What is the best way to store nuts. How to properly store shelled walnuts and other nuts at home
If you have already stored nuts in the pantry, you may want to reconsider this step. At room temperature, nuts can be kept fresh for a short period of time, but longer storage requires lower temperatures.
Steps
Room temperature
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Freeze for possible pests. If you are storing nuts found in your own yard or purchased from a local market, you may need to freeze them for up to two days before storing them to kill any pests or eggs.
- Insect eggs and larvae grow well at room temperature. Your eye can't see pests on the surface of the nuts you're picking, but that doesn't mean there aren't any pests. Therefore, fresh nuts must be sterilized by freezing.
- If you store purchased nuts, you do not need to freeze them. The manufacturer had to destroy the pests on the nuts before they were sold.
- Put the nuts in an airtight container and place this container in the freezer. Let the nuts stay there for 48 hours at -18°C or colder.
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Place the nuts in an airtight container. Place the nuts in a glass or plastic container. The container must be clean and dry, with a snap-on or screw-on lid to ensure a complete seal.
- Plastic and glass containers are better than plastic bags. Plastic bags are permeable, so even though the bags seal well, odors can still seep into the space and ruin the flavor of the nuts.
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Keep them for two to four months. Place the jar of nuts in a dark, cool place such as a pantry. Nuts should be fresh for two to four months when you store them this way.
- Chestnuts should never be stored at room temperature. They quickly lose moisture, and mold can actually develop. If you store chestnuts at room temperature, use them within two weeks, as mold usually develops when stored beyond this time period.
- Light can cause nuts to go rancid at a faster rate, so you should never store them on a shelf, kitchen counter, or other area exposed to sunlight.
How to store nuts at home is a topical issue for many. It happens that there was a large harvest of walnuts or it was possible to buy cashews or almonds at a good price, but not everyone knows how to store nuts, but this is important, because under improper storage conditions the product can become bitter, moldy, and then it will not fit for food.
How to store nuts at home?
Any nuts, even in a peel, even without it, can be stored at home without any problems. If you know how to store nuts at home, what are the optimal conditions and parameters of temperature and humidity so that the product does not deteriorate too quickly, then there will be no problems.
- Pre-treatment of nuts for storage may include drying the product in the oven. In this case, part of the moisture will evaporate, and therefore the mold will not be terrible.
- It must be remembered that no type of nuts can be stored in plastic bags.
- Nuts can absorb odors strongly, and therefore they cannot be stored with other aromatic products.
Not everyone is wondering how to properly store nuts at home, but if you do not study it thoroughly, you may encounter mold inside the shell instead of tasty kernels. Below are the most acceptable storage conditions:
- The most optimal storage conditions for nuts are temperatures from +10 to -5 degrees and humidity up to 40%.
- It is better to store nuts in a dark room, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
- Nuts are conveniently stored in cloth bags, a cardboard box or a wooden box.
- Once every 1-2 months, nuts should be checked for mold and damaged items removed.
Storage is not as long as in the shell. There is a risk that after a month or a little more, the kernels may start to taste bitter. To prevent this from happening, you need to listen to the recommendations presented below.
- If the peeled kernels are stored at room temperature, then they must be placed in a glass or metal container with a lid and kept in a dark place.
- If the peeled nuts are placed in a container in a cold place, then the storage time can increase up to six months.
- The freezer allows you to store kernels packed in portioned bags for up to a year.
Storage is quite possible. At the same time, nuts can be stored both in shell and in peeled form. When toasted, these nuts have an excellent taste, but it is worth considering the fact that they are not stored in this form, but immediately deteriorate.
- The nuts must be dried before storage. Otherwise, wet elements will become moldy.
- Inshell nuts can be stored in bags in a cool, well ventilated and dry area for up to 3 months.
- Unshelled nuts can only be preserved if they are placed in a glass jar with a lid and placed in the refrigerator.
Storage of nuts has its own characteristics. If you take them into account, then the shelf life of this very tasty and healthy product can be significantly increased. But this applies only to a natural product - salted, roasted hazelnuts cannot be stored for a long time.
- Hazelnuts should be stored in a cool dry place in closed containers made of natural materials or tight bags, while the second option is preferable.
