# What to do with a ton of pistachios? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114 "2020-01-28T16:46:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/1 "2020-01-28T16:46:39Z")
I seem to have been gifted with at least 10 pounds of in-the-shell pistachios. What on earth am I going to do with them besides eat them, or give some away? Also, should I keep them in the freezer so they don’t go bad? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/2 "2020-01-28T16:59:33Z")
Send them to me!!! I couldn’t possibly ever have enough Pistachios! I don’t think they ‘go bad’. Wouldn’t know. Then never hang around my place long enough to find out. PM for shipping info… ---
**Author:** ![jerez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c68b51/32.png) [@jerez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jerez)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/3 "2020-01-28T17:05:15Z")
^Beat me to it. As far as using them in cooking, I think your best bets are going to be salads and desserts. Googling “pistachio” and “recipe” should give you ideas. Do you make your own ice cream? With over 10 pounds of them, you could try making pistachio butter. ---
**Author:** ![KMS94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ad7895/32.png) [@KMS94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KMS94)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/4 "2020-01-28T17:07:19Z")
Once you start eating them, it won’t seem like 10 pounds anymore. They’ll go quickly… ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/5 "2020-01-28T17:15:40Z")
Lucky!!I’m (pistachio) green with envy. I know pistachios mixed with bread crumbs make a nice coating for chicken and fish. Other than that, I would have no problem eating my way through 10 pounds of them. And yes, they most definitely go stale. Are they in one big container? I think you’d definitely want to store them in smaller batches and then maybe freeze them that way. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/6 "2020-01-28T17:19:52Z")
[Pistachio brittle](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/salted-pistachio-brittle) Shelled, you really only have a little less than 5 pounds. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/7 "2020-01-28T17:46:25Z")
In my experience, pistachios definitely can go bad. I think they go bad faster than other nuts since in most of them the shell is open and the interior is exposed. (And no one wants the ones that are closed anyway.) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/8 "2020-01-28T17:47:17Z")
Mmm, pistachios! Are they salted in the shell? 10 pounds would be a couple days’ supply for the spouse and me… 😃 We can’t be trusted around them. They’re just too tasty. I vote for eating them! (Funny thing–I never liked pistachios when I was a kid, and I couldn’t figure out why I never tried them. Then I realized it was because they used to dye the shells red. They looked yucky then, so I never thought they’d taste good. The natural-colored shells make them look much more appetizing, IMO.) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/9 "2020-01-28T17:55:35Z")
I had some stale pistachios and I read that you can put them in 350 degree oven for a half hour to freshen them up. I just threw them away and got more. But the principle is there. I would say that the freezer or fridge is bad for them though. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/10 "2020-01-28T18:02:38Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > Mmm, pistachios! Are they salted in the shell? 10 pounds would be a couple days’ supply for the spouse and me… 😃 > > We can’t be trusted around them. They’re just too tasty. I vote for eating them! > > (Funny thing–I never liked pistachios when I was a kid, and I couldn’t figure out why I never tried them. Then I realized it was because they used to dye the shells red. They looked yucky then, so I never thought they’d taste good. The natural-colored shells make them look much more appetizing, IMO.) Holy cow! I completely forgot about red pistachios. Which is weird since I ended up with red fingers and lips often enough :smack: Do those even exist anymore? Did they go away around the same time as red M&Ms? ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/11 "2020-01-28T18:15:47Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > I would say that the freezer or fridge is bad for them though. Apparently [not](https://cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/32750/will-roasted-pistachio-nuts-keep-well-in-freezer): > [@](#): > > Frozen pistachio nuts should be good for about one year; as nuts (roasted or not roasted) are low in water, mostly the benefit of freezing is to protect the fat content from rancidity. You will want to make sure they are in an airtight container. > > For convenience, I would shell them first, so you can use them directly when you take them out, and to save space in your freezer. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/12 "2020-01-28T18:19:00Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Holy cow! I completely forgot about red pistachios. Which is weird since I ended up with red fingers and lips often enough :smack: Do those even exist anymore? Did they go away around the same time as red M&Ms? > **[What to Know About Red Pistachios](https://www.thespruceeats.com/red-pistachios-overview-1807049)** > > Do you remember red pistachios? Once available in every country store in the U.S., the red pistachio has all but disappeared. Discover where these nuts came from and why they are so hard to find now. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/13 "2020-01-28T18:19:48Z")
You could go feed squirrels or go to the zoo and feed elephants. ---
**Author:** ![Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@Tired\_and\_Cranky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tired_and_Cranky)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/14 "2020-01-28T18:27:32Z")
If they aren’t salted, make [baklava](https://natashaskitchen.com/baklava-recipe/). But then the question becomes, what do I do with 20 pounds of baclava? Well, you can share. I won’t say no. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/15 "2020-01-28T19:46:50Z")
> [@Infovore](#): > > [Red Pistachios: Why Did They Disappear?](https://www.thespruceeats.com/red-pistachios-overview-1807049) Interesting. Once again the Dope takes me down memory lane. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/16 "2020-01-28T19:52:08Z")
I kinda miss the red ones. ---
**Author:** ![Purd\_Werfect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47c2d/32.png) [@Purd\_Werfect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Purd_Werfect)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/17 "2020-01-28T20:36:45Z")
I don’t know if this helps, but some of the recipes [here](https://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/slideshow/pistachio-recipe-slideshow) look pretty dang good. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/18 "2020-01-28T21:25:11Z")
Pistachio pesto sauce. I like it better than regular pine nut pesto, as it’s less rich and cloying. Throw a bunch of pistachios into a food processor, together with basil, olive oil, garlic, and some grated parmesan. Whir it up and spoon it over pasta. You don’t even have to cook it. ---
**Author:** ![jonesj2205](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@jonesj2205](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonesj2205)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/19 "2020-01-28T21:31:52Z")
I used to keep pistachios in fridge and it definitely extended their lifespan. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114/20 "2020-01-28T22:17:05Z")
There are times when a person can easily find that they are over burdened with pistachios. In my life, at those times, I sit in my car away from my house with as many of the pistachios as I can lug around, and recreate this movie scene: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nyGZAg3lo9A/maxresdefault.jpg "The Naked Gun | Red pistachios scene [HD]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyGZAg3lo9A) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-do-with-a-ton-of-pistachios/847114.md?page=2)