How to Store Nuts and Seeds

How to Store Nuts and Seeds

What I store in my pantry, fridge or freezer varies on how fast I move through the items and the quantities I have at the time. Normally I buy nuts, seeds, grains, beans, etc. in bulk from my local grocery store. Buying in bulk is cheap and storing these items makes staying healthy easy. When you’re thinking about how to store nuts and seeds in your kitchen, a few factors including room temperature/what season it is and available kitchen storage space.

Typically, I store what I’ll eat in the upcoming weeks or months in the pantry and the rest in the fridge/freezer. If they’re not stored properly, they‘ll go rancid or stale quickly.

General Rules for Storing Nuts & Seeds:

• Use air-tight containers.
• Glass containers prevent chemicals leaking into your food.
• Whole nuts keep better than chopped, sliced or ground nuts.
• Shelled nuts keep longer than nuts in the shell.
• Roasted nuts spoil faster than raw nuts.
• Nuts absorb odors, keep them away from smelly foods like onions.
• Light, heat, humidity and excess moisture cause nuts to spoil faster.
• Store nuts and seeds at room temperature for 3 months, fridge for 6 months and freezer for a year.
• Label containers with the date of purchase to keep track of which to consume first.
• Pecans, peanuts, and walnuts spoil faster, store them in the fridge first if space is limited. Cashews and almonds are the least prone to spoiling.

Where Do I Buy Bulk Food?

I would recommend buying bulk food from your local grocery store or farmer’s market.  Many of these places will let you sample food first, just make sure you ask before trying.  Usually these two options will ensure that everything you’re getting is as fresh and in season as possible. Stay away from making bulk food purchases from online retailers, it’s harder to know how long the food has been sitting around.  Sometimes what you want isn’t available near you so there are of course exceptions to this rule!

Should I Store Nuts in the Refrigerator or Freezer?

If you have fridge or freezer space I would recommend popping as much as you can in there to keep them fresh so you don’t have to worry about any food going to waste. Nuts will keep maximum freshness and preserve their flavor/texture in the freezer (don’t worry, they won’t freeze because of their low water content).

Where Do I Find My Storage Jars & Labels

I’ve been using most of my jars for several years now. Glass jars are everywhere! Old pickle jars or jelly containers are perfect for storing your nuts and seeds. You can find Ball Jars at the Dollar Store, Home Goods, World Market, etc. I prefer wide-mouth jars so I can easily access my food and refill them.

There’s something very calming about being organized and labeling everything, it makes navigating the kitchen much easer! Recently I gave my jars a facelift with a new label maker, but you can also use a permanent marker to label your jars for a quick and simple solution. Labeling is also a efficient way to check in on your inventory and see what you might need to stock up on at the store.

What Storage Jars & Labels I Use for Storing Nuts & Seeds

• Label Maker
• Ball Jars Wide-Mouth (64 oz with lids/bands)
• Ball Jars Wide-Mouth (32 oz/quart with lids/bands)
• Ball Jars Wide-Mouth (16 oz/pint with lids/bands)

Interested in seeing what some of my favorite kitchen items are?  Stop by my Products I Love page to see what I’m currently using!

Share Your Tips for Storing Nuts & Seeds!

If you have any super rad storage tips or just want to show some love, leave your comments below.