How should I store beansprouts?

Question

Bean sprouts are a common ingredient in stir-fry recipes, but they don't seem to last very long in my fridge.

How can I keep bean sprouts fresh for the maximum amount of time?

Answer 1

Looks like ehow has the best reference guide thus far to storing bean sprouts

After purchasing Bean Sprouts should be stored and washed after purchasing in growing. The article indicates that the best methods for storage are the following:

• Wash them after you purchase them.

Wash bean sprouts after purchasing or growing. Wash them in cold water to remove seed coats, roots and other residue that may be present. If you are using them within a day, store them in the refrigerator at 40 to 45 degrees. Place the sprouts in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel to keep them moist.

• Store in icy water and change the water few times a day

You can also store sprouts in a bucket of icy water and change the water a few times a day. Depending on how long the sprouts were in transit or on the store shelf, they should last longer than when stored in a plastic bag.

• Freeze them

Freeze sprouts for the longest storage. Wash sprouts as described in Step One. Then heat one layer at a time in steam for three minutes. Cool right away in icy water and drain. Put the sprouts into plastic containers and seal.

It also mentions in the article to just grow them to provide the best freshness.

Apparently the shelf life of beansprouts should only be stored up to 3 days

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_6178837_preserve-bean-sprouts.html#ixzz1pAEZ12Jp

Answer 2

I've been keeping them in a jar in the crisper section of the refrigerator, and they seem to be still fairly crunchy going on two weeks. I found a jar of them last week that'd I'd forgotten from the previous week and they were in much better shape than the ones bought nine days later but for which I didn't have an available jar.

I don't rinse mine until right before I use them; most of my vegetables seem to keep longer that way (presumably because they'd be nearly impossible to dry thoroughly).

Edited to clarify: I always cover everything thoroughly, so the newer sprouts were wrapped in wax paper, then aluminum foil.