# leftover canned refried beans - how long in fridge?



## toronado455

If I open a can of canned refried beans and use only a portion and store the remainder in a sealed plastic container in the fridge, how many days will that last?


----------



## maryb

2-3 days is my rule of thumb for in the fridge storage but refried beans freeze well.


----------



## toronado455

OK, thanks. I've always been confused by how to count days. Does the day you break the seal on something count as day 1 or day 0? If it has been 24 hours since opening, is that considered 1 day old or 2 days old? It would be easier for me to understand if expiration times were given as "hours since opening".

Also, I've never understood why date ranges are given, such as "use within 5 to 7 days". If something is possibly spoiled after the minimum amount of time has elapsed, why would you want to risk eating it after that? Is that for people who like living on the edge? LOL "I feel like living on the edge today so I'm going to eat this food which was opened not five but SIX days ago. Wow, what a rush!" /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


----------



## chefbuba

Way to pick back up on your two yr old thread!....hope you haven't been sitting waiting for a response all this time!


----------



## toronado455

Hey it's my thread so I figure I'm allowed to bump it. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif

Plus I've got a plastic container of refried beans in my fridge. (not the same one though) /img/vbsmilies/smilies/tongue.gif


----------



## mezzaluna

I certainly hope they're not the same ones!/img/vbsmilies/smilies/bounce.gif

MaryB's reply, 2-3 days, would be what I'd say. I used to eat a lot of them, and it took that long to use one can of them. I always put them in a sealable container- never let them stay in the can. I'd nuke just enough for one meal to avoid re-heating them and taking the risk of food-borne illness.

Tornado, if you're still watching, the first day you open them is day 1, IMHO. It seemed to count that way in the creation story I know of.


----------



## maryb

Refried beans make great thickeners for soups to help use them up. I also add them to taco meat as a thickener. Can then freeze the soup or taco meat in meal portions for days you don't have time to cook.


----------



## toronado455

I don't freeze anything.

Here's my standard procedure: I open a can of beans and use half immediately. The other half I store in a sealed plastic container in the fridge and use within 24 hours. My question is can I keep the stored half longer than 24 hours, and if so how long? I don't know what "2-3 days" means. If I open the can on Monday, is Tuesday considered 1 day old or 2 days old? If someone could give me the expiration time in hours as opposed to days, it would make a lot more sense to me. Thanks.


----------



## petemccracken

For me, assuming your refrigerator is <40°F, 96->108 hours (4-5 days) should certainly be "safe" as long as there is no cross-contamination.

The key is odor and appearance.


----------



## chefedb

Pete is on the money.  Why don't you buy # 303 cans insted? This way you don't have any opened


----------



## toronado455

PeteMcCracken said:


> For me, assuming your refrigerator is <40°F, 96->108 hours (4-5 days) should certainly be "safe" as long as there is no cross-contamination.
> 
> The key is odor and appearance.


Thanks. My fridge does stay below 40F.

They (food safety people) always say not to go on odor or appearance because you can't always tell something is spoiled by the odor or appearance. Of course, if something were *obviously* spoiled I would know because I have a very keen sense of smell, but since I have absolutely zero training or experience in cooking, I prefer to rely on these simple "rules" of expiration time.


----------



## petemccracken

toronado455 said:


> They (food safety people) always say not to go on odor or appearance because you can't always tell something is spoiled by the odor or appearance. Of course, if something were *obviously* spoiled I would know because I have a very keen sense of smell, but since I have absolutely zero training or experience in cooking, I prefer to rely on these simple "rules" of expiration time.


Well, remember, our ancestors survived on their own abilities to determine is something was "safe to eat", long before some "government agent" created rules /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif, yes, it is true that some things that will make you sick, or worse, have no taste or odor, but remember, commercially canned goods are created under very controlled conditions.


----------



## toronado455

PeteMcCracken said:


> Well, remember, our ancestors survived on their own abilities to determine is something was "safe to eat", long before some "government agent" created rules /img/vbsmilies/smilies/crazy.gif, yes, it is true that some things that will make you sick, or worse, have no taste or odor, but remember, commercially canned goods are created under very controlled conditions.


Before I knew about the 3-day rule, I used to keep cream for much longer in the fridge after opening. It never smelled or looked bad to me and I never got sick. I suppose I was just lucky.


----------



## petemccracken

toronado455 said:


> Before I knew about the 3-day rule, I used to keep cream for much longer in the fridge after opening. It never smelled or looked bad to me and I never got sick. I suppose I was just lucky.


Just remember, following the "three day rule" is not a "natural rule" but simply a guideline that meets certain statistical standards and does NOT guarantee the cream is safe, it simply guarantees that you followed the Food Code guideline so you cannot be found in violation of the Food Code.

If you violate the Food Code, there are administrative penalties, but they do NOT apply to home kitchens.

If you follow the Food Code, it is still possible to consume spoiled or contaminated food, you simply reduce the risk of doing so.

If you follow the Food Code and consume food within the Food Code guidelines and get sick, sorry about that! You have no recourse against anyone unless someone can prove that the Food Code was violated or that the food was intentionally contaminated.


----------



## toronado455

Thanks again for the info. I am always very careful about not contaminating my foods when I'm storing food.


----------



## kc2stpr

im glad you ask thats why came here i live alone and i like bean burrito thier easy but im tired of throwing out half the beans.


----------



## keiraneylene

1 or 2 days, and if you smelled that there's a weird smell then it's better to throw it away.


----------



## toronado455

keiraneylene said:


> 1 or 2 days, and if you smelled that there's a weird smell then it's better to throw it away.


So only 48 hours? You'd toss it after that? Pete says 96 hours is OK assuming no cross contamination and fridge stays below 40 (mine is usually between 37 and 42).


----------



## missycat2

Thanks everone for your help.  Luv mexican food.  Oh yummmmmmy.


----------

