town located in the Flint Hills. Nothing nearly as good since. But yes, that steak would top my pot of beans and cornbread. But properly cooked beans and cornbread are wonderful.
While I have never kept beans for over 2 years (although I am in the process of correcting that ) all of the beans I got from the store and just dropped into a Sterilite storage container and kept for a year or more, I never had any problems.
I don't recall ever hearing of weevils, or other kinds of bugs in dry pinto beans, have you?
(I will admit my experience with long term storage is limited.)
I'm not sure about pinto beans per say, but I have seen them in other things such as split peas, rice, chick peas, among a few. I think I've had them in black beans as well before...
They're completely harmless, but it is frustrating to see them.
As a poster above suggested, I've been freezing beans/grains prior to storage as well and it seems to have gotten rid of the problem. I'll also look into the containers you shared information on.
That said, I've only ever encountered this with items purchased from the huge bulk bins in stores such as Whole Foods and ethnic markets.
Grains and beans are best used within one year of harvest. Most packages have statements printed on them that say, "Best used by:". This date is usually just one year in the future. The amino acids in the proteins become degraded as time goes by. Even if older grains or beans seem fine, their nutritional content may not be as good as that of fresh ones. If you buy at most grocery stores, you won't often find them, that are older than that one-year age.
...
As a poster above suggested, I've been freezing beans/grains prior to storage as well and it seems to have gotten rid of the problem. I'll also look into the containers you shared information on.
...
Thanks for the input.
BTW, Sterilite containers are nothing special. They are similar to, and a little cheaper than, Rubbermaid. I linked to them because a lot of people might never have heard of them. I just find the square ones convenient and stackable.
Grains and beans are best used within one year of harvest. Most packages have statements printed on them that say, "Best used by:". This date is usually just one year in the future. The amino acids in the proteins become degraded as time goes by. Even if older grains or beans seem fine, their nutritional content may not be as good as that of fresh ones. If you buy at most grocery stores, you won't often find them, that are older than that one-year age.
Well, that is what the purveyors of groupthink want to promote, (edit). Here is another link to the science of long term food storage, from Utah State University: https://extension.usu.edu/foodstorage/howdoi/dry_beans
It is well established the "Best used by:" date on most packaging has little to do with the actual quality of the product, but is a tool used to keep the product flowing smoothly off of the shelves. Economics 101. That is why one brand of Peanut Butter claims a shelf life of only 4 months. Just to insure their product lines flow smoothly.
(edit)
UPDATE: I responded to this, thinking I was on the
preparedness forum, so I edited this post and removed
some stuff that is only of interest to people on that forum.
I am still using the small leftover amount from a big sack of wholesale dried pinto beans I know I bought at least 10yrs ago.
I make soup beans with ham hocks maybe 2-3 times a year and only use about 3 cups of dried beans per batch so needless to say, this big sack of beans has lasted over 10yrs.
They still seem to taste great and after soaking overnite they cook up just fine. I will never buy this big quality again though moving forward.
I am wandering if I should just ditch that last 1/5th of the bag and buy fresh dried new beans ?
Beans are pretty cheap so its not the cost. I just hate to toss food that is still good and edible, which I am sure the dried beans are. Its just they are surely well past their premium state I would think at this point.
Your thoughts ?
I can taste a big difference when I make my beans and ham hocks with older beans. For this reason, I never buy them in bulk but always buy fresh each time.
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) all of the beans I got from the store and just dropped into a 
