3 mistakes you’re making when storing nuts

Nuts are rich in antioxidants, substances that help fight free radicals in the body.

They are also rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and nutrients that help lower cholesterol in the body, inflammation and the risk of heart diseases.

An exciting fact about nuts is that they have a shelf life of 3 months, which means that they can last for as long as 3 months or more, while retaining their fresh taste and flavor without getting bad.

So, if you’re hardly able to preserve your nuts for that long without it losing its taste, you probably haven’t been storing it the right way.

Here are 3 mistakes you might have been making storing your nuts;

Nuts can last as long as 6 months when stored in the fridge or freezer unlike when they are stored in the pantry. Storing them in the refrigerator reduces their exposure to light and oxygen. Hence, they are able to retain their fresh taste longer.

The truth is that nuts are rich in unsaturated fat, which makes them prone to rancidification, a process of decomposition that allows them to lose their taste or flavor when exposed to light and oxygen.

However, if you must store them in your pantry, be sure to place them in a dark corner to limit exposure to light.

Nuts are best stored in an airtight container, even when storing in the fridge to ensure that they maintain the proper moisture level. Otherwise, if they absorb more moisture than necessary, they become soft and lose their freshness in no time.

Note that when you take out cold nuts from the refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature before opening the bag or lid of the container. That way, it won’t absorb excess moisture.

Storing nuts close to strong smelling food like onion, garlic and the likes can affect the taste because they easily take up the smell of things around. So, even when you store it in the fridge, keep it away from such foods.