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What Happens If You Eat Out-of-Date Quinoa?
Eating expired quinoa won’t cause any adverse health effects. Keeping the quinoa in ideal conditions — such as in an air-tight container and away from moisture — will last several months or even years past its expiry date. Over time, you can expect the quinoa to lose quality, and the vitamins may decrease, but it won’t cause food poisoning.
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It’s hard to tell if raw quinoa has gone bad simply because its colour and flavour won’t change much. If the texture is not smooth and the colour of the dish has changed, the quinoa has gone bad. If something is not right after cooking raw quinoa, you will be able to notice it by a change in colour, texture, or smell.
Cooked quinoa changes texture as it spoils and usually hardens and moulds. When quinoa spoils, the grains will become slimy, there will be a string effect when the grains separate, and the fibrous substance will be pure white.
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How to prepare quinoa
- Just soaking quinoa seeds in water for half an hour will prepare them for mixing with other smoothie ingredients
- When too much quinoa has cooled completely, divide it into desired portions and transfer them to Ziploc bags
- You will need to cool too much quinoa to room temperature; the quickest way is to spread it on a baking sheet
- Once cooked, quinoa will only last 2 hours at room temperature before it starts to spoil
- Quinoa will spoil if left in the refrigerator for over a week or at room temperature for too long after cooking
Since quinoa is a recent addition to the food market, most people are unsure how long it will keep cooked or raw. Hopefully, after reading this article, you know how long quinoa keeps and what you can do to extend its shelf life and still taste good.
In this article, we’ll focus on quinoa in general and everything you need to do to make it last as long as possible. In this article, I’ll explore what quinoa is, how to store it to extend its shelf life properly, and how to store it in the refrigerator and freezer.
If you use quinoa in your diet, you may wonder if it will spoil or has an expiration date.
| Quinoa | Shelf Life | Shelf Life when Refrigerated | Shelf Life when Frozen |
| Cooked quinoa | 2 hours | 5-7 days | 12 months |
What is the shelf life of quinoa?
Like most other grains and foods, quinoa has a shelf life and spoils after a period of time. Quinoa is a grain; therefore, it has a longer shelf life than other grains in the kitchen cupboard or pantry. Quinoa is a delicate grain that you need to store properly so it doesn’t spoil prematurely. Another way to store quinoa is to put it in a shallow freezer container first and then in the freezer.
Once cooked, store the quinoa in an airtight container, let it cool slightly, and then refrigerate. Place cooked and chilled quinoa in an airtight container and store cooked quinoa in the refrigerator, where it will keep its quality for up to a week. Cooked quinoa will go bad after a few hours, so storing it in the refrigerator in airtight containers is important.
If your quinoa is not mixed with anything and has been immediately refrigerated in an airtight container, it will likely be fine for up to a week.
Ensure the cooked quinoa is at a constant and fresh temperature, as its quality deteriorates with the slightest change in temperature. Ensure raw quinoa is stored in an airtight container to keep moisture from the seeds.
While most packages that come in quinoa are airtight, once you open the package, transfer it to one of the food containers if it doesn’t seal. Since the packaging helps keep the quality of the quinoa, it’s okay as long as the packaging is not opened.
It is very important that the quinoa is stored properly to ensure that it will last as long as it should. When you store quinoa in the pantry, you can expect it to last almost three to four years. If you store cooked quinoa in the refrigerator, it can keep for 5-7 days, and if you store it properly in the freezer, you’ll be surprised to know that it can keep for eight to twelve months.
However, if you have added other ingredients, this can significantly shorten the shelf life of the quinoa in the refrigerator.
It is also important to remember that quinoa should not be stored at room temperature for more than two hours because this also encourages bacteria to multiply, which can cause quinoa to spoil quickly.
How to tell if quinoa has gone bad?
If you suspect that cooked quinoa might be bad, it’s usually fairly easy to spot, as it will show signs of mould growth, discolouration, drying out, or a bad smell.
Always do a full set of checks to ensure quinoa hasn’t gone bad before eating quinoa. You’ll unlikely eat tainted quinoa because it will smell and taste bad, but if you’ve enjoyed any other food, it could make you sick and upset your stomach.
Like most cereals, quinoa is odourless, but it should be discarded if it emits a foul odour similar to stinky feet. If your quinoa tastes bitter or soapy, it must be rinsed with cold water in a shallow colander before cooking.
How to Know if Quinoa is Bad?
You will be sure if you use the right way of storing it. If maintained in a cool, dark place and sealed container after drying, it will last a long period ranging from around 2-3 years. If there is any mould growth, it has gone bad and should be discarded.
Can You Cook Expired Quinoa?
Only if the product has been cooked can you know if it has gone bad. The food is no longer safe to consume if the cooked quinoa has an excessively hard texture or begins to emanate a nasty odour. Toss the cooked quinoa in the garbage if it has become mouldy.
How to store Quinoa after cooking?
Store cooked quinoa in an airtight container for 3-5 days, about a week, or up to 2 months in a fridge. It is also recommended to freeze it in a zip-top bag for up to 10 months.
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