I'm trying to figure out which dried pulses store the best, as some are reputed to reach a state where they never fully soften.
In an old answer by Joe, the US Dry Bean Council says:
Dry beans keep up to a year in an airtight container in a cool, dry environment, away from direct sunlight. During storage, beans may either absorb or lose moisture, which will affect the soaking and cooking time. If stored longer than 12 months, or exposed to unfavorable storage conditions, beans may never soften sufficiently, no matter how long they’re soaked or cooked. On the other hand, some beans can cook up tender after years of storage. [all emphasis mine]
Which beans/pulses (assuming this varies by species/variety) are worse at displaying this characteristic? How can I know if it's worth cooking a Very Old (10 Years) Chili Bean Mixture Containing Red Kidney Beans? is relevant, but asks something quite different.
I'm fairly new to cooking with dried beans, and have several bags on the go (black-eyed bean, black, red kidney bean, urad dal/black gram, and chickpea) as well as the common red lentil which I'm more used to. I know from experience that red lentils will always soften with enough cooking, but I may want to choose which order to use the others.
Pressure cooking isn't an option for me, but anyway this question isn't about my options, it's which beans will keep best?
NB: common names are as sold in an Indian supermarket in the UK; I've linked to the appropriate Wikipedia articles to give other names.
