We are going to discuss the shelf life of raw hazelnut, the several ways they may be stored, and how quickly they go bad and spoilage.
Let’s say you came across an old bag of stale hazelnuts that still appeared to be in good condition. And you aren’t certain whether or not they are still edible at this point. Do hazelnuts go bad?
If this describes you, then it’s time to educate yourself on the shelf life of hazelnuts, the proper way to store these nuts, and the telltale signs that hazelnuts have gone bad. And that is the point that I want to make with this essay.
The same process that causes other nuts to get rancid also occurs with hazelnuts. If they are kept in storage for an excessive amount of time or if the conditions are unsuitable, sooner or later they will become rancid.
The rotten flavor of hazelnuts is harsh and bitter, much like the taste of rancid oil. In certain cases, they may also give out a scent that is similar to paint and slightly chemical, although this is not always the case.
In addition, eating them may not put your health in jeopardy, but they certainly aren’t the healthiest option. In addition, the flavor is not quite as good as it may be.
To summarize, it is in your best interest to get rid of them.
Having said that, hazelnuts have a relatively low amount of polyunsaturated fats when compared to other types of nuts, which allows them to keep their quality for a longer period. This should enable them to keep for a longer period than, for example, walnuts.
In case you were curious, the answer is yes; as it includes a significant quantity of hazelnuts, Nutella is also susceptible to becoming rancid
Now, there are a few more scenarios in which you should chuck your hazelnuts. Those scenarios include: Let’s talk about them now.
How to Tell When Hazelnuts Are Bad
Discard your hazelnuts if:
The kernel has been contaminated with mold. Mold development is not often something that comes to mind when we think about nuts; nonetheless, it may occur. Look for anything that looks like white mold when you crack the shell, assuming yours aren’t already shelled.
Throw away the nut if there is any left. If you see any fluffy white threads sprouting on your shelled hazelnuts, you should throw away any surrounding nuts as well.
They have spoiled and become rotten. If you have a large number of stale hazelnuts that have not been shelled, you should first crack at least a few of them before discarding the whole bag. In the majority of instances, some of the nuts will be rotten, while others will be rather OK if a little bit stale. After examining a number of them, evaluate whether or not it is worth it to pay out for all of them.
The sack is crawling with vermin. If you store hazelnuts at room temperature and have problems with pantry pests, the hazelnuts might get infested with pests if the containers are not well sealed. If you see insects, larvae, or anything else that looks similar in the bag, you should presume that the nuts are not safe to consume and throw them away.
Raw hazelnut shelf life
The shelf life of hazelnuts that have been shelled and raw is approximately three to five months when stored at room temperature and more than a year when stored in the refrigerator. On the other hand, hazelnuts that have not been shelled can be stored for at least six months when left at room temperature and for more than twelve months when kept in the refrigerator.
You can put them in the freezer if you want them to keep for an even longer period.
(I will talk more about freezing in a bit.)
Of course, those times are just estimates, but they are very rough ones. That is to say, if you look at information from other sources, you will discover recommendations that are different. In this scenario, that is the expected behavior.
It is challenging to pinpoint the precise moment that hazelnuts have become rancid, just as it is with any other high-fat product that spoils. Or that their quality has declined to the point where it is no longer suitable for consumption.
The recommendations that were provided earlier work for me, but yours may be shorter or longer. To a large extent, it is dependent on one’s preferences.
Instead of basing your consumption of hazelnuts on arbitrary periods, it is recommended that you check the quality of the nuts before eating them.
Having said that, it is abundantly clear that shelled hazelnuts have a longer shelf life than their unshelled counterparts, regardless of how you look at the situation.
The date of “Expiration”
The label that comes attached to the pre-bagged hazelnuts includes a date. It is not an expiry date; rather, it is a best-by date, and your nuts will not suddenly become spoiled one day or one week after that date.
If you follow standard procedures for storing items, they should be OK for an additional week or two beyond the expiration date.
(We’ll talk more about them in a second.)
To put it another way, the date that is written on the item is only an approximate estimate of the amount of time it was stored, and it is not very dependable. Therefore, rather than relying on it to direct your decisions, take a handful of those hazelnuts and evaluate their quality of them for yourself.
It is OK to dispose of the nuts if they have been in your possession for more than six months, have “expired,” and you do not feel comfortable consuming them. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
There are several methods for roasting hazelnuts, and each one produces somewhat varied results, both in terms of the taste produced and the length of time the nuts may be stored after being roasted. Because of this, it is not feasible to determine an appropriate length of time for roasting hazelnuts and then storing them.
Instead, I am going to propose that you roast as much of it as you think you will be able to consume within a maximum of a few weeks. And put roasted hazelnuts in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.
If you follow these instructions, there is no reason why you should ever encounter rotten roasted hazelnuts.
