I freeze nuts all of the time. I actually buy them at a charity fundraiser right before the holidays and freeze them for use all year long.

I store my dried beans & peas in old canning jars. Curious why you would want to freeze them.

Hi Suzyq,
I just figured they might keep better, longer, that way. I've read that dried beans deteriorate after a certain length of time, and thought I could extend that time by freezing them?? Thanks for your help.

If you were actually looking to find a home version of a freeze dried item, its impossible to do. They are frozen in liquid nitrogen while under a strong vacuum that pulls all water out of the item. Freezing nuts and dried beans are fine however, as it helps to slow down rancidity. However, nuts cannot be freeze dried. Even grains and flour can be frozen as it helps to keep wheat and rye types from going rancid too.

Of interest - I freeze my macadamia nuts all the time. However, this year we had a crop from our newly planted almond tree. As usual, after they were sun dried and shelled, I froze them too.

When I went to use them, however, after thawing, they became soft and spongy. I posted on the Fruit Forum - and someone answered that probably they shouldn't have been frozen. I was not sure because this is the first year for a harvest. On the other hand, I wondered if they might have been picked too soon, or perhaps needed some kind of spray during their dormant season. Still don't know for sure, but will see what happens next year.

In the meantime, I will continue to freeze the macadamias.

Just my 2 c's.

Bejay

Thanks for the info. on dried beans....I didn't know that :-)

Bejay - I have frozen roasted unsalted almonds purchased from a nut wholesaler with good success. Oh, what I would give for macadamian nuts :-)

Thanks to he wacky weather here in N.C. earlier in the year (and now also, 26 tomorrow night- 70's next week)We had no pecans this year.. I froze a a two plastic grocery bags in the shells last year, and we used some at Thanksgiving... JUST as good as off the tree..
" You know if you are from N.C if you use your air conditioner and turn on the heat in the same day", LOL

bejay, perhaps you didn't dry them long enough? Because I have frozen almonds with no loss of crunchiness. Or, in terms of possibly picking too soon, I believe the husks have to split on their own, and then they shake out of the tree rather than having to be picked...

At least, that's what they do in the orchards around here. Funny little vehicles that look like something out of Star Wars grab the trees and shake the "L" out of them.

That explains why those who live 'round here call them Almonds when they are growing, and Ah (the a sound in "ask") Monds once harvested...the "L" has been shaken out of them. :D

rachelellen -

LOL - now that little chuckle really made my day!

I wondered about that too - perhaps I was a bit hasty, because it was a new experience. It seems to take a few tries to get me oriented in this new growing/preserving endeavor.

There weren't an awful lot of nuts on them anyway. The tree is a dwarf type to begin with, and it's first season try.

About the macadamias - I'm pretty excited about the way they turned out. The tree is right at home - it is evergreen anyway, likes the climate and produces beautiful long plumes of pink blossoms several times a year - making it a fine ornamental as well.

Actually, I have more problems with being able to give my deciduous fruit/nut trees the chill hours they like for optimal production. They may not live too long as a result. Last year, however, they got enough, and I'm happy to say, most of my fruit tree production was very good - especially the apricots, and the new low-chill apple trees - also semi-dwarf.

I'll take note of the almond advice - and thanks - you may be right.

Bejay

Almonds may keep better in the freezer if they are roasted first.

I read somewhere that the 'raw' almonds one buys in the stores are actually blanched for a short time to kill off bugs or something. We often buy 'raw' almonds in bulk and freeze them, they stay much fresher.

During the many years my aunt lived in Guam, she froze all staples including beans (and flour, sugar etc) but it was so humid there year round, insects were a problem.

I often freeze nuts, sesame seeds, things that could go rancid if not used within a certain length of time but I don't quite see the need to freeze quantities of beans and peas unless living in the tropics :)

Filberts, or hazel nuts go rancid very fast. I had a bad box of Hershey 'Pot of Gold' chocolates that had rancid filberts in them.