This Is How You Store Nuts To Keep Them Fresh
Nuts can go bad if unproperly stored. Therefore, let’s examine how long do nuts last and how to store nuts to keep them fresh.
The best ways to store nuts to keep them fresh are freezing, vacuum sealing and making them into nut butter. The most essential aspect to storing nuts is preserving the oils in the nuts as fresh as you can to prevent them from going rancid.
Nuts packaged in a typical sealed bag have a shelf life of between six to eight months. Therefore, when buying in bulk, you’ll need to separate and store the nuts to preserve them before they can be consumed.
As a Certified Health Coach many people ask me about storing nuts. I consume some every day, so I’ve researched this topic extensively. This blog post will inform you in detail how to accomplish this three different ways.
Disclaimer: Some of links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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How to Freeze Nuts
Freezing nuts to keep them fresh is completely different from freezing other food items where the freezing process can change the taste and texture. The freezing process for nuts does not change their taste or texture whatsoever.
Nuts can be frozen in their shell or out of their shell, and there are several different ways they can be stored in the freezer 1.
Vacuum seal the nuts to freeze them: This is one of the best ways to freeze nuts because it removes the air from the packaging. The less air the better they’ll keep and the longer they will last.
Vacuum sealed nuts can last up to two years in a freezer without losing their taste and texture. This makes vacuum sealing one of the most popular choices for nut storage. In addition, they can be sealed in their shell or out.
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Place them in a plastic freezer bag: Place the nuts in a zip lock bag and squeeze out as much of the air as you can. Seal the zip lock and put that bag into a second zip lock bag. Then squeeze all the air out of the second bag and seal it. This gives the nuts an extra layer of protection in the freezer.
Air-tight container to freeze: This may be the least popular choice for nut storage because it’s more bulky and takes up precious freezer space. This is especially true if you’re keeping them frozen for a long period of time.
Storing nuts in the freezer helps prevent mold and the unwanted effects that warm air and a moist environment can cause 2.
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Vacuum Sealed In A Cool And Dry Place
Vacuum sealing nuts is another way to preserve nuts. It was already mentioned as an option in the freezer, but it works out of it too. If you have a vacuum sealer available to use, this is a helpful tool in your nut preparation and packaging.
However, if you do not have a vacuum sealer and would still like the nuts to be vacuum-sealed, here is a way for you to get the vacuum-sealed effect:
- Get all the nuts ready and packed (but not too tightly) in your zip lock bag.
- Next, close the zip lock seal at the top of the bag almost all the way. Leave a tiny hole just small enough for a straw to fit through.
- Take a straw and insert it into the hole suck out all the air left in the bag until the bag is tightly packed around the nuts. Make sure to squeeze the straw closed in-between breaths so you don’t let any air back in.
- Once the bag is nice and tight, carefully remove the straw and seal the remaining part of the zip lock. Make sure you do not allow any air back in.
Vacuum sealed nuts, when stored correctly in a cool and dry location, can extend their life up to 2 years. The reason people will often choose this option instead of freezing is because they have the same shelf life either way.
Without vacuum sealing, nuts may last up to one year in the refrigerator 3.
Although the freezer guarantees a controlled temperature, whereas your pantry’s temperature could change. Without realizing it has become warm and humid, leads to undesirable conditions to store the nuts.
This may lead to mold and other factors that could make your nuts go bad 4.
Another option is to vacuum sealing the nuts and then store them in the refrigerator instead of in the freezer.
Storing them in the fridge will provide the perfect cool environment ideal for storing nuts in without freezing them. Using this storage method, you’ll be able to have easy access to your nuts for daily snacks.
Although in the case of you opening the seal every other day, you would need to re-vacuum seal the bag each time you open it.
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Nut butter
Another way to preserve nuts is turning them into a homemade nut butter. Depending on the variety of nuts and the recipe you use to make it, homemade nut butter will last anywhere between one month to a year 5.
Typically nut butter stored in the cabinet may last 2-3 months and close to a year in the fridge 6.
Most nut butter will end up having a layer of oil that sits on top of the nut butter. This oil layer acts as a form of protection, preventing harmful bacteria from getting into the nut butter and causing it to go bad.
Nut butter is a delicious way to store and preserve fresh nuts and still be able to use them every day. Unlike keeping them vacuum-sealed, which leads to them being less accessible.
A high speed blender or food processor can be used to make nut butter. The Vitamix blender I use works perfectly for this. Check out my review on the blender I use at home, Vitamix Venturist Blender Review.
If you have any questions to ask me about this article don’t hesitate to comment below or email us. You can find an email on our contact page.
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Can Bananas And Apples Be Stored Together?
- University of California: Nuts: Safe Methods for Consumers to Handle, Store, and Enjoy[↩]
- Oregon State University: Harvesting, Handling, and Storing Nuts from the Home Orchard[↩]
- University of California: Storing and preserving fresh nuts[↩]
- Bastyr University: Proper Storage for Nuts, Oils and Whole Grains[↩]
- FDA: What is the shelf life of peanut butter?[↩]
- National Peanut Board: How Long Will That Peanut Butter Last?[↩]