You have an old bag of nuts that are “expired”, and you want to know if they still work. What is the average life expectancy of nuts?
Perhaps yours have a bitter smell or taste and you aren’t sure if they should be thrown away or if they are safe to eat.
Sounds familiar? This is the guide you need to know about storage, shelf life, and going rotten. Continue reading.
Notable: The majority of the information below can be applied to nuts of all kinds (e.g. walnuts, almonds cashews and a few others), even peanuts (which technically don’t count as nuts). In case you want more information, I have included links to articles that focus on specific nuts.
Are Nuts Bad? How to tell if nuts are bad?
If nuts are prepackaged, they won’t spoil soon. The “best-by” date, which is usually written on nuts, doesn’t indicate if they will be good for long. This is just a guideline.
Most nuts, except pine nuts, can be kept in good condition for several months even if they are stored in the pantry.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that nuts will last forever.
You can quickly check if an old bag of nuts is still good if you don’t know what to do with them. Here are some things to do:
- Look for pantry pests. Throw out the contents.
- Shell them, if necessary. If they aren’t in-shell and have mold or give off a strong taste, they can be shelled. Shell them if they are in-shell.
- Visual inspection. Remove any fuzz, mold or other traces of the nut. It can be eaten if it is shriveled, dried out, or has wrinkles. However, I would recommend that you discard it for quality reasons. If it looks shabby, toss it. It’s best to just throw it away.
- Take a sniff of the kernels. If you smell something chemical or old paint, the nuts may be rancid. Although they aren’t necessarily dangerous to eat, rancid nuts can be very unhealthy ([HL]). I recommend throwing them away. You can throw them out if the smell is not pleasant.
- Taste test. Now it’s time for you to try a few nuts and evaluate the flavor. If the nut is bitter, it’s rancid. If the food is good enough, you can use it. If not, you can get rid of them.
If you have lots of unshelled nuts and they look okay, you will need to go through each kernel individually and verify that it is safe to eat.
Tip: If you find that most of the nuts are bad after cracking open a few dozen, don’t worry about shelling them. Most of them will end up being useless.
How long do nuts last?
Shelled nuts can be kept at room temperature for around 4 to 6 months. In-shell nuts last for approximately 6 to 9 months. You can extend the shelf life of your nuts by refrigerating them. If you require more time, freeze your nuts.
These general rules apply to almost all nuts except pine nuts which retain their quality for less than 2 to 3 months.
It is important to remember that there is no consensus on the shelf life of nuts.
Some sources will give you longer time periods while others offer shorter times for the same nut. It is not unusual for the label to suggest eating the nut within three months. The table below suggests eating it within half a year.
Although the recommendations shown in the table are higher-end, they are only suggestions and not definitive numbers.
Tip: It’s better not to rely solely on the storage times to inspect a bag of old nuts than to verify their quality.
PantryFridge
| Almonds | 4 Months | 12 Months |
| Brazil nuts | 6-9 months | 12 Months |
| Cashews | 6 Months | 12 Months |
| Hazelnuts, in-shell | 6 Months | 12 Months |
| Hazelnuts, shelled | 3-4 months | 12 Months |
| Macadamia nuts | 5-6 months | 12 Months |
| Peanuts, in-shell | 6 Months | 12 Months |
| Peanuts, shelled | 4 Months | 12 Months |
| Pecans, in-shell | 3 Months | 10 Months |
| Pecans, shelled | 4 Months | 18 Months |
| Pine nuts | 2 - 3 Months | 6 Months |
| Pistachios, in-shell | 6 Months | 12 Months |
| Pistachios, shelled | 5 Months | 12 Months |
| Walnuts, in-shell | 6 Months | 12 Months |
| Shelled walnuts | 3 Months | 6 Months |
These periods should be considered as suggestions.
A bag of almonds was three years old, but they still tasted good. A container of unshelled, 2-year-old walnuts from my family’s orchard was fine.
How to Store Nuts
Keep nuts dry and away from heat and moisture. This can be done in a pantry or in a kitchen cupboard. You can freeze or refrigerate the nuts to preserve their quality.
Fats (fatty acids) are found in nuts. If stored for too long, or in poor conditions, these fats can turn rancid. We keep nuts cool, dry, and protected from fresh air (e.g. in a freezer bag).
Refrigerating or freezing nuts can help slow down the process. You can get up to two months more depending on which variety you choose ([UCANR]). If you have a garage or basement that is not heated, these are also good options.
Finally, The shelled versus unsheathed issue.
Unshelled nuts are better for quality and storage. In-shell nuts provide natural protection for the kernel from the elements. This is why they last longer.
We also have simplicity of use. You can open your nuts (or purchase them shelled) and keep them safe.
Tip: If your nuts are difficult to eat and you have to keep them in storage for months, you might consider keeping a small container in an open drawer or shelf. You can even keep them on the counter. If you can eat the nuts immediately after they are stored, less-than-optimal conditions may be acceptable.
