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Last night I put all my beans to soak, forgetting that my plan was to soak and sow only half of them now, and the rest at the end of the month, for a staggered harvest.

Now I need to know whether I can let half of them dry out again, or have I started some sort of germination process that has to follow through?

(These beans have been handed down and grown year after year from seeds that were originally smuggled from Italy about 50 years ago. So I can't just buy more. )

Apologies for the confusing way I phrased that last bit before I edited it!

Thanks!

After 50 years, I don't even know if they would still be viable.

The beans I have now are from last year's crop. A few people have kept them going here for 50 years.

You can’t let them dry again. I would recommend starting them in 5-8 oz plastic or paper drink cups of potting mix. Make drain holes. They will need to be planted before getting overgrown and stunted, and you will need to water and make sure they get good light, protect them from rodents and pests, etc.

Depending on your outdoor temp vs where you start them (indoors?) — the outdoor ones may actually sprout later and grow slower and the started in cup ones will sprout in 1-3 days and get the head start.

...alternative may be to keep the soaked and drained beans in the refrigerator to slow them down until sowing, but they may become moldy unless rinsed and drained regularly like sprouting seeds (2-3 times a day), and they may still suffer from the cold temperature.

Seriously? 50 year old beans? They cannot be viable.

Applestar, thanks. It is supposed to be unseasonably cool for the next week, so I'll try that (leaving half outside and keeping the other half indoors. They'll all be in peat cups)