Do Canned Beans Go Bad?

Thankfully, beans are not on the list of canned foods you should avoid at all costs; in fact, they are a handy pantry staple that you can reach for any time you need to bulk up pasta salads, casseroles, soups, and chili (unless it's Texas chili, of course). They might not have made this list of foods you can eat straight out of the can, but no one is stopping you. And what's more, they can sit in your pantry for years. But despite their longevity, canned beans don't last forever.

Beans that come packaged in cans tend to stay fresh up to five years, and they can certainly be eaten after the date printed on the can — "best by" and "best before" dates refer to the quality, not the safety. As long as they are stored in a cool, dry place and the can is not at all dented, damaged, or rusted, commercially canned beans will keep for much longer. 

However, these legumes can spoil — and you might see an indication of this undesirable state before you even open the can. That's because the cans in which beans are packaged might show signs of warping, bulging on the sides or the top, or even leakage, which indicate that the beans within are past their prime.

Even if your can doesn't show outward signs of distress, the beans inside could still be bad. Pop open the tab or take a can opener to the lid, and if your nostrils pick up on a sour or rancid odor — even if it's faint — you should toss the whole can. The same goes for how the beans look; if the color or texture does not resemble the last fresh can of beans that you opened, it's time to say goodbye.

Of course, they could neither smell nor look bad, but still taste bad. If this is the case, and they just don't taste like a good bean should, into the trash can they should go (as well as any dish you might have used them in, sadly). Finally, the easiest way to tell if your just-opened beans are done for is the presence of mold on the beans. This means there was likely an error in packaging or damage to the can, and bacteria somehow got in. Don't try to scoop it off and save the rest; the entire can is compromised.