- At a temperature of +3 to +12 degrees, inshell hazelnuts will be suitable for consumption within a year, and at a temperature of 0 +3 degrees, the shelf life will increase to 2-3 years.
- You can not store hazelnuts with other types of nuts. Hazelnuts bought at different times are also not recommended to be mixed.
- The cleaned product in a closed container in a dry place with a temperature of up to +10 degrees can be stored for no more than 3 months.
Almonds are valued for their interesting taste and health benefits. Regular use of this product has a positive effect on teeth, nails and hair. Storing nuts at home is quite possible if you follow the rules below.
- The optimum temperature for storage is plus 16-18 degrees.
- Relative humidity in rooms should not exceed 70%.
- Vacuum-packed almonds can be stored for up to six months.
- Peeled almonds in a plain bag will go rancid quickly at room temperature.
- Peeled almonds are best placed in a glass container with a lid and placed in a cellar or other dry and cool place.
Only those nuts that are well ripened are subject to long-term storage. Shaking them, the characteristic noise of the nuclei should be heard. But the problem is that it is problematic to buy nuts in the shell, they are mainly sold in their shelled form. Below are the rules for their storage:
- The storage temperature of nuts in a cleaned state should not exceed +8 degrees.
- The storage location should be dark and not damp.
- Nuts should not be stored in bags; it is better to place them in containers with lids so that the product does not absorb foreign odors.
- The shelf life of nuts after roasting is significantly reduced. Roasted, salted or sweet nuts can be stored for up to 3 weeks.
How to store cashew nuts at home?
How to store cashew nuts so that they remain healthy, nutritious and tasty as long as possible is a question of interest to many housewives. If you bought them and didn’t eat them right away, this is not a problem, you can just leave them for a couple of days in a vase on the table. If it turned out that you bought a lot of nuts, you need to know how to store them properly.
- At a temperature of plus 16-18 degrees and a humidity of about 75%, nuts in a container with a lid can be stored for up to a month.
- Vacuum-packed cashews can be stored for up to 6 months.
- In a closed jar in the refrigerator, nuts can be stored for up to 3 months.
How to store twisted nuts?
If you have walnuts, dried fruits and honey, you can prepare an incredibly healthy and tasty vitamin mixture. At your discretion, in addition to nuts, you can put dates, figs, dried cherries, lemon in it. The shelf life of walnuts in a twisted form with related components in the refrigerator reaches a month.
The relevance of the question of how to store peeled walnuts became especially urgent after they began to widely promote its nutritional and beneficial properties. Getting the nut kernel out of the shell is difficult, and not everyone wants to engage in this laborious process, so walnuts have appeared on sale in an already peeled form. Storage problems arose after it turned out that nuts have a significant nutritional calorie content, so their excessive consumption can be more harmful than their absence in the diet. You can eat no more than 7 full-fledged, shelled nucleoli per day, and the rest, purchased by the kilogram or polished for sale, must somehow be protected from spoilage.
It is theoretically known how to store walnuts that have not been peeled, even though they are significantly spoiled during the winter - the nucleoli dry out, turn black, some of them were initially affected by garden pests, which the shell successfully hid. Few of those who sell nuts in the markets know that in order to preserve them, certain precautions must be taken during collection and additional manipulations for preservation. And even more so, they do not take into account that the shelf life of nuts is limited. And this is all the knowledge necessary for the maximum safety of a valuable product.Inshell nuts: collection conditions, precautions
The shelf life of walnuts is a variable value, depending on many components. First of all, certain deadlines must be observed. Those that are collected in the early period, when most of the fruits are still on the branches, are generally unsuitable for long-term storage. Early fall indicates the absence of the necessary nutrients for full ripening in the tree, or the presence of pests in the fallen fruits. If the fruits were showered as a result of strong winds or heavy rains with squalls, then the maximum that can be done with them is to dry and peel, and then eat. During storage, the so-called young nut loses moisture from the nucleolus, with which it was saturated for further ripening, therefore, instead of a fragile, special-tasting kernel, we get a shrunken and tasteless core.
