john d hamilton > wrote:

> many thanks. I'm surprised it lasts that long because if i cook beans they
> seem to go 'off' pretty quickly soon after even in the fridge. Would it be
> the salt and chili that preserves the beans in this case, i wonder?

Fresh/canned beans always go bad quickly.

But Chinese black beans have already spoiled under controlled
conditions. The additives make them even more stable.

-sw