Out of date nuts?

queenpig

Right found these in the cuboard they haven't been opened as of yet and have been shelled (is that right word for they have been taken out of their shells? lol)

walnuts bb - dec 2006

chopped nuts mixed - march 2007

pecans feb - 2007.

Also poppy seeds but cant find a date for them so no doubt out of date.

so would you still used them, should i make them in ercipes asap, or would you bin them?

TIA Queenpig x
p.s sorry if you find another theard by me of this very one sorry it went mad before i finished lol ????

overlykeensaver

You'll have to open them to taste one to see how soft or stale they are but they don't seem hugely out of date so I would just get on and use them up.

Plum_Pie

Can't find link but know that the mould that grows on peanuts is one of the most carcinogenic substances on earth. If the mixed nuts contain peanuts, I would avoid them, personally. (I'm not usually very concerned with 'eat by' dates, I usually rely on my eys and nose!)

No comment on the others.

juno

Go and feed them to the outside birds

tightasagnats

I have found that the oils in nuts goes rancid when old, and then they taste bad and need to be in the tummies of birds, not you. Peanut advice above taken, other nuts I reckon if they taste ok then they are.

queenpig

Think I'll give them to the birds. Better to be safe and all that.
Next question how do I make a bird feeding thing where would I put as I have cats also.

sinister_nutmeg

Hello everyone,

I have searched for this and not found anyting useful, but apologies if there's already a great big thread on the subject...

How long do unshelled nuts stay edible?

I have a small basket full of mixed unshelled nuts that we had at christmas (this year, mind!) and which, despite my best nagging, did not get eaten up. I was going to shell them all and bung them in a muesli, but is there a reason not to since they've been sitting in my living room for 6+ months? Obviously the packaging is long gone so I have no idea even what sort of BBE date goes on nuts in their shells! Any experience you can share with me would be greatly appreciated! I have tasted one of the hazelnuts and it didn't seem rancid or anything, but I don't want to slowly poison my OH via muesli!

I'm normally quite able to choose whether to eat ood stuff by look and smell, but I've never had to judge nuts before and I'm worried there's something I don't know.

Many thanks in advance,
Meg

kate83

Hi,
You'd know if the nuts had gone off as they taste horrible, really plasticky - the same as gone off cooking oil if you've ever smelt that.

If they taste ok and have no sign of mould on then they're fine - the only ones I'd be a bit wary of is peanuts as they are really prone to mould and a toxin called aflotoxin which is nasty.

x

zippychick

Hi Sinister:j

I didn't find any massive threads about it either, but did find one with some discussion Out of date nuts

To be honest I wouldn't have thought they would go off or be of any danger but that thread also confirms the peanut risks . That is entirely my niaevity so you learn something new every single day !


TheFoods Standards Agency website is a good source of information on food hygiene and safety and may offer some help or advice.

I know the nuts thread is pretty old but i am going to merge this with it if that is ok with you - it is relevant and will help others in future.:A

Food safety thread may also offer some help as the question may have been asked in there before

let us know how you get on - if in doubt, don't risk it.

Zip

sinister_nutmeg

Thanks guys, that's really helpful. I was vaguely aware of the aflatoxin issue, I think that's what was niggling at me, but these are all christmassy tree nuts so I'm going ahead and using them - they're definitely not 'off' going by the description above!

Do go ahead and merge, of course! I will update for others' reference if either of us get side effects :eek:

This year, I will be shelling every nut in the house on Twelfth Night and making a nut roast or something. Can't believe I carried on hoping someone would eat them for half a year!:embarasse

zippychick

I love nuts dry toasted in a frying pan (no oil or anything) thrown into salads, couscous, sandwiches etc x