Can Nuts Go Bad?
To put it simply, nuts can go bad with time. This is because they contain unsaturated fats in high amounts along with delicate oils paving the way for spoilage to occur. Furthermore, if they are kept in heat or oxygen, they will get spoiled at a faster rate than normal.
Even if you keep it the straightforward way–in a cool, dry location–your container of macadamia nuts or your container of rice will get spoiled. Unlike my familys salt, sugar, and flour stocks, keeping nuts to keep them from going bad is a little trickier.
Typically, nuts are stored in tight-fitting jars and boxes in cool, dry places to make sure they last. The best way to store nuts if you want to store them long term is by freezing. It will vary, but expect most nuts to last about 2 years if stored that way at room temperature.
All nuts should last at least double as long when stored shell-shelled than once they are shelled. Even with bags opened, shelled nuts should last a full year, while nuts that are kept in their shells should last a year and a half. Once you have opened the package, nuts that are still in their shells usually will last longer than nuts that are already in their shells.
| Storage | Shelf Life |
| In the Pantry | 3 months |
| In the Fridge | 1 year |
| In the Freezer | 3 years |
In a freezer, most nuts will last for two years beyond the expiration date printed on the package. Guidelines vary, but most sources say nuts last up to 3 months in a pantry, 1 year in a fridge, and 3 years in the freezer. You will find that shelled nuts will last 12 months in the freezer, while chopped or crushed nuts last for up to six months.
If you have chopped or ground nuts and you are wondering whether they are still fresh, just sieve through the nuts. If you have peeled nuts, you are going to need to use some senses to tell if they are expired.
If you have not shelled nuts, the shell tells you quite a bit about the quality of the nuts inside. If you find the shell has shrunken, warped, or dried out, you should not bother opening it either, because the nuts are already rancid in this situation.
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In case you wish to keep your unsharmed nuts from turning rancid, there is no need to refrigerate them. This is because the oils within walnuts become rancid after some time, giving them a bitter flavor that makes them unpalatable. The types of nuts that have the most of this fat, like walnuts, pine nuts, and pecans, are the most likely to become rancid.
A sour or bitter taste means that the fats in the nuts are already rancid, and you should throw out the nuts. If you cannot tell by smell whether the nuts are going rancid or not, you may want to do a small taste test to determine the same. If your Brazil nuts are fine, but they do smell a bit stale, then you may want to toast them to extract some extra flavor.
Because Brazil nuts are high in polyunsaturated fats and may expire quickly if not stored correctly, they are recommended to be purchased unshelled and shelled only when needed. When it comes to shelf-life for Brazil nuts, they have quite a long shelf-life if stored correctly. Even though some nuts, if stored correctly, will officially be reaching expiration, they may still be fine and safe to eat, provided that there is no apparent foul smell, discoloration, shrinkage of nutmeat, or rancid flavor. Knowing how to store nuts correctly will help to ensure they will last for an extended period and remain fresh.
If you store your nuts correctly, you can enjoy them anytime you want, without worrying if the nuts are going to spoil. After the best-by date on your bag, most nuts go bad, but a few still keep their freshness if stored correctly. You can expect a good-quality walnut to stay fresh for at least 12 months, provided it is still in its shell. Pine nuts, for example, are fairly expensive and will last for 1-2 months if stored airtight in the fridge.
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For longer-term options, you can freeze nuts (except pepitas) while keeping the flavor intact, as long as you use a freezer-safe, airtight container. If you have an excess of nuts and you need some space to store them for a longer period, consider the freezer or refrigerator. You can even opt to store nuts in a refrigerator if you live in especially warm weather. If you are planning on storing many nuts in a root cellar, consider creating a separate room with controls for keeping humidity levels down.
No matter where you are storing nuts, or which container you are using, be sure that both your containers and the area are clean and dry. You should still place nuts into a sealed container or a vacuum sealed bag before doing so, in order to keep them free from oxygen and humidity. Next, store the nuts in ways that extend their shelf life and maintain their freshness and usability. Nuts will still expire eventually, particularly when stored at higher temperatures, but nuts will last significantly longer than they would have if not stored with an oxygen soaker.
Because honey is a natural preservative that will never spoil, nuts can last for 2+ years when stored in honey — even in room temperature. The healthy oils contained within nuts may turn rancid over time, causing both short-term and long-term health consequences. The bad news is, too, that the oils found in most nuts are mostly healthy, unsaturated varieties, meaning that they are pretty perishable. Because nuts have high amounts of unsaturated fats, which are the gentlest kind of oils, which makes them very susceptible to going rancid.
You will need to store them a certain way so that you can decrease the chances that they go stale. If stored improperly, grains and nuts may become contaminated with molds or yeast, according to Julien Delarue, a sensory and consumer science researcher at UC Davis. Grain and nuts also may go bad – meaning that grains and nuts lose desirable sensory properties as they age, says Julien Delarue. Homegrown nuts that are still in the shell need to be harvested soon after falling off the tree, before they are partly eaten or carried off by squirrels or other predators, and they typically will last for one year when stored properly in a cool, dry place like the pantry or root cellar, and for at least 2 years in the freezer.
How can you tell if nuts are bad?
Eat a tiny bit of your nut after breaking it off. You will dislike the nut’s flavor and taste right away. Nuts that have gone bad have an unpleasant sour or bitter flavor; if that’s how your nuts taste, spit them out right away and throw away the remaining stock.
What happens if you eat rancid nuts?
The sole drawback or disadvantage of consuming rancid nuts will probably be an unpleasant aftertaste and no other significant side effects. However, consuming rotten nuts may seldom cause health issues and aggravate the stomach lining and intestines, this might lead an individual to experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Do nuts go bad in the fridge?
Nuts can stay fresh in this short-term storage for up to three months if they are properly packed. Store nuts in the refrigerator for up to six months of storage, but make sure to keep them away from items with strong aromas like garlics and onions since they nuts can absorb such flavors.