As with all foods, nuts are at risk of spoilage. For example, they can become rancid or develop a mold. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, here are eight helpful tips on what to look for when buying and storing nuts. However, if a nut does go bad, don’t gulp it down.
Spoiled nuts better spit out
Nuts must be eaten with all your senses, because a mold infestation shows itself by a bitter taste and smell. Mold toxins are due to the formation of aflatoxins, which can cause liver and kidney cancer in particular and are also stable to heating.
Pistachios in particular are more often affected by mold, but also peanuts, almonds and Brazil nuts. Therefore, you should spit out the nuts once it tastes bitter or spoiled.
What are rancid nuts?
In rancid nuts, the fat contained in them is spoiled, which you can not only taste, but also smell and see. In such cases, the nut meat is then not white, but has a yellowish color.
The decomposition products of the rancid fats can cause gastrointestinal upset.
8 Tips for purchasing and storage
To keep your nuts tasty even after they’ve been stored for a long time, here are helpful tips on what to look for when shopping for and storing nuts.
- Stained nut shells are not inferior. In these nuts, the bleaching of the shells by means of sulfur was omitted.
- Avoid packs with darker looking or damaged kernels.
- Do not buy fresh nuts wrapped in plastic, where they can form moisture, which leads to mold.
- Local nuts always prefer when buying, as long transport routes increase the risk of mold.
- For chopped nuts, pay attention to the best-before date. Generally prefer to buy whole nuts, as they can be stored longer.
- Nuts cool, dark and dry storage.
- Do the shake test: if the kernel rattles in the shell, it is dried up and old.
- For nut oils, make sure they have not been refined, as this destroys many important nutrients.
