Dried fruits and nuts are some of the best things to consume for your health. They are especially great snack foods. The only problem is that they’re not everyday food, so you tend to find yourself storing them for potentially long periods of time. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to extend their shelf life:
Buy Fresh Fruit and Nuts
The first step in storing your nuts and dry fruits for longer periods of time is to buy them fresh in the first place. This means avoid buying them in bulk. Instead, you want to purchase smaller quantities. If you fail to properly store a bulk order of fruit or nuts, it can easily turn rancid. The fresher your fruits and nuts are when you first store them, the longer they will last.
Use Air-Tight Containers for Storage
The most important step to ensure that you successfully store your fruits and nuts is to purchase air tight containers. Oxygen is responsible for aging your food and causing it to spoil. An air-tight container prevents oxygen from leaking inside and effecting your food. There are a wide variety of air-tight containers, a few like Vaya Preserve even come with integrated gaskets. This feature will greatly extend the shelf life of anything stored in the container.
Store in a Dry and Cool Place
Nuts and dried fruits are foods that belong in long term storage places. That is a place that is dry and cool, similar to pantry or a storage cupboard. If you store them in the kitchen, the heat exposure has a chance to turn the dried fruit and nuts rancid much quicker than normal. Opaque jars help in storing nuts fresh for a longer period of time not allowing sunlight to affect the contents of jar.
Store in Insulated Food Jars
If you can’t find a cool or dry place in your kitchen to store your nuts and dried fruits, choose an insulated storage jars. Insulated food jars typically maintain the temperature inside keeping the contents fresh for a longer period of time.
Toast Nuts
This tip is for nuts specifically. If your nuts are beginning to go bad, you can actually extend their shelf life by roasting them for a little bit in an oven. You don’t need to roast them for more than a few minutes. You simply have to put them on a baking sheet and place them in the oven at a medium temperature for about 3-5 minutes. One thing to keep in mind when you are trying to utilize this method is that the oil contained in the nuts can go bad. If the nuts’ oil goes bad, it will be impossible to preserve them.
Great for your desserts, amazing and healthy as snacks, nuts and dried fruits are condiments that are used in every household. Get insulated, air-tight and opaque food jars for storing dried fruits and nuts. Rich in dietary fiber and vitamins and proteins, nuts and dried fruits are superfoods that help you stay healthy. Store them well and indulge in them often to benefit from the goodness they have to offer!
