As soon as you receive your packages, please open and inspect the contents. All nuts, fruits, baked goods and candies that are not going to be used right away should be stored in your refrigerator or freezer. Below are several storage instructions that will help you store your Sunnyland products properly. (Click here to see our additional pecan FAQs and pecan nutrition facts)
Storage of Raw Nuts
Nuts must be kept cold, either in the refrigerator or freezer. Before storing, pack all nuts in clean, dry containers. Zip-closed freezer bags or plastic cartons with tight lids work well.
The secret of storing both in-shell nuts and nut meats is to KEEP THEM COLD. The lower the temperature, the longer nuts keep. In your home refrigerator, nuts store satisfactorily for four to five months; in a zero (0°F) freezer, or lower, they remain in good condition for up to a year.
Nuts in the shell can be held twice as long, at any given temperature, as shelled meats. Nut halves may be held for about twice as long as pieces.
Experiments indicate there is a slight loss in quality of nuts stored in the refrigerator; in the freezer there is no loss in quality. Low in moisture (only 4%), nuts may be refrozen again and again without adversely affecting taste or texture. Always allow cold nuts to warm to room temperature before opening the bag. This will prevent them from absorbing any excess moisture.
Storage of Toasted Nuts
Toasted nuts keep as well in the freezer as raw nuts. When you want to use some, take the container out of the freezer. It is important to allow nuts to warm up to room temperature, then open the container and take out what you want. Close the container and return to the freezer. When exposed to air, cold toasted nuts absorb moisture and may become limp. If this happens, freshen them in a 150° oven for 15-20 minutes.
Cool before serving.
Storage of Uncooked Dried Fruits
Store in the refrigerator, tightly sealed to prevent the fruit from drying out. Zip-closed freezer bags work well. Sometimes dried fruit, especially figs, will begin to "sugar." These natural sugars are edible and provide a delicate crunch. If desired, it is easily removed by rinsing the fruit with warm water.
Storage of Cakes, Chocolates & Candies
All our cakes and candies will keep well in the refrigerator or the freezer as long as they are tightly sealed. Tightly sealed, pecan candies and chocolates will keep well in the refrigerator and will freeze beautifully. Fruit Cakes and Rum Crunch cakes keep well in the refrigerator and the freezer. Store tightly sealed in either an air-tight container or freezer bags. The colder the cake, the easier to slice. Use a sharp, damp, non-serrated knife. There are no preservatives in our Pumpkin Bread. It will keep on the counter 3-5 days, up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator and up to three months in the freezer. In any instance be sure to keep tightly sealed. Pecan Pie - if on the counter or in the refrigerator, cover the pie loosely with plastic wrap or foil. It will keep for several days. Stored in the freezer tightly sealed, the pie will keep for 2 months. Granola - in an airtight container, granola will keep at room temperature for a month. In the refrigerator it will keep six months; in the freezer it will keep up to a year.
Time Saving Tip
Before putting your nuts, fruits and candies in the freezer, package them in ‘serving size’ amounts. That way you take out only what you need each time. This will allow your nuts, cakes and candies to come to room temperature faster and keep the bulk of your products from being taken in and out of storage.