Hello All!

I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
buy loose sprouts. The price of a package makes using sprouts
excessively expensive for me since I most often just cook for myself and
would need about a quarter of a bag. I've known about the bacteria
problem for many years and, for twenty years, I have always quickly
blanched them before using, even in salads.

However, does anyone know how long a package of store bought sprouts
will keep in the fridge since I don't cook oriental food every night?

Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and it is fun for
the first few times but I simply don't grow things in my kitchen.

--


James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Oct 4, 1:03*pm, "James Silverton" >
wrote:

>
> However, does anyone know how long a package of store bought sprouts
> will keep in the fridge since I don't cook oriental food every night?
>
> Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and it is fun for
> the first few times but I simply don't grow things in my kitchen.

Each bag of Cosmo Salad bean sprouts has a table of how long they can
be kept at different storage temperatures. However we are between bags
right now.

Hmmm... nothing at saladcosmo.com But you could contact them.

On 04/10/2010 4:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> Hello All!
>
> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
> long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
> buy loose sprouts. The price of a package makes using sprouts
> excessively expensive for me since I most often just cook for myself and
> would need about a quarter of a bag. I've known about the bacteria
> problem for many years and, for twenty years, I have always quickly
> blanched them before using, even in salads.
>
> However, does anyone know how long a package of store bought sprouts
> will keep in the fridge since I don't cook oriental food every night?


Come to think of it, I haven't seen bean sprouts in the produce section
for a while. I haven't been looking, but still, I notice lots of things
I am not shopping for. I have never seen them in bags wither.


> Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and it is fun for
> the first few times but I simply don't grow things in my kitchen.


I tried it a few times many years ago. What a pain in the rump it
was,even more so when they became available in bulk and were so cheap.
As much as I like them in stir fry dishes, they aren't worth making a
trip to the store for, and they don't keep very long even at the best of
times.

spamtrap1888 wrote:
> On Oct 4, 1:03 pm, "James Silverton" >
> wrote:
>
>
>>However, does anyone know how long a package of store bought sprouts
>>will keep in the fridge since I don't cook oriental food every night?
>>
>>Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and it is fun for
>>the first few times but I simply don't grow things in my kitchen.
>
>
> Each bag of Cosmo Salad bean sprouts has a table of how long they can
> be kept at different storage temperatures.


Not long, one or 2 days max if kept refrigerated, that's why its best to
grow your own in a glass jar.

--

Mr. Joseph Paul Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.

Let the games begin!
http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3

In article >,
"James Silverton" > wrote:

> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
> long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
> buy loose sprouts.

I've bought them at Asian markets, though not recently. I'll have to
check and see if I can still get them by the handful.

On 10/4/2010 5:54 PM, Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In >,
> "James > wrote:
>
>> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
>> long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
>> buy loose sprouts.
>
> I've bought them at Asian markets, though not recently. I'll have to
> check and see if I can still get them by the handful.

That is where I buy them. There is only one market I visit that still
has them loose. The others have them in 1 and 5 lb bags.

And two days is about it in the fridge. Best life I have seen is when I
poke some holes in the bag to let them dry a little.

On 10/4/2010 3:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
> Hello All!
>
> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
> long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
> buy loose sprouts. The price of a package makes using sprouts
> excessively expensive for me since I most often just cook for myself
> and would need about a quarter of a bag. I've known about the
> bacteria problem for many years and, for twenty years, I have always
> quickly blanched them before using, even in salads.

Right now, I wonder if I should be concerned. I eat bean sprouts raw
most of the time and I never thought about salmonella. I eat them raw
in pho, noodle salads and in plain old salads.

When I buy them in the store, they come in a bag (99 cents) and they
look too old to eat when I buy them. At the Asian market, they are very
fresh, they are also loose and you can buy as much as you need.

I am not sure how long they last. They are good in omelets, if you have
any left over.

Becca

Ema wrote on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:36:03 -0500:

> On 10/4/2010 3:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> Hello All!
>>
>> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and,
>> indeed, it has long been a problem with bean sprouts but it
>> has become impossible to buy loose sprouts. The price of a
>> package makes using sprouts excessively expensive for me
>> since I most often just cook for myself and would need about a
>> quarter of a bag. I've known about the bacteria problem
>> for many years and, for twenty years, I have always quickly
>> blanched them before using, even in salads.

> Right now, I wonder if I should be concerned. I eat bean
> sprouts raw most of the time and I never thought about
> salmonella. I eat them raw in pho, noodle salads and in plain
> old salads.

> When I buy them in the store, they come in a bag (99 cents)
> and they look too old to eat when I buy them. At the Asian
> market, they are very fresh, they are also loose and you can
> buy as much as you need.

> I am not sure how long they last. They are good in omelets,
> if you have any left over.

Unfortunately, my favorite Chinese markets have started bagging them
too. I cannot buy less than about a pound and it is seldom that I want
more than a quarter of that. I was warned over 30 years ago by a
bacteriologist friend about the dangers of uncooked sprouts and started
quick blanching them then. As long as you put them into boiling water,
take them out as soon as the water boils up, and dump into cold
(preferably iced) water, there does not seem any harm to the texture for
salads and sandwiches. I blanch them even for stir-fries since the
cooking time is short.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:36:03 -0500, Ema Nymton >
wrote:

> On 10/4/2010 3:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> Hello All!
>>
>> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and, indeed, it has
>> long been a problem with bean sprouts but it has become impossible to
>> buy loose sprouts. The price of a package makes using sprouts
>> excessively expensive for me since I most often just cook for myself
>> and would need about a quarter of a bag. I've known about the
>> bacteria problem for many years and, for twenty years, I have always
>> quickly blanched them before using, even in salads.
>
>Right now, I wonder if I should be concerned. I eat bean sprouts raw
>most of the time and I never thought about salmonella. I eat them raw
>in pho, noodle salads and in plain old salads.
>
>When I buy them in the store, they come in a bag (99 cents) and they
>look too old to eat when I buy them. At the Asian market, they are very
>fresh, they are also loose and you can buy as much as you need.
>
>I am not sure how long they last. They are good in omelets, if you have
>any left over.

That would be egg foo young. Fresh bean sprouts is one of the types
of produce that's difficult to buy around here... I used to be able to
buy all I wanted loose for cheap, now it's canned or nothing.

On Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:44:22 -0700, Ranée at Arabian Knits
> wrote:

> In article >,
> "James Silverton" > wrote:
>
> > Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and it is fun for
> > the first few times but I simply don't grow things in my kitchen.
>
> Didn't you ask this exact question a little while back?
>
I missed the OP if this is a redo.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

sf wrote on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:51:41 -0700:

>> In article >,
>> "James Silverton" > wrote:
>>
> >> Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and
> >> it is fun for the first few times but I simply don't grow
> >> things in my kitchen.
>>
>> Didn't you ask this exact question a little while back?
>>
> I missed the OP if this is a redo.

Unless my memory serves me false, I only recently mentioned the
spreading custom of bagging bean sprouts. I don't know whether I should
be hopeful but my supermarket had them on sale loose at the weekend.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 08:20:14 -0400, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> sf wrote on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:51:41 -0700:
>
> >> In article >,
> >> "James Silverton" > wrote:
> >>
> > >> Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that and
> > >> it is fun for the first few times but I simply don't grow
> > >> things in my kitchen.
> >>
> >> Didn't you ask this exact question a little while back?
> >>
> > I missed the OP if this is a redo.
>
> Unless my memory serves me false, I only recently mentioned the
> spreading custom of bagging bean sprouts. I don't know whether I should
> be hopeful but my supermarket had them on sale loose at the weekend.

When I saw the post about old bean sprouts in a bag, my first reaction
was "He found bean sprouts?" They have been as scarce as hen's teeth
around here the last few years. In fact, mung beans disappeared for
so long that I fell out of the habit of cooking with them. My guess
is they went out of fashion, although the stores gave me a song and
dance about something nasty for your health happening to them. I've
only recently started seeing them again - no rhyme or reason to where
I find them, they just pop up. They were in a bulk container the last
time I saw them and they very sorry looking indeed; should have been
in the trash bin.

I would still like to find alfalfa sprouts though because I like to
substitute them for lettuce in a sandwich.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:52:47 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2
> wrote:

> Haven't some of these been recalled in recent days? Or were those
> alfalfa sprouts?

I don't know.
>
> I wish they would bag single servings of chopped cabbage for
> coleslaw. I can never get through a whole head or bag before it goes
> bad.

I so agree! Back in the day, the produce guy would cut heads of
cabbage in half - but I never see it done anymore.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Wed, 13 Oct 2010 12:52:47 -0700 (PDT), Nancy2 wrote:

>
> Haven't some of these been recalled in recent days? Or were those
> alfalfa sprouts?
>
> I wish they would bag single servings of chopped cabbage for
> coleslaw. I can never get through a whole head or bag before it goes
> bad.
>
> N.

i could dig that, too.

your pal,
blake

Omelet wrote on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:04:46 -0500:

>> sf wrote on Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:51:41 -0700:
>>
> >>> In article >,
> >>> "James Silverton" > wrote:
> >>>
> > >>> Please don't tell me to sprout my own. I've done that
> > >>> and it is fun for the first few times but I simply don't
> > >>> grow things in my kitchen.
> >>>
> >>> Didn't you ask this exact question a little while back?
> >>>
> >> I missed the OP if this is a redo.
>>
>> Unless my memory serves me false, I only recently mentioned
>> the spreading custom of bagging bean sprouts. I don't know
>> whether I should be hopeful but my supermarket had them on
>> sale loose at the weekend.

> The only way I've found to semi-preserve them is to go ahead
> and cook them. I just wish I could find some canned ones
> locally for a good price.

> I just buy limited quantities fresh and use them within 2 to 3
> days. They rot SO fast!

> Cooking them will extend the refrigerator shelf life for me
> for up to 5 days.

> I should probably learn to can them myself. <g>

Unfortunately, for most of my uses of bean sprouts, texture is very
important and I've never liked the soft feel of canned sprouts. Texture
is important in a lot of Chinese and Japanese food tho' taste can be
lost also in canned vegetables. Both taste and crunchiness are lost when
water chestnuts are canned, so much so that I never use them even if
peeling fresh water chestnuts is a chore.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Ema wrote on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 13:36:03 -0500:

> On 10/4/2010 3:03 PM, James Silverton wrote:
>> Hello All!
>>
>> I know the reason is probably the salmonella scare and,
>> indeed, it has long been a problem with bean sprouts but it
>> has become impossible to buy loose sprouts. The price of a
>> package makes using sprouts excessively expensive for me
>> since I most often just cook for myself and would need about a
>> quarter of a bag. I've known about the bacteria problem
>> for many years and, for twenty years, I have always quickly
>> blanched them before using, even in salads.

> Right now, I wonder if I should be concerned. I eat bean
> sprouts raw most of the time and I never thought about
> salmonella. I eat them raw in pho, noodle salads and in plain
> old salads.

> When I buy them in the store, they come in a bag (99 cents)
> and they look too old to eat when I buy them. At the Asian
> market, they are very fresh, they are also loose and you can
> buy as much as you need.

> I am not sure how long they last. They are good in omelets,
> if you have any left over.

At least one grocery that I use, McGruders in Rockville, MD, has gone
back to selling bean sprouts loose and given up the prepackaged ones.
May the old method continue! I can buy enough for my Chinese meals for
30 to 40 cents.

Pricing, even in the relatively inexpensive McGruders, can be rather
eccentric. They have just introduced small plastic containers of herbs
that looked just right for me but $1.50 for two stems of basil was a bit
much.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Sun, 24 Oct 2010 16:00:35 -0400, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> At least one grocery that I use, McGruders in Rockville, MD, has gone
> back to selling bean sprouts loose and given up the prepackaged ones.
> May the old method continue! I can buy enough for my Chinese meals for
> 30 to 40 cents.

Good! I know it's popular elsewhere in the world, but I hope the
concept of prepackaged vegetables withers and dies on the vine here.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.