How to Care & Store Walnuts

Where to Store Walnuts

When you bring walnuts home from the store, the best place to store them is in your refrigerator or freezer, depending on when you’re going to use them. If you’re going to use the walnuts right away, place them in your refrigerator. If you’ll be storing them for a month or longer, store them in your freezer.

How to Store Walnuts

If you buy walnuts in sealed packaging, you can store the walnuts in their original packaging. Once you open the bag, transfer the walnuts to an airtight container to maintain freshness. If you buy bulk walnuts, either in-shell or shelled, place the walnuts in an airtight container for long-term cold storage.

Cold Storage = Fresh Taste

You can maintain the fresh taste of California walnuts by keeping them cold. Walnuts go rancid when exposed to warm temperatures for long periods of time. Heat causes the fat in walnuts to change structure, which creates off odors and flavors. Fresh walnuts smell mildly nutty and taste sweet. If your walnuts smell like paint thinner, you know they’re rancid. And if they’re rancid, you should throw them away!

More Storage & Handling Tips

When storing walnuts in your refrigerator, store them away from foods with strong odors (e.g. fish, cabbage, onions). Walnuts can absorb the flavors of other foods.

Using Walnuts

Wait to shell or chop walnuts until you’re ready to use them. The same applies for ground walnut meal; don’t grind walnuts until you’re ready to add the walnut meal to your recipe. This will help maintain great flavor.

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Source:

"How to Buy, Care, & Store." California Walnuts, https://walnuts.org/how-to/how-to-buy-care/. Accessed 23 Jan 2019