Freezing Nuts and Seeds - Farm Fresh Nuts (2024)

How to Store Them Longer and Keep Them Fresher

Freezing nuts and seeds keeps them fresher longer and prevents them from going rancid.

This is great for bakers, chefs and anyone who buys in bulk.

Plus buying in bilk is much cheaper than buying one cup portions at a time from the grocery store.

Save even more by stocking up when nuts are on sale during the winter holiday baking season around November.

I try to buy all the nuts I’ll use for a year around this time.

If we don’t bake much they’ll easily last two years in the freezer.

Walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, pistachios, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, buckwheat, wheat berries are just a short list of freezable nuts and seeds.

I like tofreeze squash and pumpkin seedsduring the fall season as well because we get more from the garden than we can eat at harvest time.

Freeze before or after roasting.

Freezing Nuts and Seeds

Freezing nuts is easy! Put them in a plastic freezer bag, label it and add it to yourfreezer inventory sheet.Use a glass freezer container if you want to keep your nuts looking pretty and make sure they won’t get damaged or break during storage.
I don’t bother to flash freeze nuts because I’ve never had a problem with them freezing into a large lump and it’s highly unlikely unless they were to get wet for some reason.For long storage consider double bagging the nuts so they don’t share their smells, or worse, pick up other smells in the freezer.
Freezing Nuts and Seeds - Farm Fresh Nuts (1)Freeze pecans in glass so they don’t break or in a freezer bag for the most flexibility.

Shelled or Unshelled?
You can freeze nuts either way. Unshelled nuts are faster for cooking, baking, garnishing dishes or eating as a snack. Leaving them shelled doesn’t increase shelf life in the freezer.

Make sure the shell is cracked so the nutmeat has room to expand.

Chopped, Unchopped Or Ground?
Freeze them however you are most likely to use them.

Salted or Unsalted?
Either one will freeze fine. I prefer to buy unsalted nuts because they give more flexibility for cooking and baking. Plus salt decreased the shelf life of fats in the freezer.

Thaw or Reheat Nuts

You don’t have to thaw nuts but if you’re eating them as is, such as on top of ice cream or in a trail mix you might want to let them get to room temperature.

For cooking or baking use nuts from frozen. A quick way to reheat nuts is to roast them slightly in a pan or in the oven.

How Long Can You Freeze Nuts?

Most sources say six months, but many people keep nuts at room temperature that long.

I don’t recommend buying orfreezing more of anything, including nuts, than you can use in one year.

Why waste the space? If you want to buy a huge portion see if a friend or family member wants to split it with you.

That said, I do find myself freezing nuts and seeds up to two years for my Christmas baking.

Will previously frozen raw nuts and seeds still sprout later?

Yes, they will and that means they are still considered raw for people eating only a raw diet.

Freezing Nuts and Seeds - Farm Fresh Nuts (2024)

FAQs

Freezing Nuts and Seeds - Farm Fresh Nuts? ›

Refrigerate or Freeze

Will freezing nuts keep them fresh? ›

You may think it's a nutty idea, but the best place to keep nuts is in the freezer! Nuts contain a lot of oil and can become rancid if stored in the pantry. Instead, place them in separate airtight containers or sealable plastic bags, then label, date and freeze for up to six months.

How to store nuts so they don't go rancid? ›

The Best Way to Store Nuts

The refrigerator, yes, but specifically, LaMarita recommends refrigerating nuts in air-tight glass jars. Store any extra nuts in the freezer in the bags they came in, he says. (If you don't have the original bags, consider using a freezer-safe air-tight container instead.)

Is it okay to freeze walnuts and almonds? ›

For longer term storage, the freezer will keep nuts fresh up to a year. As the water content is low, freezing won't affect the taste.

How long will nuts stay fresh? ›

Shelf life of raw nuts

Depending on the type, they can range from six to nine months when stored in a pantry or other dry place. However, some types, such as pine nuts, have a shorter shelf life of approximately two months. On the other hand, almonds can last the longest, approximately nine to twelve months.

How long do nuts and seeds last in the freezer? ›

Whole raw nuts can be stored in the freezer for up to one year. Chopped nuts, ground nuts, or nut flours — all of which contain more surface area for oxidation — are quicker to spoil and should only be stored for up to six months.

What containers to store nuts in freezer? ›

You can use Tupperware, plastic baggies, freezer bags, or even mason jars. Glass and plastic containers are preferred over plastic bags.

Can you eat nuts 2 years out of date? ›

Yes, nuts can generally be eaten after their expiration date if they have been stored properly and show no signs of spoilage. How do you tell if nuts are rancid or spoiled? Rancid nuts have an unpleasant, bitter taste and a putrid smell. They may also appear shriveled or have a slimy texture.

Is it OK to eat slightly rancid nuts? ›

If a nut is only slightly stale, says Kanney, it can usually still be toasted to revive some of its previous glory and (crunch). However, Kanney says, “If a nut has spoiled or gone rancid, recognizable by a sour or bitter flavor, the nut is no longer good and should be thrown away.”

How do you increase the shelf life of nuts? ›

Store Them in Airtight Containers in the Freezer

Because it helps to extend their shelf life, making them last anywhere from six months to over one year! Nuts and seeds, in particular, are full of fats and oils that, while generally considered shelf-stable, are components that have a limited shelf life.

Can you freeze nuts in mason jars? ›

Pecans (and almost any food) can be preserved in Mason jars. This method frees up your freezer space, and there is no freezer burn.

Can I freeze a bag of walnuts? ›

HOW TO STORE WALNUTS. If you buy walnuts in sealed packaging, you can store the walnuts in their original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Once you open the bag, transfer the walnuts to an airtight container to maintain freshness and then place them back in the refrigerator or freezer.

How many walnuts to eat per day? ›

How many walnuts should you eat in a day? A 2021 article on the effect of walnut consumption found that consuming 30–60 grams of walnuts daily is beneficial for heart health. 30–60 grams is the same as 1–2 ounces or a 1/4–1/2 cup of walnuts.

Which nuts are prone to mold? ›

All nuts (except for coconuts) are suspect for mold: Brazil nuts, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and cashews are some of the worst offenders, even though they're some of the healthiest fats for weight loss.

Can you freeze nuts in the shell? ›

According to Lindsay, you can keep an unopened bag of shelled or in-shell nuts in the fridge or freezer for two years (!). Even if the bag's been opened, shelled nuts should last an entire year, and in-shell nuts will last about a year and a half.

How can you tell when nuts have gone bad? ›

Nuts smell sour and rancid and aren't quite pleasant. In terms of texture, stale nuts tend to feel softer and lose their trademark crunch when stale. Lastly, rancid nuts taste just like how they smell – sour and bitter.

Does freezing nuts change the texture? ›

We let the nuts cool, placed them in zipper-lock freezer bags, and stored them in the freezer for a month. When brought back to room temperature, these nuts were indistinguishable from batches of freshly toasted nuts.

Does refrigerating nuts keep them fresh? ›

Nuts' fragile unsaturated fats can go rancid quickly. While that may not hurt your health, it can definitely be bad news for flavor. Keep nuts tasting fresh by stowing them in a sealed plastic or glass container in the refrigerator for four to six months.

Should walnuts be kept in the freezer? ›

HOW TO STORE WALNUTS. If you buy walnuts in sealed packaging, you can store the walnuts in their original packaging in the refrigerator or freezer. Once you open the bag, transfer the walnuts to an airtight container to maintain freshness and then place them back in the refrigerator or freezer.

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