How to save my almonds from moths

How to save my almonds from moths - Variety of Brown Nuts on Brown Wooden Panel High-angle Photo

I bought a large amount of almonds at a bargain price. While moving the almonds to jars, I spotted a white powder which was very reminiscent of the eggs of the pantry moth. In the past, such powder quickly became larvae that turned into moths.

I don't want to throw away all the almonds. Is there any way to clean them?

cleaningalmonds


Best Answer

My personal choice would be to throw this away just because I'm too squeamish.

But people here use salty water to get rid of larvae from wild mushrooms. The idea is to soak the unprocessed mushrooms containing living insects, which will try to escape and eventually die outside the mushroom. You then rinse couple of times with fresh water and dry it to avoid mould development.

I've found this is used as a laboratory test here with fruit. They use 1/4 cup salt in 4 cups water, but they mash the fruit with a potato masher.



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Quick Answer about "How to save my almonds from moths"

Another thing to try would be high heat instead of low heat. Cooking the nuts through would change them (and their shelf life) a lot, but maybe steaming can work.

What is eating my almonds?

Navel orangeworm (NOW) is the primary insect pest of almonds in California. It poses a high risk to an almond crop because the worms bore into the nut and feed on the nutmeat. Not only is the nut damaged, but the feeding opens the door to Aspergillus molds, which can produce aflatoxins, a food safety contaminant.

Do almonds have bugs in them?

Adult females lay eggs in strands of usually 10 to 15 eggs that are often found on the sides of nuts in almonds. Eggs hatch into small nymphs that resemble newly hatched assassin bugs. There are three species of leaffooted bugs that can be found in almonds. The most common is Leptoglossus zonatus.

How do you get rid of bugs in dry fruit?

Use cold to reduce or kill developing insects.
  • Store dried foods in a refrigerator to prevent pests from developing.
  • Storing dried foods in a freezer for 48 hours will kill developing pests.


    • How do worms get in nuts?

    After the nut kernels have hardened, the female uses her long snout to chew a hole in the side of the nut and deposits her egg in little pockets in the nut. Creamy white grubs with reddish brown heads hatch and feed inside the nuts during the fall, reaching 3/5 inch in length.


    How To Get Rid of and Prevent Pantry Moths



    More answers regarding how to save my almonds from moths

    Answer 2

    If you are already seeing larvae dust, the nuts are already nibbled by the larvae, you cannot undo that :( but if you don't mind sharing your food with them, or chomping on the occasional worm, you could try killing them.

    I've heard of people using deep freeze. It should kill at least all larvae. The eggs are probably somewhat hardier, but as far as I know, the usual setting of a standard domestic freezer (** or ***) should be enough for killing the eggs too. It can lead to drying out of the nuts, and I don't know if and how you can remove the dead larvae, but soaking them in water would be a good thing to try, as I've frequently seen dead worms float to the top in compotes.

    Another thing to try would be high heat instead of low heat. Cooking the nuts through would change them (and their shelf life) a lot, but maybe steaming can work. I don't know how long it has to be before it really kills them though.

    In any case, I strongly suggest 1) keeping the suspicious nuts in a completely tight container (I've had worms getting into some standard tupperware containers and similar) and 2) putting up pheromone traps in the pantry, to prevent contamination of further foods.

    Answer 3

    When Weevils are spotted in my almonds, cashews or peanuts,I empty the content on a tray, place these in the sun, and stir with a fork. Then I place the content in a sieve, and rinse it thoroughly, stirring it with hand.Then place the rinsed content on tray and allow to dry in the sun;when completely dry, if raw, roast in oven/microwave for which find info on Google.

    Answer 4

    I have heard from several people etc that freezing food for 3 days will kill any eggs or bugs on it and prevent it from developing into anything.

    Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

    Images: Marta Branco, ready made, Karolina Grabowska, Karolina Grabowska

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