fruitcake might be considered a larder staple , but to make them last as long as possible , you ’re going to want to stack away these protein - packed snack elsewhere .

When most of us have a hankering for nut , we tend to look no further than the pantry . It ’s completely normal for crackpot to be hive away in the dark corner of our cupboards , with many taking residence there for what can turn into many months ( specially if you shop in volume ) . But did you know the pantry is actually not the salutary billet to house fruitcake and germ ?

Instead , screwball and seeds should ideally be kept in the Deepfreeze — orat least the fridge . countenance ’s take a look at why that is , and see just what can happen to nuts and seeds that have spent a little too farseeing at room temperature .

Nuts assortment on rustic wood table.

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away from the protein , fiber , vitamins , and minerals they moderate , one of the primary reasons health buffs love daft ( like pecans ! ) and seeds is that they are load with levelheaded , unsaturated avoirdupois . These fats are known to help keep down inflammation throughout the eubstance , lower cholesterol levels , and keep our cells , tegument , hair , and nails potent and vivacious .

But these hefty fat are also to fault for the relatively brusk shelf life of nuts and seeds . All fats are made from carbon paper , oxygen , and hydrogen corpuscle bond together . The remainder between unsaturated and saturated fat is how “ saturated ” the fat molecule ’s carbon paper mote are with hydrogen atoms . So , the carbon copy atoms on a concentrated avoirdupois particle will be fully bonded with hydrogen atoms , whereas an unsaturated fat speck wo n’t be .

This results in unsaturated fats being less stable particle , and more prone to oxidation , which leads to rancidity . That ’s the lawsuit with nuts and seeds , which are loaded with them . Interestingly , this is why foods made with those dreaded trans fat are so shelf stable . Trans fat are manmade , using the process of hydrogenation — the accession of H atoms to an unsaturated fat — which yields a product that can last at room temperature on food market fund shelf for quite a long prison term .

But beyond the unsaturated fatty tissue found in nuts and seeds , these healthy snacks are also prone to growing mold and barm . Much of the mold that can uprise on nuts and seeds is n’t life - threatening . However , there have been mountain that have growing harmful molds like aflatoxin , which has causedfood recallsof peanut vine products over the age . This is why you ’ll often find only a small handful of nut options allow on low - mould and crushed - yeast eating regimes like thecandida diet .

gratefully , there are dozens of style you may forfend rancid , moldy nuts — and that set out with smart storage . At room temperature , nuts and seeds can begin to go risky after anywhere between one and three calendar month , though some brands will push longer shelf lives than that . If stored in the refrigerator , however , these levelheaded fat sources can last up to six months .

But the Deepfreeze is really where it ’s at when it comes to storing nut case , as they can easy last up to a twelvemonth in there — with some experts saying up to two long time ! Plus , you wo n’t even notice that your bollock have been immobilise . They can be snacked on or added to recipe flop out of the freezer , without any meaning alteration in texture .

The less processing , the longer the ledge living when it comes to freak and seed . So , in - shell testicle will last the long , whereas finely chopped and roasted option will have the shortest shelf life . ( This is why many people to stash away their ball butters in the fridge . )

Also , while it might be a heavy environmental decision , it ’s good to avoid bulk bank identification number when maintaining novelty is your top priority — it ’s impossible to tell how long those nuts have been sitting out at elbow room temperature . The best way to go is to purchase nuts in an airtight container .

It ’s also a expert idea to store nuts and seed in low - light source environments and air - slopped containers , though light wo n’t be an issue at all if they ’re tucked into the freezer .

crackpot are theultimate snack , offer protein , fiber , and intelligent avoirdupois to leave you feel slaked and energized . However , because of all the tidy fats they hold , these crunchy favorites are more at risk for spoiling than other snack option . By store nuts in the freezer , you may get the most ledge animation out of them , keeping them fresh and mold - free for an total 365 !