Exact Answer: Up to 24 months
The chia seeds can last around 2 years if they are stored correctly. Seeds can have a long shelf life, but they need favorable conditions for storage. Mostly, chia seeds come with an expiry date which the person should keep in mind. Seeds need to be kept in a cold place to avoid them getting worse.
Summary
Chia seeds are extremely nutritious with a huge amount of omega-3 and protein in it. The presence of digestible protein in the chia seeds makes it a superfood for health-concerned people. There are many ways by which chia seeds can be consumed. There are many factors that will affect the chia seeds’ shelf life.
If anyone wants to make chia seeds last long, they should store them separately without mixing with any other type of seeds.
How Long Do Chia Seeds Last?
| Chia Seeds | Time |
| Minimum time | 1 year |
| Maximum time | 2 years or more |
Plastic and glass are great for preventing any type of chemical reaction or bacterial growth to the seeds. If the chia seeds come in a container, then the person can use the same container for storing the chia seeds. Using plastic bags is not a great idea as they may get torn easily. The chia seed’s shelf life may also change depending on the brand.
The chia seeds come in different types of brands. Some of the brands may have a shelf life of around 12 months while others would have 24 months. Once the chia seeds are opened, try to use tight-fitting lid containers to store the chia seeds.
The chia seeds should be stored in the fridge as they would be away from bacteria that may spoil the chia seeds. The food items such as chia pudding can be stored in the fridge for around 7 to 8 days. There are many conditions and factors to be considered while storing the chia seeds in the fridge.
The person should check the container before putting the chia seeds in it. If someone is using a plastic container, then make sure there is no hole in it. A small hole can cause moisture contact with the chia seeds. Moisture contact would not only affect the texture of the chia seeds but would reduce their shelf life.
People can use both plastic and glass storage containers for putting chia seeds.
Why Do Chia Seeds Last This Long?
Seeds have a long shelf life if prevented from humidity and hot temperature. The seeds can’t survive extremely hot climatic conditions. The humidity or moisture contact would degrade the quality of the seeds. The oil content of the chia seeds may make them get rancid very easily if not protected from harmful bacteria or humidity.
Oxidization is another possible cause for chia seeds getting bad in a very short time. Therefore, to protect the volatile oil content and other nutrients in chia seeds, the person should not allow the chia seeds to rest at room temperature.
No one should leave the opened bag or containers of the chia seeds in the kitchen as it would host some bacteria present in the environment. Everyone should avoid eating chia seeds after they are expired. As expired chia seeds would spread bacteria in the chia seeds to the human body. This may cause illness and sickness in humans.
People can eat chia seeds without soaking them for hours. If someone is trying to make chia pudding, then soaking it for a few hours would do. Chia seeds’ texture becomes softer after they are soaked in milk for making chia pudding. If you are not going to have chia seeds on the same day, then don’t soak them in the milk.
Once chia seeds are soaked in the milk, they should be consumed in 2 hours.
Conclusion
The shelf life of chia seeds would be around 2 years or more. Choosing high and premium quality chia seeds is vital for having a long shelf life. After making the chia pudding or gel, the person should store it in the fridge for making it last for around 5 days. The texture of the chia seeds would change if they are expired.
If the chia seed taste has become bitter, then it is expired or not good to be consumed.
References
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Sandeep Bhandari is the founder of ExactlyHowLong.com website.
I am a professional full-time blogger, a digital marketer, and a trainer. I love anything related to the Web and I try to learn new technologies every day.
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