Can You Freeze Nuts?
Can nuts be frozen? In a nutshell, yes, you can safely freeze nuts and still use them as if they were new weeks later. Freezing is not just a viable storage option – it is a practical way to preserve nuts, which are admittedly more expensive than most kitchen staples. Nuts are quite dry as a kitchen ingredient, but they naturally possess oils, which can go rancid fairly quickly. How do you stop the rancidity from settling in quickly? You freeze your nuts. If you don’t, an open bag of nuts can turn stale and eventually rancid in two to four weeks, tops. Within this period, you only have one choice – eat the nuts or allow it to spoil. Freezing takes care of the problem pronto.
Does Freezing Nuts Destroy Nutrients?
Freezing nuts does not destroy nutrients. This is why so many nuts, including peanuts and almonds, can be frozen with little issues afterward. These food items hold up so well to freezing because they don’t have a lot of water in them. Freezing causes deep crystallization of food molecules that usually destroy some nutrients and flavors. This doesn’t happen to nuts, so when you thaw nuts after freezing, there will be very few changes in the texture of the food, as well as the nutrients.
So if you have an abundance of nuts at home and there is no way you will be able to consume them quickly, place them in airtight freezer bags or freezer containers with lock-in lids, and you can store them for weeks at a time in the freezer. Packaging will affect the crunchiness of the nuts, as well as the fresh taste. Defrost slowly for best results.
