Where is the best place to store walnuts to keep them fresh? (2024)

FAQs

Where is the best place to store walnuts to keep them fresh? ›

Store in air-tight packaging. Store away from foods with strong odors, like cabbage and onions. For short-term storage, keep them in your refrigerator. If you'll be storing them for a month or longer, store them in your freezer.

How to Store Walnuts. Seal loose or bagged walnuts in a large GladWare^® food protection container or Glad^® Zipper Bag. Nuts should be placed in a dry, dark place, preferably the refrigerator.

They have turned rancid if they have a strange odor similar to paint thinner. Throw away rancid walnuts! Store shelled or unshelled walnuts safely in an airtight container and store in a cool, dry place. The refrigerator is a great choice as walnuts will remain fresh for up to three months.

Walnut kernels, or shelled walnuts, can go bad in three months, whereas whole unshelled walnuts have a shelf life of up to a year when properly stored, and will likely still contain high levels of nutrients.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

Nuts with higher fat content, like walnuts and pecans can also go rancid after a few months if stored at too warm a temperature. If you notice that your nuts have taken on a noticeably bitter, sour flavor, they may have entered this unfortunate phase.

Consuming rancid or stale nuts like almonds, walnuts or cashews in small amounts may not immediately make you sick, but it's generally not advisable as it may hamper digestion or have other harmful effects on your body in the long term.

How do you freshen up stale walnuts? ›

The simplest way to revive a stale nut is by dry roasting or toasting it in a pan over a medium heat.

Squirrels are quite happy to eat nuts with or without the shell, indeed it's the process of extracting a nut from its shell gives the squirrel exercise and a way of sharpening its teeth. It is worth noting that peanuts are nutritionally poor for squirrels and salted peanuts should always be avoided.

Shelled walnuts typically last up to 3 months at room temperature. For optimum freshness, they should be kept in an airtight container and possibly stored in the refrigerator to extend their freshness to 6 months.

WHERE TO STORE WALNUTS. When you bring walnuts (shelled or in-shell) home from the store, the best place to store them is in your refrigerator or freezer, depending on when you're going to use them. If you're going to use the walnuts right away, place them in your refrigerator.

If you keep nuts at room temperature, ensure they are away from direct heat; this will maintain their freshness for up to 3 months, considered short-term storage.

This makes nuts prone to rancidity, which ruins their flavor and freshness. So to preserve them, it's best to store nuts in the refrigerator, says Richard LaMarita, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education.

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.