What Is the Shelf Life for Salba Seed?

Storage Conditions

• Salba seeds should be stored in a sealed, airtight container. Keep the container in a cool, dry spot such as the back of a pantry. A gel made from Salba seeds and water can be made ahead of time for use as an egg replacement in baking recipes. To make it, whisk together 8 tbsp. water and 1 tbsp. Salba seeds. Let the mixture soak for 10 minutes before stirring again and using. Store this gel in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Shelf Life

• Whole Salba seeds stored at room temperature will remain fresh for up to two years. Prepared chia gel lasts in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Label your containers of Salba seeds before putting them into storage and make a note of the expiration date. Compared to other seeds, Salba seeds have a longer shelf life due to their composition.

Antioxidants

• Fats in seeds can oxidize when exposed to air. This causes rancidity in the seeds. Antioxidants in the Salba seeds inhibit the oxidation of fats in the seeds. Slowing oxidation lengthens the shelf life of the seeds compared to other seeds with similar fat content. Two antioxidants in Salba seeds are caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid, which have been shown to prevent and slow oxidation.

Increase Bread Shelf life

• Take advantage of the antioxidants and long shelf life of Salba seeds to enhance storage of homemade breads. Grind the whole Salba seeds in a spice grinder to the consistency of flour. Replace 25 percent of the flour in a bread recipe with the ground Salba to improve the shelf life by using the natural antioxidants in the Salba seeds to prevent the bread from spoiling. Salba gel can also replace the eggs in a bread recipe to extend the shelf life.