Peanuts can be stored at home for a year if storage rules are not violated. Peanuts are not a common cooking product, so there is little information on how to properly preserve peanuts at home. To keep the kernels fresh for as long as possible, certain requirements are met. If you violate the storage rules, the beans will begin to dry out, shrink in size, or rot (if the room is too humid).
How long do peanuts last?
The shelf life of peanuts is about a year. But if you store the product without shells, in a cool and dark room, the nuts will remain fresh for six months. Grains can be stored in the freezer for more than 6 months.
If the product is purchased in a package and it is raw, it is kept for the time indicated on the label. After opening the package, the beans are transferred to a container, covered with a lid and placed in the refrigerator. But you shouldn't freeze refried beans. If you store the beans in an open package, they will stay fresh for about 1 week.
Suitable storage conditions
There are some storage conditions for peanuts that will help preserve the product for a long time:
- It is necessary to keep the humidity low. If the room is too humid, the kernels will begin to rot. But dryness in the room also harms the product. Keep the air cool and damp.
- If some of the kernels begin to deteriorate, they should be isolated from good pods.
- Protect from sunlight. Keep the kernels in a dark room, especially if the peanuts are not roasted. When opening a room, even a few seconds of direct sunlight can ruin it. It should be isolated from the sun. When exposed to sunlight, the beans become bitter.
- Store in a cool place. An excellent solution would be a refrigerator or freezer. If maintained at sub-zero temperatures, beans can be stored for more than six months.
- Do not store near products that have a strong odor. The kernels strongly absorb aromas. For example, if you store beans near fish, the former will spoil.
- If the nut is crushed, it can be stored for no more than 2 days. It begins to release oil, which causes the product to become bitter.
How to choose quality peanuts
Unshelled nuts are often sold on the shelves. When purchasing, we carefully check the following:
- If the product is ripe, it should be in the form of a dry pod with beans inside. This is the name of the grains of these nuts. They should be large in size and elastic.
- If you shake the pod, you hear the sound of nuts hitting the walls. If the beans move, they may be small or dried out due to improper storage.
- The pod must be dry. If the shells bend or are damp, the nuts have been in a damp area. Or they were not dried after harvest. There is a risk that the kernels are damaged.
- If the pod smells damp, the nuts are bad.
- Check the pods for stains. If any, the grains are bad.
- When you press on the pod, it easily breaks, making a characteristic sound.
What to store in
It is best to keep kernels in plastic containers with lids. We close the latter tightly. But you can replace it with a glass container. The main thing is that there are no foreign odors coming from the material, and that it is well dried. Place the container with nuts in a cool and dark place, such as a refrigerator.
How to store peanuts at home
It is best to store nuts in the refrigerator. But the latter has high humidity, so the grains are placed in a container and covered with a lid.
You should choose a jar so that the nuts completely fill it. If you fill the container halfway, the oxygen that gets inside will cause rapid oxidation of the product.
The refrigerator is the best place for grains. But there is a high percentage of humidity inside, and a certain capacity is needed. For example, a jar with a lid.
Storing Uncleaned
If a lot of pods are purchased and they cannot be placed in the refrigerator, they are kept in another cold and dark place.It is important that the room is well ventilated.
Room humidity is also an important criterion. If the room is dry, the product dries out, and if it is damp, it becomes moldy. The lower the room temperature, the longer the kernels will remain fresh.
Proper storage of cleaned
Shelled nuts must be dried. If the kernels are soft and moist, they are scattered on a baking sheet and dried for several days in a dry and warm place. For example, above the oven.
An electric dryer is suitable for drying peanuts. The optimal temperature is 60 degrees. It is necessary to monitor the process and turn the grains so as not to dry out.
Nuts contain many beneficial substances. But vitamins and minerals disappear if the product storage rules are violated. Attention should be paid to the safety of peanuts.