Only mature nuts should be harvested, and this is determined differently in different climatic conditions. Most often, the collection of fruits begins during the period of intense leaf fall. By this time, most of the fruits themselves fall from the tree, the rest are shaken off. If this happens easily, then the nuts are already ripe. This should be done in dry, relatively warm weather, but if such a collection is not possible due to weather conditions, then the fruits should certainly be dried. Sometimes they are laid out in utility rooms on a bed of paper, which absorbs excess moisture that comes through.
Expecting that the shelf life will be long, that is, the nuts are not intended for instant consumption, it is better to calcine them in the oven immediately after drying, after separating the remains of the green shell in which they ripen. Sufficiently dried nuts are easily cleaned of it, by that time already blackened and shrunken, and remain in the usual for the eyes, hard and brownish shell - a natural shell.
The shelf life of walnuts depends on drying and proper roasting. Drying ensures that they are not affected by mold, calcining protects them from moths and other possible pests. For the second action, the fruits are placed on a baking sheet and kept for about an hour in an oven at a low temperature.
The best place to store inshell nuts is in a warm, dry or moderately cool place, in which they are placed in a paper or linen bag, or a cardboard box.
In this form, in the shell, they can easily stand all winter.
The only requirement for a place to store even specially roasted nuts is the absence of moisture. Therefore, they should not be stored in places where exposure to natural conditions or atmospheric humidity is possible. In this case, even storage in the shell will not protect against mold.
Storage of pre-purified kernels
The shelf life of pre-peeled nuts depends on the storage temperature. If it is indoor, then the kernels do not withstand more than 3-4 weeks. They dry out, shrink, first lose their taste, and then completely become rancid. In this form, their use as food will not bring anything but harm. The most optimal is storage at a low temperature, with a humidity not exceeding 70%. To do this, in private houses, a cellar or a cold outbuilding is used, where there is no high humidity. At the same time, the owners carefully monitor the storage of the product, periodically checking whether mold has started. Such precautions are taken when storing in the shell, but shelled nuts require more careful attention.
In an urban environment, there are three possible ways to ensure the preservation of already freed nuts:
- in a glass jar with a polyethylene lid (for daily use);
- in a plastic container with a lid or in ceramic, glassware in the refrigerator;
- in the freezer, in a sealed plastic bag.
A small amount of nuts (up to a kilogram) can be stored in a glass jar with a lid, provided that they are constantly eaten or used as a food ingredient (for example, in confectionery, pastries). In the refrigerator, they will last much longer, about 1.5–2 months. In the freezer (frozen and provided the bag is sealed) they can be stored for up to a year. Some housewives, regularly using nuts as an ingredient in cooking, chop the nuts in a blender.
This makes it possible to save space in the refrigerator and at the same time not waste time on daily grinding.
The main factors that can extend the shelf life
There are not very many basic tricks on how to properly store walnuts. People have long learned to keep them until spring, and for many centuries they have correctly used the knowledge gained. The main postulates are as follows:
- To store nuts, a certain temperature regime is required. The higher the storage temperature, the shorter their shelf life.
- In a purified form, whole kernels should be stored and without any additives. This means that they must be sorted out, freed from the shell and jumpers, as well as from low-quality parts (dried, darkened, changed appearance). Less than the prescribed period, those in which salt, sugar, honey, and other food components are added are stored.
- Storage of green nuts is impossible, so you can only make jam from them, which is desirable to use in the same year.
- Roasted nuts without shells quickly dry out and become deformed. Some people confuse frying and frying. Those that are not shelled are fried, but already peeled walnut kernels are fried - to give them certain taste qualities.
- Storage in polyethylene is possible only in the freezer. In other cases, it should be ceramic, tin or glassware or a container that must be hermetically sealed.
- Crushed kernels are stored less than whole ones.
- Without a shell, even under all conditions, a peeled nut is unlikely to be preserved for more than six months. The exception is freezing, but under one condition - an infrequent change in temperature. Therefore, the kernels should be frozen in small portions so as not to pull out into the heat and not defrost those that are not needed at the moment.
If you follow all the above rules, then all winter, from the moment when the nuts are harvested, and almost until April, they can be stored without much loss of taste, appearance and valuable components, which have become the reason for the fashion for their increased consumption.
