🔎

Do nuts go rancid after the expiration date? If not right away, how long after?

They're halved, roasted and salted pecans from Trader Joe's that expired 8/2011. I'm hungry.

Answer »
jmburns added 11 months ago

Taste them if they taste ok go for it. But the will go rancid at some point.

flgal added 11 months ago

Don't wait for them to go rancid, just put them in the freezer.

ElkieOiishi added 11 months ago

Good idea - I never thought to put them in the freezer.

Dscn1430

Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.

added 11 months ago

Once I've opened a container of nuts, I store it in the refrigerator. Give them a smell. If it sends you reeling, they're rancid. You'll never forget that smell.

Waffle3
ChefOno added 11 months ago
Voted the Best Answer!


Rancidity is not switch that is either on or off. Imagine a line that runs between "fresh" and "oh my god what is that smell?" Your nose knows for sure at some point, but it can't detect the buildup of free radicals that happens continously from the time the nuts are picked. Free radicals = bad.

Storage conditions have everything to do with shelf life. If the nuts were stored in an air-tight container and / or under some degree of refrigeration, they may still be "good".

One clue is to break a few into pieces. If they're soft, if they don't snap, they're probably past due for disposal.

No need to email me as additional
answers are added to this question.

How you eat is how you live.
Let's eat well together.

Sign up for our useful and inspiring emails.
Get a $10 credit at Provisions, our new kitchen-and-home shop, launching soon!

Please enter a valid email address.

Well played.
You deserve a cookie.

We'll email your $10 promo code when we launch.