Cashew nuts are kept for about six months at room temperature and for more than a year in the refrigerator. If that's not enough, you can always freeze them. Store cashew nuts in a sealed bag or container to protect them from excess fresh air. Cashew nuts have a long shelf life when stored under the right conditions.
Storing them in a closet will keep them fresh for up to 6 months. But the best thing to do is store them in the freezer if you know you won't eat them quickly enough. They can last more than a year in very cold temperatures. For cashew nuts, the shelf life discussion measures the time it would take for the nut to go rancid and lose its creamy texture and nutritional value.
When cashew nuts are purchased in bulk and stored properly, they can last for about a month at room temperature or up to 6 months in the refrigerator. Beyond that, freezing would be necessary. Cashew nuts in the refrigerator can easily last up to a month if stored in an airtight container. However, if you detect any mold or organic growth in the container, it's time to throw away the cashews.
Cashew nuts, such as almonds, are usually not raw, even if they are marked as such. The shell around the cashew nut contains urushiol, the same substance found in poison ivy. The inside of the shell contains toxic resins, which can contaminate the nut if not removed carefully, so the processors remove the outer shell with heat treatment or boiling in oil. Very few manufacturers remove the peel without using heat, according to the Living and Raw Foods website.
You can store raw cashew nuts for up to a year or longer if you store them in a sealed bag in a cool, dark and dry environment, such as the freezer. You can store them in the refrigerator for four to five months. This definitive article is sure to answer any questions you have about cashew nut expiration so you can get to that delicious nut meal as soon as possible. You can do the same if you buy raw cashew nuts in a plastic package that you open and need to reclose.
Once the package is opened, the roasted cashew nuts will last about 2 weeks in the pantry or a month in the fridge. If you opt for the refrigerator route, nuts should still be hermetically sealed, as cashews are hygroscopic and will absorb moisture and odors from the environment. However, if you like to include cashew nuts in meals, it's definitely essential that you know how to tell if your cashew nuts have gone bad. Cashew nuts usually come in well-designed containers that do an excellent job of keeping moisture out, so if the nuts are still in their original sealed packaging, freeze them as is.
Most pre-packaged cashew nuts will have an expiration date, which will tell you how long you can leave the package unopened in your pantry. As time goes on, minor oxidation of cashew nuts continues and causes the nuts to darken and deteriorate, emitting a paint odor. Finally, if your cashew nuts have started to wilt and become very dark in color, they have gone from being better and are no longer suitable for consumption. So, if you like to eat occasional cashew nuts but don't consume a large amount, you could benefit from buying smaller packs of cashew nuts instead of buying them in bulk.
Keeping cashew nuts in your pantry will result in a shorter shelf life than in the refrigerator, but it's a good option if you check them quickly. While eating rancid cashews is not life-threatening, it can cause constipation or digestive discomfort.
