If you want to keep walnuts in your pantry, there are a few things you need to consider before taking action. Room temperature keeps walnuts fresh for only a short period of time, but a colder place is required for long-term storage.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: At Room Temperature
Step 1. Freeze the parasites
If you want to keep nuts that you have collected in your garden or that you have bought in the market, you need to be sure that they do not contain pests. To do this, freeze the nuts for two days, which will kill both the adult insects and the eggs.
- Insect eggs and larvae proliferate at room temperature. You may not be able to spot them with the naked eye, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. The freezing process sterilizes the nuts.
- If you want to keep walnuts that you bought at the supermarket, there is no need to freeze them. The manufacturer has already killed the parasites before selling them.
- Place the walnuts in airtight containers and place them in the freezer. Wait 48 hours, the freezer should be set to a temperature of -18 ° C or less.
Step 2. Pack the walnuts in an airtight glass or plastic container
It should be clean and dry, with a lid that screws on or closes tightly so that no odor gets in.
Glass or plastic containers are more suitable than bags. The latter are permeable and, even if provided with a good seal, odors can penetrate and contaminate the contents
Step 3. Store the walnuts for 2-4 months
Place the jar containing them in a cool dark place, such as the pantry. This way you can keep them for 2-4 months.
- Chestnuts should never be kept at room temperature. They lose their hydration very quickly and can generate mold. If you decide to store them this way, make sure you consume them within two weeks at the latest.
- Light causes nuts to turn rancid quickly, so you should never store the container on your kitchen counter, shelf, or other exposed location.
Method 2 of 3: In the refrigerator
Step 1. Place the walnuts in an airtight glass or plastic container
Make sure it's impervious to odors, dry and clean, and with a screw-on or airtight lid.
- Note that insect eggs and larvae are no problem when you decide to store nuts in the fridge. Even if they were present, long storage at low temperatures prevents them from hatching.
- Plastic and glass jars are more suitable than bags. Nuts have a tendency to absorb odors, and bags are not waterproof in this respect. Otherwise, the aroma of the walnuts would be contaminated during storage.
Step 2. Chill the walnuts and store them for two months or even up to a year
The refrigerator should have a temperature of 4 ° C or lower. Preserved in this way, the walnuts last up to 12 months. However, remember that there are varieties that go rancid faster.
- Almonds, pecans, pistachios and walnuts stay fresh for a year, regardless of whether you store them with or without their shells.
- If left in their shells, chestnuts can be kept for 2-3 months in the fridge. If removed from the shell they last up to a year. These are fruits that quickly lose their hydration and go rancid before other nuts.
- Heat and light spoil the nuts, so keep them in a dark, cold place.
Method 3 of 3: In the Freezer
Step 1. Pack the nuts in airtight containers
Make sure there is as little air as possible and that the container is waterproof, plastic or glass. The closure must prevent odors from penetrating. The container must be dry and clean.
- Since you will freeze the nuts to preserve them, there is no need for a preliminary freezing to kill the eggs and parasite larvae.
- Plastic bags are also acceptable for this method, although containers remain the best solution. The bags are permeable and odors can penetrate inside, contaminating the nuts.
Step 2. Freeze walnuts for 1-3 years
The temperature must be -18 ° C or lower, to guarantee the preservation of dried fruit for up to 3 years. Some varieties of nuts also resist for a longer time.
- Almonds and chestnuts can stay in the freezer for about a year. Pecans and walnuts in the strict sense up to two, while pistachios can remain frozen for up to three years. These times apply to both frozen nuts in the shell and shelled ones.
- Heat and light quickly turn nuts rancid. Storing them in the freezer limits their exposure, ensuring a long life.
Advice
- Rancid walnuts aren't necessarily bad for your health, but they have a bad, pungent taste. So it is advisable not to eat them.
- Note that chestnuts need to be rehydrated after freezing or chilling them. To do this, soak them in cold water for 3-4 hours before eating them.
