How long lentils good

If you use Mylar bags to store lentils, make sure they are at least 5 mils in thickness. Thinner bags are opaque and let in light, which will decrease shelf life via light oxidation. Consider using Mylar Bags, and Food-grade pales together as Mylar is a better oxygen barrier but is more prone to damage. The food-grade bucket will protect the bag and make for stackable storage. Lentils are one variety of pulse or edible seeds in the legume family that grows in a pod.

Other Pulses you may want to consider for long-term storage are dry beans , dry peas, chickpeas, cowpeas, or pigeon peas. Following are 5 types of lentils to consider for long-term food storage. Brown Lentils The lentils you are most likely to find at the grocery store. The most flexible and best option for long-term storage. Green Lentils : Similar to brown lentils but with a peppery flavor. Often used as a substitute for expensive Puy Lentils.

Red And Yellow Lentils : Usually sold split, these lentils cook down into a liquid and are good as a thickening agent for soups and stews. Black Lentils : Expensive, but they provide the most protein of any lentil. Too expensive for bulk storage. Yes, you can absolutely freeze cooked lentils and this will extend their life without overly compromising the flavor or texture. Instead, you can simply transfer your cooked, drained, and cooled lentils to a freezer-safe Ziploc bag immediately.

Press out as much air as possible before freezing. Make sure they are not squished underneath other food or items at least until they are thoroughly frozen. You can freeze canned lentils once they have been opened. Treat canned lentils the same as lentils that were cooked from dry and follow the instructions laid about above. Canned goods are pressurized and freezing will expand any liquid inside the container, potentially causing an explosion that will be messy at best, dangerous at worst.

Cooked lentils will retain their best quality for about 6 months. Properly packaged and stored dried lentils will last indefinitely, though most packages will have a best before date. Once the package has been opened, the freshness will start to degrade and should be eaten within about 1 year , though they still need to be carefully stored in an airtight container. If there is exposure to humidity, it can allow bacteria to form.

If you store them properly, they last for years, and the only downsides of prolonged storage that you might experience are a slight change in quality and vitamin loss.

Nutritional components such as proteins, carbohydrates, or minerals stay intact during long-term storage [USU]. There are a couple of situations where discarding the bag is the only course of action that makes sense. Those are:. I suggest keeping cooked lentils in the fridge for no longer than 4 to 5 days. If you need more time than that, freeze them. Do it at your own risk. They stay safe for months and even years longer, but their nutritional value diminishes over time.

After about 5 years, most of the vitamin content is pretty much gone. If you buy them packaged, dried lentils usually come with a best-by date, which indicates how long the product should retain peak quality.

And when it comes to dry lentils similar to dried beans , they keep well for months or even years past that date, depending on storage conditions.

Before you cook the lentils, sort through them to pick out any debris, and then rinse them to remove dirt. No need for presoaking, though.

You will cook the lentils before serving, so any bacteria that might be there will be killed anyway. The realistic worst-case scenario is that you end up with not-that-great lentils, and perhaps a couple of really nasty farts. While dried lentils last for a really long time, in some cases, they are no longer safe to eat.

Discard yours when:. Store dry lentils in a cool and dry place, sealed tightly. The pantry is perfect, but a cupboard in the kitchen works well too. This way, your lentils are safe from any smells and moisture.

Truth be told, I often omit this step and keep the lentils in the original bag with just the top wrapped, and they stay just fine this way for months on end. The same practices work for other dry foods, such as rice or quinoa.