How to store hazelnuts at home, peeled and unpeeled, expiration date

It's not enough just to grow hazelnuts. How to properly store these nuts so that they do not lose their properties? After all, it is known that it is this variety that has the longest shelf life, if all the necessary conditions for this are met. The supply of useful and nutritious substances in nuts does not change for a long time.

Requirements for choosing hazelnuts

Hazelnuts are grown both for their own consumption and for profit. The choice of variety depends on the final goal. As a rule, gardeners prefer frost-resistant or drought-resistant varieties, and only then pay attention to the characteristics of their fruits.

In varieties with round fruits, mainly the kernels are stored, since when they are split, a minimum breakage is formed. Nuts contain a lot of vegetable fats and proteins. Varieties with a cone-shaped fruit are usually stored together with the shell. Varieties with an oval shape of nuts are hardly subjected to industrial processing, but at home they are stored in a peel.

Basic recommendations for the storage process

The rules for keeping hazelnuts in storage allow keeping vitamins and nutrients for a long time, minimizing the risk of spoilage:

1. Immediately after harvesting or purchasing a finished product, it must be sorted out and dried thoroughly.
2. If the nuts are dirty, it is recommended to wash them before drying.
3. Those instances that pop up during the washing process can be safely thrown away - they will be empty in the middle.
4. It is recommended to eat blanks within six months, otherwise hazelnuts change their taste characteristics.
5. Harvested and stored nuts that are not shelled are placed in fabric or paper bags to ensure good air circulation.
6. Hazelnut kernels are stored in closed zip bags, plastic containers or ordinary glass jars covered with a nylon lid, since the presence of air significantly impairs their quality and reduces shelf life.
7. Store hazelnuts at room temperature and medium humidity, but in any case, avoid direct sunlight or sudden changes in temperature.
8. Nut kernels are stored for up to six months in a cleaned form, subjected to quick freezing: put the product in a container and send it to the freezer. Do not refreeze food.
9. The shelf life of harvested hazelnuts is extended, and the taste is improved if you send the nuts to dry at home, under standard home conditions.

How to store peeled hazelnuts at home

Experts recommend peeling hazelnuts no earlier than an hour before eating. This is explained by the fact that the kernels have the ability to quickly absorb foreign aromas and moisture, which negatively affects their quality. If the nuts are already peeled, then they are sent for storage in a dry, tightly closed ceramic or glass container.

Condensation may form in bags or plastic containers, making it easy for mold to form.

Peeled hazelnuts are recommended to be stored at a temperature of +3 … +10 °С and air humidity of 10-15%. Such conditions are considered optimal and provide a shelf life of the finished product for 4-5 months. The longer the peeled hazelnuts are stored, the more likely it is that they can go rancid, so it is recommended to use the nuts as soon as possible.

Features of storage of unpeeled nuts

The hazelnuts are stored in the shell to protect the kernels from external factors and extend the shelf life. There are some rules to simplify the procedure and make it as efficient as possible, as well as protect the crop from mold infection:

1. Walnut bags are prepared for storing unpeeled nuts, while avoiding synthetic materials and polyethylene, which prevent the product from “breathing” normally, as a result of which it quickly becomes moldy.
2. For the preservation of hazelnuts, a place is selected with low humidity and temperature, protected from direct sunlight.
3. To keep unpeeled nuts for up to 1 year, you should maintain the air temperature at +3 … +12 °С, and humidity within 12-14%. At lower temperatures (0 … +3 °С), the shelf life of the product increases to several years.
4. Don't store hazelnuts near strong-smelling substances or products, as the porous structure of the nuts allows them to quickly absorb flavors from the environment and reduce their taste characteristics.
5. If you put a hazelnut in the refrigerator, it retains its original properties for up to 1 year, but in the freezer this period stretches up to 3 years.
6. It is important that a relatively constant temperature and humidity level be maintained during storage of nuts in storage, otherwise the product may become moldy from condensation.

How much can you keep?

It is known that at room temperature, peeled hazelnuts retain their qualities and useful properties for up to 2 weeks. In a refrigerator or a dry basement, this period increases to 3-4 months, and in a freezer - up to six months.

It is worth noting that the shelf life that a hazelnut has is largely determined by the chosen form of storage. In the shell, this period is significantly extended, but peeled nuts quickly lose their taste characteristics, absorb third-party flavors and moisture. If peeled hazelnuts are stored in the refrigerator for only 5-6 months, then in the shell this time stretches to 9-12 months.

If even small specks of mold were noticed on the nuts, this indicates their unsuitability for human consumption. Even if you get rid of the mold as soon as possible, then harmful substances will already have time to penetrate deep into the structure of the nut kernel and you can easily get poisoned with such a product. In addition, it will have an unpleasant bitter taste.

You can't store hazelnuts from different crops or batches in the same package, and even more so it's forbidden to mix them with other types of nuts.Do not store hazelnuts in an open container, as the kernels quickly become bitter and gain moisture. Also, a young nut that has not had time to ripen on a tree is not suitable for bookmarking.

A sign of the quality of hazelnuts is a fresh classic smell. As soon as notes of bitterness or mold begin to be felt in it, then you can no longer eat such nuts. Due to violations of storage conditions, the product loses most of its useful components and nutrients, so you must carefully follow all the recommendations and not deviate from them. Only in this case you can be sure of the quality and safety of the stored harvest.

Roasted hazelnuts have a short shelf life. Subject to all the necessary conditions and maintaining the temperature at +3 … +12 ° С, this period does not exceed 3 months, so it is recommended to cook it in small portions.

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