How to store walnuts, almonds and cashews

Every day: an airtight jar

As soon as you open a pack, tip what you will not eat in the next few days into a clean, dry, airtight jar. Glass with a good seal is ideal, and a steel container works too. Keep the jar in a cupboard away from the stove. Use a dry spoon or clean, dry hands, because a wet spoon carries moisture in with it.

Keep different dry fruits in different jars. Walnuts, almonds and cashews each have their own flavour, and raisins and apricots hold moisture that nuts are better off without.

In warm months: the fridge

In much of India the kitchen is warm for most of the year. Shelled walnuts in particular keep longer in the fridge, in an airtight box so they do not pick up the smell of onions or last night's dal. Almonds and cashews do well there too. Let a portion come back to room temperature before you eat it, and it will taste as it should.

For a large stock, such as a family's supply for the winter or the dry fruits for a wedding, the freezer is an option. Pack them in small, well sealed bags, so you only open what you need.

Walnuts in shell

The shell is the walnut's own packaging, so walnuts in shell are the easiest of all to keep. Store them somewhere cool, dry and airy: a cloth bag, a basket or a jar with the lid left loose. Crack them as you need them, and if you are new to it, here is how to crack walnuts by hand.

Raisins, apricots and trail mix

Golden raisins and dried apricots are softer and sweeter than nuts, and they can dry out or clump together. Keep them in an airtight container. If raisins harden, a few minutes in warm water softens them for cooking.

A mixed bag, like the trail mixes in Harud Bites, holds nuts and dried fruit together, so keep it in its resealed pouch or a jar and eat it sooner rather than later once it is open. If you make your own, our homemade trail mix guide has a few packing ideas.

How to tell if nuts have gone off

• They smell sharp, sour or of old oil rather than nutty.
• They taste bitter. Walnuts show it first.
• You can see mould, damp patches or insects. Throw these away.

If a nut tastes bitter, do not cook with it, because toasting will not hide it. It is better to buy smaller packs more often than one big bag that sits open for months. Walnuts, almonds, cashews and raisins are all in Harud Harvest.