Why The Pantry Is The Last Place You Should Store Nuts

You have been storing your nuts all wrong! Well, probably, that is. While it's just fine to keep your nuts (we have some thoughts on which are best) out on the counter or in the pantry if you'll be snacking on them regularly and going through them quickly, this is not the ideal place for long-term storage.

That's because nuts are loaded with oils. (Which is also why you need to refrigerate homemade nut butters.) The oils in nuts are what make them such a satisfying snack, with much of the unique flavor of nuts coming from these oils. Although the oils in nuts are responsible for all the delicious taste that keeps us eating them by the handful, they also spoil easily and can cause the nuts to go rancid.

Nuts are a rather expensive snack compared to others due to the nature of harvesting and processing, so it's a major bummer to toss out a bag of nuts that have been lingering around too long. Thankfully, you can really stretch out the lifespan of your nuts by keeping them in the freezer.

The oils in nuts can easily go rancid when exposed to light, air, and humidity, which makes the oils oxidize. Rancid nuts will develop an unpleasant sour flavor and can take on a bitter, astringent scent similar to paint thinner — not exactly the smell or taste I want in a handful of trail mix.

Nuts do have a decently long shelf life in the pantry (around 3-6 months if stored properly in an airtight container), but the secret to getting the most life out of your nuts is by keeping them in the freezer. The low, consistent temperature keeps the enzyme activity that causes food spoilage at bay. Plus, the dry air and lack of light in the icebox takes out a lot of the variables that can make the nuts go rancid sooner. By storing nuts in the freezer, you can get over a year out of them to always have them on hand for snacks and recipes.

Keeping nuts in the freezer helps to retain their flavor and texture for much longer than you would get out of storing them in the pantry, but snacking on a handful of frozen nuts doesn't sound very appetizing, does it? Thankfully it's easy to revive your nuts to their crunchy, tasty glory. Simply roasting your nuts out of the freezer will help to take the chill off, as well as bring out all of the roasty-toasty flavors that make nuts such a satisfying snack.

There are a few ways to roast your nuts. I like to toast mine in a skillet over medium-low heat, shaking the skillet often to keep the nuts moving and cooking evenly since the oils in nuts can burn easily. You can toast them in an air fryer or oven, too, by spreading the nuts out on a sheet pan and baking or air frying them at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes. After that, take them out and give them a stir before popping them back in for a few more minutes until sufficiently toasted. You can do this before adding nuts to your recipes and baked goods too to get the most flavor out of them.