Do Almonds Go Bad?

This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, at no cost to you.

Since almonds are eatables, there are chances that you may perplex your mind where the question arises that whether almonds can go wrong? Sliding away from the confusion, here you are provided with the answer. Moisture on almonds gives rise to mold formation by a fungus well-known for its ability to cause food deterioration. It results in almonds turning bad.

Another factor contributing to almonds’ expiring is rancidity, which is further mainly of two types. One type is hydrolytic, and the other one is oxidative. Both are occurring in almonds due to polyunsaturated fatty acids in them. So, in evidence of these, your almonds can go wrong.

Table of Contents

How to store almonds?

Storing almonds plays a vital role in the life of almonds. Being exposed to other foods of strong smell for a long time, your almonds are more prone to absorb odor. As moisture is a welcoming factor for fungi to feed on your almonds, dry and cool places are best to store your almonds as it increases its life. Following are the ways that can help you out to increase almonds’ life.

Placing them in a vacuum-sealed jar

After opening the sealed almonds pack to keep them fresh, you need to store them properly by putting them in a clean and airtight glass jar. It prevents almonds’ direct contact with air, leading to food mold formation and rancidity due to moisture in the air. Microorganisms present in the air when contact with almonds secrete lipase enzymes that break down fats present in almonds to glycerol. It leads to hydrolytic rancidity, so almonds should be stored in a dry, dark, and cool place just like other nuts.

Place them away from light.

Light contributes the most to the deterioration of almonds, so after putting them in the closed container, you need to keep that container away from sunlight. It is preferable to keep that jar in the dark places as light causes oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids present in almonds, which leads to the destruction of their nutritional values.

Refrigerate them.

Exposure to heat causes almonds to get rancid quickly, so avoid placing them near the oven or microwave.

Above all mentioned storage methods, the best way to preserve almonds is to keep them in a refrigerator or freezer. You have to refrigerate them by putting the almonds in an airtight glass jar. As a result, almonds usually stay good somewhere about six months to one year. To expand almonds’ lives, you have to adopt the above storage methods as they play a vital role in increasing almonds’ lives.

Can you freeze almonds?

Most people store their nuts in the pantry, but it is not the best way to store them. The best way to preserve almonds is by freezing. Yes, freezing almonds increase their shelf life for up to two years. The low temperature in the freezer reduces the risk of bacterial and fungal growth.

You have to keep almonds in the closed airtight container. It’s better to cover the container’s glass with another material that usually acts as an insulator that prevents glass bottles from getting slammed. You can also label the jar with the date on which you are freezing them.

How long do almonds last?

If you want almonds to be fresh and work for many seasons, you must store them under favorable conditions. Storage properly according to its favorable conditions plays a pivotal role in protecting it from fungi or other food molds, which may make almonds uneatable even before their expiration. Almonds can live for approximately a couple of years under the best storage technique.

It is suggested to use almonds within two years if you are sure they are still good, else in case of being doubtful about it, you should say goodbye and avoid eating them. Live almonds can be stretched to their maximum and long-term preservation if you store them in cold places. Thus, storing almonds at room temperature can be a big mistake and is not recommended.

How to tell if almonds are bad?

To know whether your almonds are good enough to be eaten or have already gone wrong, you have to smell and taste them. There is always something off with the smell and taste of spoiled, rotten, or rancid things.

While smelling or tasting almonds, if you detect something off or fishy either with the smell or taste of your almonds, a bit sour or bitter, then take it as a signal that they are rancid should not be eaten. Like other seeds and nuts, almonds are quite porous and can absorb odors from other foods. To prevent it, you need to pack them in vacuum-sealed containers.
Almonds that smell odd or not like how an almond is supposed to, then indicates rancid.
Discoloration in which the color gets darken than the original color can also act as a factor by which you can know that your almonds are gone bad. Almonds go a shade darker than their original color when exposed to high humidity. Moistures increase the rate of discoloring in almonds as it is low moister food.