One of the most common questions we get from our customers is “are my Randall Beans good to eat?” Concerns sometimes come from having beans sitting in their pantry for a while since we don’t include an expiration date or questions about the seal security. To help answer these concerns, we want to set the record straight on when your beans may not be OK to eat.
Don’t eat them if the seal isn’t secure!
We make a promise with our beans: every jar that leaves our plant has been checked to ensure a proper, secure seal. However, the journey our beans take from our plant to your grocery store shelf is a long one.
From our plant, they take a journey to local distributors, who then deliver into the shelves. In between there is plenty of loading, unloading, moving, stacking and changing hands. While we do our very best to keep them secure for the entire trip, sometimes the seals of our jars can become broken in the process.
If you open a new jar of beans and the seal has been broken already, we strongly recommend discarding the jar and not eating the beans.
If you are unsure, just listen for the ‘pop’! Every properly sealed jar of Randall Beans will sound off with a distinguished popping sound signifying their freshness. If you don’t hear the pop when you open your jar, we don’t recommend you eat the beans inside just to be sure, especially if the beans look or smell off.
If you purchase any beans with a broken seal, be sure to alert the store you purchased them from to make sure there aren’t others like it and to get fresh and delicious beans back on the shelf!
Are my beans too old?
Because of how Randall Beans are jarred, our beans are some of the few food products on your grocery store’s shelves that the US FDA certifies as being “commercially sterile”. Once the beans are put in the jar, the jar is sealed and heated enough to kill any and all microbes that could possibly compromise the beans.
Because of this method of sealing, our beans have an indefinite shelf life and therefore do not come with an expiration date or “sell by” date. As long as the seal isn’t broken, our jars can sit in your pantry for a long time. We do, however, have a “best by” date that we feel is a basic guideline for when the beans start losing some of their flavor.
Our famous beans in jars are perfect in recipes of all kinds! From veggie burgers, bean salads, bean casseroles, bean soups, bean stews, baked beans and even bean desserts – Randall’s Great Northern Beans, Randall Pinto Beans, Randall Deluxe Mixed Beans, and our new Randall Ultimate 4-Bean Mixed Beans are perfect for any bean dish.
Check out our recipe page to find your new favorite bean recipe!
