Can You Freeze Peanuts?

4 minutes

While its classification as a legume might seem confusing, there’s no mistaking the popularity of the peanut. Peanuts are a nutritious food containing essential fats, protein and fibre. But, you might be wondering whether you store peanuts in the freezer…

How to Freeze Peanuts

Freezing peanuts is simple and a great way to preserve this family favourite food. Thankfully, storing peanuts in the freezer should not take up too much space either. Here’s one way to freeze them:

1. Let them Cool
   Firstly, if your peanuts are hot or warm, let them cool to room temperature before freezing them. This is the case if you have roasted your own peanuts which you now want to freeze.
2. Wrap and Cover
   Wrap your peanuts in plastic film before placing them in a freezer bag. The other option is to use a rigid plastic container.
3. Get Rid of Excess Air
   Condensing the film and squeezing out any excess air from the freezer bag is a good way of keeping the peanuts fresh. Once this has been done, you can seal the freezer bag or container.
4. Label the container
   To avoid forgetting when you put food in the freezer, it is a good idea to attach a sticker with the date you have first frozen your peanuts onto the outside of the container.
5. Put them in the freezer
   Once you have securely packed your peanuts, you can then place them in the freezer to keep them from going bad. Remember, you can freeze peanuts for around twelve months.

3 Tips for Freezing Peanuts

Now you know how to freeze them, we’ve got our 3 top tips which we strongly recommend following when freezing peanuts to have the best results:

Use Clear Containers
Peanuts can crack when freezing, which could affect their quality, so inspecting your peanuts in the freezer every now and then is a good idea. Storing the peanuts in a clear container means you can easily look out for discolouration and changes to their appearance. 

Smell Before Tasting
If your peanuts have been frozen for a while, or if you are just planning to freeze them, smell them first to assess their quality. There is no point in having mouldy food taking up valuable freezer space, so the smell test is a useful way of measuring quality. 

Freeze Raw Peanuts
It appears that peanuts tend to freeze for longer periods when raw, as opposed to when opened, boiled or roasted. This is something you might want to consider before freezing. Always check the physical appearance of your peanuts before serving, however. 

How Long Can You Freeze Peanuts?

Generally, raw peanuts can be frozen for up to 12 months. Peanuts in other forms, though, such as unshelled, boiled, and roasted, may not stay preserved for as long in the freezer.

Due to the oil content that peanuts possess, they should be contained within a freezer properly to preserve their quality. If stored correctly in the right conditions, peanuts can usually last a long time in the freezer and not lose too much of their quality.

You can check the quality of your peanuts by appearance or smell. If you have concerns regarding their quality after storing them for a while, they might have started to spoil, and it is suggested that you discard them. Signs of spoilage are usually fairly obvious, fortunately.

You Can Freeze Peanuts for up to 12 Months

How Do You Defrost Peanuts?

It is important to make sure the nuts get to room temperature before eating them. While they cannot technically thaw because they do not actually freeze, leaving the peanuts to “defrost” first before reheating is advised.

For the best results, place them in the refrigerator for 24 hours to defrost them. You can then reheat them if you wish.

Can You Refreeze Peanuts?

You can refreeze peanuts, but it is best not to as it will affect texture and quality. If you do decide to refreeze peanuts, it is important to make sure they have defrosted thoroughly before consumption.

Make sure your freezing conditions are good and that you use the suggested containers. While it is unlikely that peanuts will go bad if they have been frozen and thawed correctly, always check on the quality of your peanuts before eating.

Do Peanuts Freeze Well?

Peanuts will preserve for a long time in the freezer when contained sufficiently, particularly when raw.

Whether they are shelled or unshelled, raw or boiled (or even turned into peanut butter), peanuts freeze well. Just remember to store them in suitable wrapping and containers for the best results.

Related FAQs

If you’ve still got questions about freezing peanuts or nuts in general, then these may help: