Unroasted coffee beans in the pantry, several years old: roast, toss, or other use?
I just discovered a bag with about 100g of unroasted coffee beans in my pantry. I know they are at least four years old, and maybe 10 years. They've been in room temperature, dry storage the whole time. They look like beans, no mold, no ick.
I don't drink coffee any more. I want to get rid of these beans.
Should I give them to a coffee-drinking friend to roast? Should I believe this question on whole coffee bean storage, that they are dead after a week, and throw them out? Is there another good use for coffee beans apart from making coffee?
Best Answer
After that long, the beans are almost certainly stale. While it's true that aged coffee is a thing, four to ten years is very long time to age coffee and the opinions on aged coffee seem to be mixed at best. I say toss 'em, although you could compost them or even use them for arts and crafts, I wouldn't recommend them for human consumption. It's doubtful that anyone would be harmed, seeing as caffeine is a natural pesticide and that would keep any 'ick' from developing, it probably wouldn't be a very enjoyable cup of coffee.
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How long are unroasted coffee beans good for?
The good news is that you can store green coffee up to twelve months without losing important flavor and aroma qualities \u2013 as long as you store it in a stable, cool, dark, and pest-free environment.What can I do with old coffee beans?
7 Creative & Fun Ways to Use Old Coffee BeansCan I roast old coffee beans?
Do not attempt this! Re-roasting your stale coffee beans will result in burnt and still stale tasting coffee beans. Similar to bread, once coffee beans become stale. There is nothing you can do to revive them.How long can coffee beans be stored?
In short: roasted coffee beans last 6-9 months past the shelf-life when sealed. If they've been opened, consume within six months. There are methods to boost coffee bean longevity, however. If you've opened a bag of roasted coffee beans, store them in an airtight container.Use Up Your Old Coffee Beans! | Coffee Collaboration
More answers regarding unroasted coffee beans in the pantry, several years old: roast, toss, or other use?
Answer 2
Re-purpose them! While they might not taste great if you roast them, you can still smell them! Pour them in a little bowl and nestle a tealight candle in them. When you light it, the warmth will release the coffee aroma.
Answer 3
Unroasted beans will typically last for months and months. It's only when roasted that you have to use them up.
I did some googling and I could find no other uses for green coffee. However apparently green coffee extract is the latest weight loss fad.
As a home roaster myself, I would give roasting them and brewing a cup a shot. So I say give them away if you are able. Else just toss them.
Answer 4
Roasted grind and brew very strong...the brew when reduced makes a great medium for art in combo with ink. I have seen some very creative and original artwork done this way using varying strengths of the brew.
Answer 5
I have been roasting coffee for nearly 9 years. If they are kept dry (preferably also cool), they can last for many years.
I am still roasting various beans that I have bought in larger quantities 3-4 years ago. Very nice batches from Kenya, Panama and Sumatra. They've been in my nice dry basement (above grade) on shelves, with a temp of 65-72 year round. Guess what? They are still AWESOME! Massive Crema and rich complex smooth flavor profiles - without bitterness.
The 1 year thing is mostly a myth. However, you only have 100 grams - that's not much to use or give away. If you have a friend who home roasts give them away and if they look clean and smell the same, they'll probably be fine but maybe not as good as they were.
Answer 6
Coffee beans do not last longer than 10 days - personally, I would only use them within 5 days from opening the pack.
If you re-roast them, they will taste even more bitter than now. I would recommend avoid them for drinking or eating.
You can either grind them and use as compost or use it to create coffee scented candles (more information on eHow). Otherwise, toss them will be the best option!
Hope this helps.
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