Here's How To Store Roasted Chickpeas

As savory snacks go, roasted chickpeas are a great alternative to chips because not only are they salty and crunchy, but they provide both protein and fiber and may even offer additional benefits if you eat them every day. If you buy the store-bought kind, they're shelf-stable and can stay in the bag. If you're making roast chickpeas in your air fryer or oven (here's our recipe for spicy roasted garbanzos), they may not last as long as the store-bought kind since this seems to be the case with most home-cooked foods. Still, they might last for weeks or even months depending on the storage approach you choose.

If you want the chickpeas to stay as crispy as possible, your best bet is to store them at room temperature. A container such as a glass jar with a screw-on lid may keep them relatively fresh for up to two weeks. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that if you can eat them up in a few days, it may be best to ditch the airtight enclosure and simply keep them in a bowl protected by a paper towel. It may be that the air actually helps the chickpeas stay dryer whereas keeping them out allows them to get a bit soggy as time passes. Still, if you live in a humid climate and don't have central air conditioning to dry out the inside of your house, it's probably best to keep the roasted chickpeas away from the damp air.

If you make a large batch of chickpeas and get sick of eating them after a day or two (who doesn't overestimate their appetite from time to time?), it might be best to pack them away in the refrigerator. Here you are advised to use that airtight container. Other foods in the refrigerator can smell or drip, so it's best to keep your fridge contents as separated as possible. Refrigerators can also be a moist environment, so the container will also help the chickpeas stay dry. Refrigerated roasted chickpeas may last for up to a month, although you should toss them out if they start to smell funny or feel slimy. This shouldn't be too difficult since you probably won't want to eat them anyway if they do.

If you really want those roasted chickpeas to last a long time, though, you'll need to freeze them in a heavy-duty ziplock-type bag or resealable plastic container. While they may be at their best if eaten within three months, they'll be perfectly safe to eat for as long as they stay frozen since such low temperatures prevent the growth of any mold or bacteria that would cause them to spoil. Once you want to eat the chickpeas, you may thaw them either in the refrigerator or at room temperature. Don't try to speed things up with the microwave, though, as they don't need any further cooking at this point.