Preservation and treatment at the same time
In folk medicine, walnut products are widely used, which can serve as a method of short-term preservation, while at the same time providing a therapeutic effect.
As a remedy for indigestion, a tincture of green nuts in 70-degree alcohol is used. Infusion is carried out for 2 weeks in a dark, cool place, and the presence of alcohol components ensures a long shelf life.
Postoperative nut balm is made from peeled and crushed kernels, filled with boiling water, to which finely chopped aloe leaves and honey are added. All this can be stored for a long time in a glass jar with a lid if placed in the refrigerator.
A tincture prepared with alcohol from walnut partitions obtained by peeling the kernel from the shell is used to treat endemic, toxic goiter, mastopathy, in case of menstrual irregularities and as a diuretic.
To strengthen the heart muscle, stimulate the immune system, so as not to get sick with colds, you can prepare a mixture of lemons with peel, dried apricots, raisins, chopped nuts and honey, which is also stored in the refrigerator for a long time.
Daily use of it on an empty stomach, one tablespoon will greatly facilitate life throughout the cold season.
The enumeration of the beneficial properties of walnut kernels should not lead to their immoderate eating. It should be remembered that, like every medicine, herbal benefits also have their own contraindications, their overabundances, which are called overdose in medical circles.
Why and to whom an overabundance of nuts is harmful
This product may cause individual allergic reactions, especially in people who are prone to them, and in those who suffer from intolerance to vegetable proteins. Its excessive use is not recommended for stomach ulcers, duodenal ulcers and gastritis with high acidity. Strongly not recommended for pancreatitis at any stage.
With neurodermatitis and psoriasis, the use of walnuts can cause a significant exacerbation. People with overweight, obesity, diabetes should be especially careful with this product, because it is distinguished by a very high calorie content. With urticaria and diathesis, the use of nuts aggravates the course of the disease. Very carefully should be used by people with increased blood clotting. If possible, then with such a diagnosis, nuts should be discarded.
Children can be given nuts from the age of 2, it is better to chop them before eating, and if the child has problems with the intestines, then it is better to refrain from nuts for some time.
Fashion for healthy products is a temporary and relative thing, but still some products have been used by people for thousands of years. If nuts are bought already peeled, then you should purchase a quality product and try to use it before the kernels change their appearance. And it is better to make use within reasonable limits, trying so that what is used for good does not become eaten for harm. Because even the most useful product, eaten in non-recommended quantities, can harm health.
The taste of walnuts has sunk into my soul since childhood, so I always have them in reserve. And if the nuts are stored in the shell for quite a long time, then I still don’t know what to do with the already peeled kernels. I propose to figure out together how to store peeled walnuts at home.
Quality comes first
Most often, nuts are sold in shell, so when buying, you need to pay attention to:
- Surface must be clean, without the remains of the dried peel;
- Whole shell, without visible large cracks and chips;
- Whole nuts should be about the same size.(example in the photo below);
- When shaking, there should be no extraneous sounds(if you hear the kernel shaking inside, it means that it has already dried up and such nuts do not have nutritional properties).
Shelf life of inshell walnuts— up to 6 months at temperatures from 0 to +10 °C.
Nuts canbuy and already cleaned condition, but their price will be slightly higher. What you should pay attention to:
- Smell- fresh nucleoli have a pleasant woody aroma;
- Taste- if bitterness is present, then the product is not the first freshness;
- Appearance- stains, mold, insects and their larvae - all this is a reason to refuse a purchase.
Storage specifics
There are many ways to store walnuts, but before proceeding with the harvesting process itself, the kernels must be properly prepared:
Step 1: Clean up
Let's find out how to process and how to peel walnuts with your own hands.
Primary processing:
- Nuts must be carefully sorted, empty and blackened - throw away;
- Remove peel and leaves;
- Sort again and remove already cracked shells.
Now instructions on how to peel a nut from the shell:
Image Recommendations 
Method 1. Bag + hammer. - Fold in a small bag or wrap nuts in burlap;
- Tap on top with a hammer;
- Take out the already peeled kernels.
