How to turn stale nuts into a tasty snack - recipe | Waste Not (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with stale nuts? ›

Just toasting them in a dry pan or oven should be enough to revive them, but they'll also go in any recipe that requires nuts. We got through most of ours by toasting them with spices, to eat as nibbles or to add crunch to soups, stews and salads. I also made a vivid green marzipan with some of the pistachios.

If they are stale you can toast them in the oven to revive their flavor, but if they are rancid, it's best to toss them.

However, Kanney says, “If a nut has spoiled or gone rancid, recognizable by a sour or bitter flavor, the nut is no longer good and should be thrown away.”

To freshen any type of nuts before you eat (or cook with) them, toast on a baking sheet in a 350 degrees F oven for 10 minutes or place nuts in a small bowl and microwave on High for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes.

There might be a risk associated with regularly eating fistfuls of oxidized nuts, though. Some emerging research suggests a potential link between long-term exposure to oxidized fats and negative health effects, like inflammation and increased cancer risk—but the connection is still unclear.

"Nuts have a wide range of fat contents," says LaMarita. Almonds, walnuts, and pistachios are lower in fat, so they'll generally last longer than nuts higher in fat, like macadamia nuts, pine nuts, cashews, and Brazil nuts, all of which will go rancid quicker, says LaMarita.

Put them in an air tight container. If they get stale, put them in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Chili or curry powder, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, salt, pepper, brown sugar, ground mustard or orange peel are just a few flavor boosters. To get the spices to stick to the nuts, use egg whites, butter, coconut oil, olive oil or blanch the nuts in boiling water.

According to The Flavor Bible by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, the best food pairings for walnuts are apples, honey, prunes, sugar, sharp and mild cheeses, brandy, sweet dry wine, whiskey, coffee and many other fruits and spices.

How it works: Arrange the nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a moderate oven (about 325 degrees with convection or 350 degrees without), stirring halfway through, until fragrant and toasted inside and out. Then immediately transfer the nuts to a plate or bowl.

Should you refrigerate nuts? ›

Nuts' fragile unsaturated fats can go rancid quickly. While that may not hurt your health, it can definitely be bad news for flavor. Keep nuts tasting fresh by stowing them in a sealed plastic or glass container in the refrigerator for four to six months.

Soaking your nuts beforehand will lead to better absorption of the spices and result in a crunchier, easier to chew texture. You may be tempted to turn the heat up, but don't! If you roast them at too high a temperature you'll have a dark outside and a raw inside, leading to an inconsistent flavor.

“If a nut is really oxidized, I guarantee you you're not going to get it past your mouth because it just tastes so awful,” says Schaich. But if you do, for some reason, eating the occasional spoiled nut is “no big deal,” because we have enzymes in our stomachs that can essentially incinerate the oxidation byproducts.

A: Nuts can't expire; however, they can change in taste or go rancid. Nuts contain much-unsaturated fat, an oil that makes nuts likely to go rancid. Nuts spoil faster when exposed to light, air, or heat. No fuss; cool, dark, and air-sealed are the three trifectas to storing nuts properly.

Expired nuts have the potential to harbor harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, as well as support bacterial or fungal growth. Eating nuts contaminated with these organisms can result in food poisoning, manifesting as gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Put them in an air tight container. If they get stale, put them in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees.