Question regarding dried beans.

[Miss Mary]

I want to prepare dried beans for my Parrotlet and came across some unopened bags of Kidney, Pinto, Lentil, and Split Pea in my cabinet that have been there for several years. I’ve read that the life of unopened dried beans is indefinite but I am concerned and want to make sure that cooking the beans and feeding them to my Parrotlet will not harm him. Has anyone used old beans?

 

[Hankmacaw]

Yes, I've used very old beans that had been stored so long I couldn't remember when I bought them.

 

[rocky'smom]

No

 

[Miss Mary]

No

Thank you for your reply. I am not understanding what you are saying no to. You’ve never used old beans, no I shouldn’t give them to my bird, or no the beans won’t hurt him?

 

[Miss Mary]

Yes, I've used very old beans that had been stored so long I couldn't remember when I bought them.

Oh thank you very much for your reply. I was so concerned that the old beans might cause my Kai health issues.

 

[saroj12]

just pitch them and get fresh.

 

[Miss Mary]

just pitch them and get fresh.

But if they are useable it’s a shame to toss them.

 

[Pipper]

Seeds and beans can stay good for hundreds and thousands of years and longer. Use them. Personally, I'd eat them myself.

 

[Miss Mary]

Seeds and beans can stay good for hundreds and thousands of years and longer. Use them. Personally, I'd eat them myself.

Thank you for your reply. I didn’t want to toss them if I could use them. Just wanted to make sure my little guy wouldn’t get sick or worse due to them being old.

 

[camelotshadow]

cook them but soak overnight. keep the soaking beans in the fridge so they don't ferment just to be on safe side or change water in 8 hrs. no salt til almost done or none for birds

 

[Miss Mary]

cook them but soak overnight. keep the soaking beans in the fridge so they don't ferment just to be on safe side or change water in 8 hrs. no salt til almost done or none for birds

Thanks for your reply. I will follow your suggestion.

 

[Pipper]

You want the beans starches & fiber to break down so that I guess is fermenting and it's done for both your & your bird's digestive ease. Soak them at room temperature but in a sunny or at least average lit room not in a dark place like under the sink. The light & UV light helps stops molds from growing. However, if you forget and leave beans soaking more than 24 hours dump them as by then they get molds often growing at the top of the water. Usually mold won't grow though until 48 hours if the container the beans were soaking in was completely clean of molds & mold spores when you started soaking.

I soak mine in 1/2 gallon of water with 1 table spoon baking soda 8+ hours. Then I use one of those electric pressure cookers and put the beans (1 lbs), 1 tablespoon salt, and add water until the water is to the line with the number 6 (I guess the 6 is size cups of water). I then select on the electric pressure cooker the 'Chili' button that gives 30 minutes cook time and go backwards to 5...4...3..2...1...0...minutes that one more - minus on the minutes & I'll have 120 minutes pressure cook time selected. They then cook and then after they are done in 2 hours I leave them in the pot 2 hours then take off the lid & leave about 2+ or more hours. The get real soft & creamy that way & most of the gassible hard to digest fiber & starches are done for so as not to bother your birds either.

In India when I visited it is overrun with Indian Ringnecks and they eat lentils still moist on the plant like a raw vegetable & dried like a seed too that the farmers commonly grow there. Many parrot type species world-wide are considered agricultural pests.

 

[saroj12]

the oil i n soybeans goes rancid. they recommend storing in the freezer

 

[Pipper]

I've never seen soybeans except processed into tofu, flours, or like the previous poster said frozen. Nuts with high oil content can go rancid in practice very fast in non-airtight containers. Some seeds can go rancid quickly too if they are not in airtight packaging. eg, sunflower seeds will. They taste 100% better fresh & freshly roasted.

 

[camelotshadow]

Yes, nuts go rancid fast & some beans...esp the pinolli...I remember trying some a few years old in the cupboards...Ack!

Still Kidney . pinto lentil spilt pea etc can last for years,,,Just use your judgement...

 

[Pipper]

You can buy cheap clear plastic canisters too to help stop oxidation at WalMart. Also buy the 1 lb bag sizes of beans as those bags are typically airtight and are used faster.

 

[camelotshadow]

Beans are $1 or $2 a lb so no big deal but no sense to waste good food/...

 

[Monica]

I wouldn't recommend feeding kidney beans simply because they are the most toxic beans to feed if they aren't thoroughly cooked....

Lentils and split pea would probably be the best out of that mix if cooked.

 

[Jas]

Yes I would never feed kidney beans to my birds due to their toxicity and the long time they take to cook!

I feed a premade mix that consists of butter Beans, Yellow Maize, Red Maize, Red Dari, White Dari, Chick Peas, Green Lentils, Puy Lentils, Brown Lentils, Brown Rice, Maple Peas, Yellow and Green Peas, Tic Beans, Aduki Beans, Canalinni Beans, Pinto Beans.

I soak for around 28hours and change the water every 4 or 8 hours and simmer for 45 minutes and freeze.