It is imperative to wrap nuts in burlap, so pieces of the shell will not scatter throughout the room.
Method 2. Nutcracker. Place whole nuts in the nutcracker opening and squeeze the handles.
Method 3. Boiling water + knife. Dip the treat in boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. After this time, cracking the shell will become much easier: you can simply squeeze it with your hands or use a knife.
Method 4. Oven. How to roast nuts in the oven so that they can be easily cleaned later? It is necessary to spread them on a baking sheet and send them to the oven for 10-15 minutes at a temperature of 200-220 ° C.
After the shell can be removed manually.
Method 5. Tools. It is easy to crack the shell using pliers, some keys and processing machines.
A wrench is used as an example.
Step 2 Wash
At this stage, we will figure out how to wash peeled walnuts. The algorithm is quite simple: pour the kernels with warm water and mix thoroughly.
After washing, remove the grains from the water with a slotted spoon and dry them by spreading them on a terry towel. Now you can start packing.
Step 3. Packing
Storage of walnuts at home in a shelled form is significantly different from storage in the shell.
- The kernels must be packaged in sealed tins or glass jars. and hide in a dark place. At constant (room) temperature, the shelf life will be 2-3 weeks.
- If you put the nuts in glass jars and put on the side shelf of the refrigerator– the shelf life will increase up to 6 months;
- You can put the kernels in freezer bags, tightly tie and send to the freezer. The term will be up to 12 months.
There are several more methods how to properly store shelled walnuts. For example, you can cook canned blanks. Nuts in honey, caramel or alcohol are stored for up to several years.
Summary
Nuts are a real storehouse of macro- and microelements that allow you to maintain the health and tone of the whole organism. Their undoubted advantage is the possibility of long-term storage, subject to certain conditions.
How to choose good nuts
When you're in front of a store full of different types of nut products, it's important to choose carefully.
It is better to buy nuts in the shell. This way they stay fresh longer.
Nuts must meet the following criteria:
- not have damage and chips;
- not be broken (if peeled kernels are purchased) and too dried;
- the shade of the shell must be uniform, the presence of spots and traces of mold is not allowed on it;
- kernels of peeled products should be of a healthy shade, not wrinkled and even.
It is important to pay attention to the countries of origin. For example, it is preferable to take French walnuts, Iranian pistachios, cashews from the Middle East, and Chinese peanuts.
Walnut
- rich aroma;
- shade from pale yellow to dark brown;
- taste oily, bitter;
- The texture is crispy, firm and slightly moist.
Cashew
- light;
- whole;
- no odors of decay.
They are chosen solely according to taste preferences, the variety of varieties does not make it possible to determine the characteristic features of a quality product.
Hazelnut
- heaviness;
- no sound when shaking;
- light brown kernels;
- sweet woody scent.
Cedar
- uniform color of the shell;
- the same size of slightly moist kernels;
- the presence of a black dot on the shell;
- lack of plaque;
- pleasant aroma.
Brazilian nut
- no sound when shaking;
- the presence of weight;
- Smooth surface;
- bright color of the nucleus.
Which nuts can be stored for a long time
Nuts are made to last. They were found by archaeologists during excavations of the most ancient burial mounds and pyramids of Egypt. Moreover, the specimens found had excellent taste and aroma.
This fact is explained by the fact that in the pyramids, closed from the influence of the environment, an even regime of temperature and humidity was maintained.
Modern realities do not allow storing nuts for such a long time, due to the constant exposure to heating devices, sunlight and high levels of humidity in apartments.
The general rule is that a whole nut can be stored (under certain conditions) for up to six months, and peeled - no more than 2 months.
Do I need to wash nuts
It is better to wash the peeled nuts after purchase. They cannot be soaked in water for a long time, it is enough to lower them into a container with liquid, mix thoroughly, wash, clean them of dirt and take them out. After that, the product is dried in a microwave or oven.
It is better to purchase unpeeled kernels, in which oxidation processes proceed more slowly, which means that the valuable fatty acids contained in nuts are preserved.
