The fact is that oatmeal can go bad if you keep them under improper conditions that will affect changes in color and flavor. Uncooked oats will go bad easily if you keep them exposed to moisture, heat, and oxygen. It’s best to eat your oatmeal within one year or so.
Preventing oats from going bad is easy, it just requires a bit of thought. If the oats are stored in paper, after opening the package, transfer the grains to an airtight glass or metal container and stash them the fridge or freezer.
Does oatmeal go bad?
The actual shelf life of oatmeal varies with the variety, packaging and storage method used on the product. Oatmeal is the most popular hot cereal, but it can also be used in many other recipes.
As a result of freshness, you may lose some nutritional value of oatmeal. Otherwise, it is considered safe to eat! The fact is that oatmeal can go bad if you keep them under improper conditions that will affect changes in color and flavor. Uncooked oats will go bad easily if you keep them exposed to moisture, heat, and oxygen.
However, the most common oatmeal, steel cut oats, rolled oats and quick oats, each have different expiration dates. Steel cut oats frequently last three to five years, rolled oats between one to two years and quick oats have a shorter lifespan which ranges about six to nine months.
How do you know if oats are bad?
Oats that have spoiled will change in texture and color. If you’re a regular oat eater, you probably already have a good idea of what your oats should look like. And, if it smells different than usual, avoid those oats like the plague. You should be able to spot if there is something off about your dry oats by looking for the following:.
This begs the question “How to tell if dry oats are bad?”
You should easily be able to spot if there’s something wrong with you dry oats. Look for the following: If either is the case, throw the oats out and open a new bag. If your oats smell foul or off, get rid of them too. Oats that picked up smells from other food are most likely safe to eat, but you probably want to toss them out for quality reasons.
Is it OK to eat old Oats?
If you’re not sure exactly how long your oats have been hanging out in the back of your cabinet, the good news is that they probably won’t hurt you even if they’re on the older side. They may taste a little sour or be discolored, but as long as you don’t see any mold growing, they’re not unsafe to eat.