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Do Chia Seeds Go Bad? A Short Guide!

Chia seeds are a known superfood and gain a lot of attention from people who try to eat healthily and stay fit. Sometimes you can buy way too many of those chia seeds and forget about them. Chances are you stumble upon “leftovers” of the chia seeds in your pantry. Do chia seeds go bad?

You would be surprised to see how many people underestimate the consumption of a bag of seeds like chia seeds. Are the chia seeds close to the expiry or the best-by date? Find out more in our blog post on the shelf life of chia seeds and how to store them properly.

Concluding table:

Chia SeedsPantryRefrigeratorFreezer
unopenedup to 4 yearsup to 5 yearsup to 5 years
openedbest-by + 1 yearbest-by + 2 yearsbest-by + 3 years
GoodOrGoneBad – How long will chia seeds last (opened/unopened)

Do Chia Seeds Go Bad?

Chia seeds are what people call superfoods. What are superfoods exactly? Superfoods are known for their high amount of nutrients and antioxidants in a nutshell.

Chia seeds can last for a few years but as with all foods and drinks, they’ll decay and go bad eventually. When they’re gone bad, you should get rid of them and give them a possible second life.

To tell if the chia seeds are still good, you can do a few simple tests. First of all, smell them up close. Do they have an unpleasant odor? If yes, then it means they’re already too far gone and should be discarded. Otherwise, take a close look at their color. If the chia seeds are turned dark and do not have the same color they originally had, they’re probably bad.

The last test is a sensory one. If you taste them and find them bitter or with an unpleasant aftertaste, it means that their nutrient content has already been affected by time and the environment.

How Can You Tell If Your Chia Seeds Have Gone Bad

How do you know when chia seeds have gone bad or rancid? You can use your senses:

  1. Do you smell a strange or unpleasant smell? They can smell like an industrial, chemical substance. This indicates a lack of freshness.
  2. Do you see a change in their color (darker) compared to how they were when you bought them? Discard them, don’t take the risk.
  3. Do you taste something sour, bitter, or simply unpleasant? Discard it immediately and rinse your mouth with water. Chia seeds should taste great and have a nutty smell, how seeds smell ;)!
  4. Are there pests or bugs in your bag? When you don’t pay attention to cleaning your cabinet or pantry thoroughly on a regular basis, there’s a risk you’ll see bugs in your pantry, affecting all you’ve stored there. Discard the chia seeds away and also the other foods stored.
  5. Do you see any signs of mold? Mold is a clear sign of spoilage, do not take the risk. Normally, if you store the seeds and keep them away from moisture, there should be no problem.

There’s always the common rule of thumb when it comes to deciding when your food, chia seeds, in this case, are good or have already gone bad.

Trust in your own senses and if you’re in doubt, just discard your chia seeds and give them a second life in the garden as fertilizer along with some egg shells.

There’s no need to try to be a hero, the cost of a new bag of chia seeds is neglectable compared to the possible damage to your health and well-being, which is priceless.

Is It Possible To Eat Expired Chia Seeds

Yes, you can simply eat everything that’s over the expiry date, surely if you don’t see or note one of the signs we’ve described earlier: strange smell, color change, bitter taste, bugs in the bag, or signs of mold.

The reaction in your human body isn’t a general rule and depends on factors like your constitution and the amount you’ve digested. It may be bad for your digestion, the damage can be greater if they’re gone bad for a longer time. Just toss it away.

How Long Do Chia Seeds Last

Simply said, chia seeds can last up to about 5 years when they’re bought and stored in the right way. Don’t let it get to 5 years if you know what’s good for you.

You’ll have to store them in a bag, double-bag them, or put them in a container, safely away from light and heat. As said before in other blog posts, sunlight and temperature fluctuations are bad for foods and drinks.

There is always a printed label on the chia seeds, try to consume them before this date or as early as possible. Use your common sense, have I stored them in the right way? Can they become bad before this printed date? Generally, there’s no risk but use your senses and when in doubt, discard the seeds.

Don’t try to be a hero, buy a new and smaller bag of chia seeds ;)!

Here we have a concluding table which should give you an idea of how long they will last. Remember, this is general guidance and it is advised they’re consumed within a year, so organize yourself with buying the right amount and store them properly.

Chia SeedsPantryRefrigeratorFreezer
unopenedup to 4 yearsup to 5 yearsup to 5 years
openedbest-by + 1 yearbest-by + 2 yearsbest-by + 3 years
GoodOrGoneBad – How long will chia seeds last (opened/unopened)

How Should You Store Chia Seeds

Store them safely away from sunlight and heat. You can do this by placing the bag in a container in your pantry at room temperature.

One great tip is that you can divide the chia seeds into smaller packs or bags and use them for consumption and leave all the other bags in the container. Watch out for pantry bugs.

You can also refrigerate the chia seeds and increase their lifespan but this is not done by a lot of people as they have already a decent life span of at least a few years.

Placing them in the fridge comes with advantages but also disadvantages: there’s a risk of more intruders from the other stored foods and drinks. Especially moisture is a high risk, which can cause mold, one of our telltale signs.

When you seal them away in bags, be sure to push out the air of the bags, which is beneficial for increasing their lifespan.

There is also the possibility of freezing your chia seeds.

Can You Freeze Chia Seeds

Of course, you can store almost everything in the freezer, chia seeds are no exception.

Since storing chia seeds in the pantry gives you a lifespan of at least a few years, there’s no need to store them in the refrigerator or even in the freezer.

If you want to freeze them, simply double-bag them and put them in a container. Before freezing them, push the air out of the bags and be aware of the risk of freezer burn.

Personally, storing chia seeds in the freezer isn’t something I do as I buy and divide them into small portions.

Do Chia Seeds Need To Be Refrigerated After Opening?

No, they don’t need to be refrigerated when they’ve been opened. They’ll last for a couple of years, but if you have some empty space in your fridge and you’re sure you won’t finish the bag in a few years. Placing them in your fridge in the right way (sealed) will increase their lifespan and the quality will decrease more slowly.

Enjoy your chia seeds!