Features of storing nuts of different types
Proper preparation for storage is very important:
- sort and remove spoiled specimens with damaged shells;
- clean (if necessary);
- wash in warm water;
- dry on a towel;
- pack up.
walnut
Purified kernels store:
- in jars made of tin or glass, hermetically sealed, standing in a dark place, for 3 weeks;
- in glass on the side shelf of the refrigerator - six months;
- in bags for freezing in the freezer - a year.
Green walnuts
Preparation for storage of this type of nut products consists in thoroughly drying freshly harvested kernels. They do not need to be washed.
Required air temperature in the range of 10 to 20 degrees. So green nuts will lie for a week.
Pine nuts in shell
Pine nuts require thorough drying before storage. To ensure their safety from damage at home:
- store in air-permeable bags, glass or ceramic jars;
- keep the container tightly closed, occasionally opening it for ventilation;
- put on the refrigerator door or in the pantry, where the nuts will lie for 3 months.
Shelled pine nuts
Peeled cedar kernels are best eaten immediately. If there is a need to hold them a little, it is important to follow these rules:
- tightly closed container;
- lack of contact with moisture, light and air;
- stored in a refrigerator, where the kernels will not lose their properties for 3 months.
Almond
Choose a storage location that is cool and dry. Pre-sterilize the container and close the lid to ensure tightness.
Almonds are stored:
- in the refrigerator - up to a year;
- in the freezer - from 2 to 3 years;
- in the pantry - 6 months.
Almonds that have acquired a bitter smell and bitter taste are unfit for consumption and must be disposed of immediately.
Hazelnut
Hazelnuts, if optimal conditions are created, can be stored at home for a very long time, even for several years. Naturally, we are talking only about crude kernels.
Nuances of hazelnut storage:
- peeled kernels, whether fried, salted or glazed, cannot be kept for a long time;
- the best container for hazelnuts is a ceramic or glass container with a lid;
- the temperature should be low - at the level of 0-12 degrees, and the place should be protected from the penetration of sunlight.
Peanut
Peanuts, if the preservation rules are not followed, begin to release oils and acquire a bitter taste and smell.
- do not store peanuts in plastic, but only in glass (in sterilized containers) or ceramics;
- store in the refrigerator or freezer, which will significantly extend the shelf life of the cores (from 4 to 9 months);
- nuts that have been fried or sprinkled with salt should not be stored for more than 2 weeks;
- to increase shelf life, bake the kernels for 10 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 50 degrees.
Cashews, peeled
Cashews, shelled, keep intact without any problems if you put them away from the central heating and the place of cooking. In darkness and relative dryness, in proper packaging, the crop will lie for at least 4 weeks.
Shelf life:
- in the refrigerator - up to 2 months;
- in the freezer - up to 6 months.
Brazilian nut
Only those Brazil nuts that are fully ripe and have not yet begun to spoil can be saved from spoilage.
Peculiarities:
- exclude the penetration of sunlight;
- store in the refrigerator;
- close the container with a lid;
- freeze to lengthen the time;
- store only uncleaned foods;
- do not mix with other types of nuts.
In the refrigerator, at a temperature of 2-8 degrees, Brazil nuts will last for 2 years.
Are nuts stored in the refrigerator?
Nuts of different types are perfectly stored in the refrigerator.
- store in a hermetically sealed glass container;
- place the container on the lower shelves of the refrigerator or on an unheated balcony in winter;
- keep nuts in the refrigerator for up to 1 year (this applies to almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts), others are a little less.
Can nuts be stored in the freezer?
Frost lengthens the shelf life of any nuts.
- pour the product into a clean and dry container (a vacuum bag will do, but only if there are no strongly smelling products nearby, the smells of which it will quickly absorb);
- store a container of nuts from 1 to 3 years (provided that the temperature is maintained at 18 degrees below zero).
The expiration dates of nuts lying in the freezer end:
- chestnuts and almonds - 1 year;
- walnuts and pecans - 2 years;
- pistachios - 3 years.
Can different nuts be stored together?
Different types of nuts should not be stored together in the same container. This is especially true of Brazil nuts and peanuts. If you break the rule, it is likely that the products will absorb the smells of each other, which will disrupt their taste. Some types of kernels contain a lot of moisture and oil, which will negatively affect their joint storage with other nuts.
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