Quick Tip: Store Nuts in the Freezer

We stocked up on nuts this past weekend in anticipation of all the holiday baking we have planned in the next two months. A while back, we learned that the best place to keep nuts for long-term storage like this is actually the freezer, not the pantry. Here's why!

All nuts have a super high in oil content. This is what makes them so delicious, after all! But because they're so high in oil, nuts can easily go rancid from light and heat exposure. They also tend to absorb odors from the environment around them.

For these reasons, it's best to store nuts in opaque, air-tight containers in the fridge or freezer. The cool temperatures slow down staling and prevents rancidity while the dark space further protects them from light damage. They don't contain a lot of water, so nuts can be frozen for quite some time without causing damage to their basic structure or flavor.

Do you store your nuts in the freezer, too, or do you do something different?

(Image: Flickr member beggs licensed under Creative Commons)

Comments (8)

I store my nuts in the pantry but it hasn't been an issue because I fly through them so quickly. Sometimes I take a little longer to go through my almond flour, so I store that in the fridge.

posted by syrupandhoney on October 27th 2009 at 8:43am
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I learned this from Mark Bittman several months ago. Like syrupandhoney, I go through nuts very quickly (if I know I have some, I will snack on them)--but they are oh-so-good straight from the freezer.

posted by Onepot on October 27th 2009 at 9:33am
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I store them in the freezer. No issues at all for me.

posted by Dan O on October 27th 2009 at 9:53am
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Wow, who knew?! I will put them in the freezer or fridge as soon as I get home....especially since I normally store them right next to my spices in the pantry. Whoops.

posted by cptmoll on October 27th 2009 at 12:26pm
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Oops. My nuts get stored in pretty jars on a shelf and serve double-duty as decoration. And I don't use them very quickly, either.

posted by iphigenia on October 27th 2009 at 1:25pm
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This is such a good tip, thanks.

posted by Sian on October 28th 2009 at 6:04am
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Long-term I store them in the freezer. For short-term, when I know I will be using them, I use a glass jar and keep them in the cupboard (out of the light). Sometimes I use the fridge for short-term storage, too.

posted by WhiteStone on October 28th 2009 at 12:33pm
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I usually store chocolate chips and nuts long-term in the freezer. But that reminds me, I have a bag of almonds I'd planned to use for something else and they're still in the pantry.

posted by muse2323 on October 28th 2009 at 1:40pm
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