Can You Freeze Hazelnuts – How Long Can You Freeze Hazelnuts?

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Can You Freeze Hazelnuts: You’ve had that bag of hazelnuts in your pantry for quite some time after purchasing them. They’re past their expiration date, and now you’re worried about whether or not hazelnuts spoil. You may have seen a bargain on hazelnuts and considered buying some to whip up your batch of Nutella.

You’re about to pull the trigger, but you second-guess yourself since you have no idea how much you can buy before any of it spoils. This article covers all you need to know about hazelnuts, including how to store them, how long they last, and when they go bad.

Can You Freeze Hazelnuts

Can You Freeze Hazelnuts?

Yes, you can freeze hazelnuts and keep them fresh. Hazelnuts (shelled or unshelled) can be frozen by wrapping them snugly in plastic and storing them in a resealable freezer bag. In an airtight container, hazelnuts can be frozen for up to a year. Raw hazelnuts won’t have the same appeal, but you can still use them in baked goods and other culinary applications.

How Long Do Hazelnuts Last In The Freezer?

Hazelnut meats have a shelf life of around a year if properly stored. Keep your nuts away from the air as much as possible and in an airtight container.

When exposed to high heat, the hazelnut oil quickly becomes rancid. The nuts will last longer if you store them in the back of the refrigerator, far from the door, where they will be exposed to less warm air.

How To Freeze Hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts in their shells can be kept for three to five months at room temperature and a year or more in the refrigerator. However, unshelled hazelnuts last for over a year in the fridge and at least six months in the pantry. Some people recommend freezing them to extend their shelf life.

  • Get Some Containers: Pick up a freezer-safe storage container for your hazelnuts. The best option is to store them in a plastic or glass container that can be placed in the freezer to ensure their integrity. If you don’t mind the occasional scratch and crack in your hazelnuts from the freezer bag, it’s a good option.
  • Use A Baking Tray: Spread the hazelnuts out on a baking sheet. Please keep them in a single layer on the tray. This will prevent them from freezing together and ruining your freezer space.
  • Instantaneous Freeze-Out: To freeze the hazelnuts, put the baking sheet in the freezer and leave it there for at least an hour.
  • Dispense Into Storage Vessels: Once the hazelnuts have been frozen appropriately, remove the tray from the freezer and place the nuts in a freezer-safe bag or container.
  • Remove Compressed Air and a Hermetic Seal: If using a bag, remove as much air as possible before closing it. To ensure that your container remains airtight, replace the lid.
  • Freeze: Put the hazelnuts back in the freezer and label them with the date and what’s inside. Whenever you need a serving of hazelnuts, open the bag, measure the right amount, and return the rest to the freezer.

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What Happens to Hazelnuts When They’re Frozen?

Hazelnuts retain their flavor even after being frozen. But freezing in plastic bags can alter the texture. This is why, if you have enough room in your freezer, you should store your food in glass or plastic containers.

Accordingly, freezing alters the flavor of hazelnuts from their raw state. However, when utilized in cooking, you won’t taste a difference. Therefore, frozen hazelnuts can be used in any recipe for ground nuts.

How To Defrost Hazelnuts?

Hazelnuts can be stored for a long time without becoming bad. However, if you freeze them properly, you can add four months to their shelf life. As a result, the hazelnuts can be frozen safely for up to a year, provided they are kept from air and moisture.

To defrost, hazelnuts must be taken directly from the freezer to a bowl in the fridge. Due to the temperature disparity, the nuts can defrost naturally and slowly. The procedure is time-consuming, but speeding it up is not possible. Therefore, it’s essential to schedule your usage carefully.

Tips To Store Hazelnuts

Now that you know how to freeze hazelnuts, here are three additional suggestions for preserving the nuts’ delicious flavor and texture.

Prepare Frozen Hazelnut Mix by Chopping Ahead of Time

You can save time by chopping hazelnuts before freezing them if you plan on using them in the chopped form in a recipe. It’s as simple as putting them in a freezer bag and setting the bag on top of a sturdy cutting board.

The hazelnuts can be crushed with a rolling pin until they reach the desired consistency for the recipe. You can then proceed to freeze them in the same manner described before.

Subtract Air

Remove as much air from your freezer bags as possible before using them. The use of a straw is one such way. To use, zip the bag up until it’s almost completely closed and insert a straw. Gently remove air from your lungs, careful not to swallow any hazelnuts. After that, remove the straw and make sure the bag is completely closed.

Milk Separates

Beware of hazelnut cracking when freezing. When milk’s lipids separate from the liquid, it becomes gritty. Hazelnut milk shouldn’t be frozen if you can help it.

Wondering whether Hazelnuts Go Bad or not then check out our other articles and look for the signs of spoilage in your nuts easily.

Can You Refreeze Hazelnuts?

Refreezing hazelnuts is not a recommended practice. When you remove your hazelnuts from the freezer, you will notice that their texture has changed significantly. This is information you should be aware of.

Instead of having a crisp texture, they will be slightly softer. If you freeze again, the magnitude of this change will increase.

FAQs on Freezing Hazelnuts

1. Are hazelnuts suitable for freezing?

Yes, you can freeze the hazelnuts in an airtight container for up to a year. The nuts won’t be suitable for raw consumption, but they’ll be excellent for baking and other culinary uses.

2. When and how should raw hazelnuts be stored?

Hazelnuts in their shells should be stored in the refrigerator or a cool, dark place like a cellar to maintain their quality. Keep your hazelnuts in the fridge for up to six months, and they’ll still taste great. You can even put them in the freezer to extend their shelf life to a year.

3. To what end might stale hazelnuts be put?

Reviving them by toasting them in a dry pan or oven should do the trick, and you can use them in any dish that calls for nuts. Most of ours were consumed after being toasted with various spices, eaten as snacks, or added as a crunchy topping to various dishes.

To Sum Up

While hazelnuts may be challenging to break, storing them is a breeze. The trick is to deny them access to oxygen, sunlight, and warmth. If you’re successful, you’ll have plenty of hazelnuts for years. If you wish to know more about Hazelnut storage and related topics like Can Brazil Nuts Go Bad, keep reading our blogs.

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