How to Store Nuts and Seeds
What I store in my pantry, fridge or freezer varies on how fast I move through the items and the quantities I have at the time. Normally I buy nuts, seeds, grains, beans, etc. in bulk from my local grocery store. Buying in bulk is cheap and storing these items makes staying healthy easy. When you’re thinking about how to store nuts and seeds in your kitchen, a few factors including room temperature/what season it is and available kitchen storage space.
Typically, I store what I’ll eat in the upcoming weeks or months in the pantry and the rest in the fridge/freezer. If they’re not stored properly, they‘ll go rancid or stale quickly.
General Rules for Storing Nuts & Seeds:
- Use air-tight containers.
- Glass containers prevent chemicals leaking into your food.
- Whole nuts keep better than chopped, sliced or ground nuts.
- Shelled nuts keep longer than nuts in the shell.
- Roasted nuts spoil faster than raw nuts.
- Nuts absorb odors, keep them away from smelly foods like onions.
- Light, heat, humidity and excess moisture cause nuts to spoil faster.
- Store nuts and seeds at room temperature for 3 months, fridge for 6 months and freezer for a year.
- Label containers with the date of purchase to keep track of which to consume first.
- Pecans, peanuts, and walnuts spoil faster, store them in the fridge first if space is limited. Cashews and almonds are the least prone to spoiling.
Where Do I Buy Bulk Food?
I would recommend buying bulk food from your local grocery store or farmer’s market. Many of these places will let you sample food first, just make sure you ask before trying. Usually these two options will ensure that everything you’re getting is as fresh and in season as possible. Stay away from making bulk food purchases from online retailers, it’s harder to know how long the food has been sitting around. Sometimes what you want isn’t available near you so there are of course exceptions to this rule!
Should I Store Nuts in the Refrigerator or Freezer?
If you have fridge or freezer space I would recommend popping as much as you can in there to keep them fresh so you don’t have to worry about any food going to waste. Nuts will keep maximum freshness and preserve their flavor/texture in the freezer (don’t worry, they won’t freeze because of their low water content).
Where Do I Find My Storage Jars & Labels
I’ve been using most of my jars for several years now. Glass jars are everywhere! Old pickle jars or jelly containers are perfect for storing your nuts and seeds. You can find Ball Jars at the Dollar Store, Home Goods, World Market, etc. I prefer wide-mouth jars so I can easily access my food and refill them.
There’s something very calming about being organized and labeling everything, it makes navigating the kitchen much easer! Recently I gave my jars a facelift with a newlabel maker, but you can also use a permanent marker to label your jars for a quick and simple solution. Labeling is also a efficient way to check in on your inventory and see what you might need to stock up on at the store.
What Storage Jars & Labels I Use for Storing Nuts & Seeds
Interested in seeing what some of my favorite kitchen items are? Stop by my Products I Love page to see what I’m currently using!
Share Your Tips for Storing Nuts & Seeds!
If you have any super rad storage tips or just want to show some love, leave your comments below.
FAQs
Store nuts and seeds at room temperature for 3 months, fridge for 6 months and freezer for a year. Label containers with the date of purchase to keep track of which to consume first.
How do you store nuts and seeds in the pantry? ›
Storing your nuts and seeds in airtight containers is the first step, but it's even more important to keep those babies cold. If you plan to use them in the immediate future, it's fine to store the airtight containers in a cool, dark spot in your pantry. But they'll only last at room temperature for a few months.
Should nuts and seeds be store in a fridge or freezer? ›
Keep Cool & Chilled In The Fridge Or Freezer: They'll last about 3-4 months in any cool, dark space like a pantry, but they'll last much longer- 6+ months in the fridge and even more in the freezer. This can slow down deterioration of the nuts so they won't spoil.
How do you store seeds in a pantry? ›
Seeds can be stored in sealed containers, plastic bags, and wax or paper envelopes. When seeds are stored in sealed containers, ensure that moisture is not trapped within the container; if you see condensation forming inside the jar or container, you may have issues.
What are the storage options for nuts and seeds? ›
Tips to Safely Store Nuts. Contrary to popular belief, nuts should be stored in the fridge or freezer as opposed to a room temperature pantry. Why? Because nuts contain a high amount of unsaturated fat, a delicate type of oil, which makes them highly prone to going rancid.
How do you store nuts in the freezer? ›
The Best Way to Store Nuts
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.)
What is the proper way to store seeds? ›
Keep seeds dry and cool. A temperature between 32° and 41°F is ideal, so your refrigerator can be a good place to store seeds. A small amount of silica-gel desiccant added to each container will absorb moisture from the air and help keep the seeds dry. Craft supply stores sell silica gel in bulk for drying flowers.
Is it better to freeze or refrigerate seeds? ›
Freezing is a great way to store seeds for the long haul. If you're planning on sowing them within a few years, it's probably not going to make a huge difference, though it couldn't hurt. Just be sure: Only freeze seeds that are completely dry.
What will happen if seeds are kept in refrigerator? ›
Seed germination requires a suitable warm temperature. Both very low and very high temperatures are unsuitable for germination. The temperature inside a refrigerator varies between 5∘C to 20∘C and this is certainly very low temperature. Therefore the seeds kept in refrigerator do not germinate.
How do you put seeds in the fridge? ›
Place sand/seed mixture in a ziploc bag and seal. Label the variety and date clearly on the bag. Place in the refrigerator for 1 month before planting. If seedlings start to sprout in the bag in the refrigerator, remove immediately and either plant in the ground or in pots until it's time to plant outdoors.
Once you've found a way to keep your seeds cool, you'll need to find a way to keep them dry. Mason jars and other glass containers are great options for seed storage so long as they are sealable. Ziplock bags, freezer bags and other plastic containers are also great options.
Can you freeze seeds for eating? ›
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.
What are seed storage methods? ›
To store seeds, follow this simple procedure step-by-step:
Store only new, mature, healthy and well-dried seeds. Keep them in dry and cool place to extend their viability. Seeds easily re-absorb moisture. To maintain dryness, keep seeds in air-tight containers like tin cans or glass jars with tight fitting lids.
How to organize nuts in a pantry? ›
General Rules for Storing Nuts & Seeds:
- Use air-tight containers.
- Glass containers prevent chemicals leaking into your food.
- Whole nuts keep better than chopped, sliced or ground nuts.
- Shelled nuts keep longer than nuts in the shell.
- Roasted nuts spoil faster than raw nuts.
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.
How to store nuts and seeds long term? ›
Ideally, nuts should be stored at temperatures around 50 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Additionally, it's essential to place nuts in well-sealed containers to prevent the intrusion of odors and oxygen.
What is the best container to store nuts in? ›
Nuts should be stored in their own airtight containers, such as glass, ceramic, or sturdy plastic containers. Even freezer bags are a good option. In selecting the container it's important to assess them for their airtightness.
Can nuts be stored in ziplock bags? ›
Nuts are pricey these days, so you need to make sure you're storing them correctly for lasting freshness. Glass, plastic containers and our heavy, reclosable ziplock bags are good for storage. Metallic containers, light, moisture and heat will all conspire to spoil nuts more quickly.
Should you refrigerate nuts after opening? ›
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.
