What is the shelf life of canned chickpeas?

Canned chickpeas can be stored indefinitely. The dry version should be stored in a well-closed container at cool room temperature. The leftover cooked chickpeas will be kept for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, stored in a tightly closed container.

Chickpeas

If you're buying dried chickpeas, look for whole grains with less than 10% moisture content. Canned beans are a convenient way to buy garbanzos, but with a much shorter shelf life. The nutritional components of chickpeas withstand the canning process well. Their protein and fiber content is only slightly reduced when canned.

However, canned chickpeas have significantly lower levels of folate than dried beans. The canning process can reduce folate levels by up to 45 percent. Refrigerating leftover canned chickpeas is highly recommended as they don't dry out or get soaked, however, make sure not to leave them in the refrigerator for more than 5 days. Canning is a great way to preserve chickpeas along with most of their nutritional value for an extended period of time.

Canned chickpeas are one of the main ingredients in many vegan recipes, so it's best to know everything there is to know about them. It's not much of a mystery if canned garbanzos go bad or not, but it's quite understandable to want to know for sure if they go bad to avoid health problems such as food poisoning or, worse, botulism. To freeze chickpeas, first transfer them from the can or jar in which they were canned to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Usually, when left to sit at room temperature, unsealed canned garbanzos will only last no longer than 24 hours.

The best places to store canned chickpeas in the home are in a dark kitchen cupboard, on pantry shelves, an unheated basement, or a basement with low humidity. Keep canned chickpeas away from the stove, refrigerator, freezer, dryer, air conditioning unit, heater, or any plumbing. Store canned chickpeas in a cool, dry, dark place away from sources of heat, excess moisture, and direct sunlight. For the best quality in terms of flavor profile and nutritional value, consume canned chickpeas within 1 to 2 years after taking them out of the grocery bags or canning them yourself.

When storing commercially canned chickpeas, make sure that the expiration date is clearly visible on the can. Refrigerating leftover canned chickpeas will keep them safe for about 3 to 5 days, however, it's good to understand that you can't store them in your can, as they're no longer sealed, which can expose them to air. Opened canned chickpeas will last 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. Once the canned chickpeas are unsealed from the can, you might be wondering if there's a way to keep them for a while until you're ready to use them.

However, canned garbanzos won't be in their best shape or quality once their expiration date has passed.