The heart of a palm is a product obtained from the bud of various palm trees. Regardless of the variety, you can store the hearts of palm in the same way, and that is what I will teach you from now on.
Canned hearts of palm can be stored at room temperature until their expiration date indicates. Once open, refrigerate them for 5 or 7 days or freeze them for 2 or 3 months.
Now let’s dig step by step to learn how to keep them longer.
How to keep hearts of palm at room temperature
It is extremely difficult to find fresh hearts of palm since they last only a brief time. However, finding cans or jars sealed with hearts of palm in supermarkets or food stores is widespread.
If these remain sealed, you can store the hearts of the palm in a dark, dry, and cool place until their indicated expiration date, which can be 3 to 5 years after the date of purchase.
However, once you open the can or jar with hearts of palm, you can no longer keep them at room temperature because they would be damaged quickly.
How to keep hearts of palm in the refrigerator
Well, in case you can buy fresh hearts of palm, or you open the canned version, you will have to store the hearts of palm in the following way:
- Step 1: Put the hearts of the palm in airtight containers.
You can use airtight bags or containers to store fresh palm hearts or canned ones. But if the hearts of palm you bought have a jar with a screw cap, you can leave them there since this container will preserve them without problems.
- Step 2: Write the storage date of the hearts of the palm.
Write the date on the container or bag and put a label or some strips of tape on it.
- Step 3: Store the hearts of the palm in the fridge.
Please place them in the coldest area of your refrigerator for the best results. Fresh hearts of palm can be kept refrigerated for 10 to 14 days, while canned hearts of palm will last about a week in the fridge.
If the can or jar of hearts of palm remains sealed, you will keep them until the expiration date.
How to freeze hearts of palm
Can you freeze hearts of palm? Yes, you can. However, it is not a method that recommends applying, especially with fresh hearts of palm. As the hearts of palm are composed of a large amount of water when freezing and subsequently thawing, their consistency will be severely affected, so it is better not to buy too many.
But in case you need to keep the hearts of palm for longer, you can do the following:
- Step 1: Wrap the hearts of the palm.
Wrap each heart of the palm with plastic film and add another layer of wrap to protect them better.
- Step 2: Place the hearts of the palm in resistant containers.
Although you can use an airtight bag suitable for freezing, I advise using a resistant airtight container since these are thicker and can protect the hearts of palm better, thus reducing the impact that freezing will have on its consistency.
- Step 3: Write down the storage date of the hearts of palm.
If you cannot, or do not want, to put the date on the container where you kept the hearts of palm, then attach some labels with that information, or put a couple of strips of tape and, on these, write the date and name of the product, in this case, hearts of palm.
- Step 4: Store the hearts of palm in the freezer.
This way, you can freeze the hearts of palm for 2 or 3 months. When thawing the hearts of palm, do it gradually, so pass them a day before to the fridge, and there they can be for 2 or 3 more days. Hearts of palm cannot be re-frozen.
If you thaw the hearts of palm in the microwave or at room temperature, you will have to eat them the same day because they can no longer be refrigerated or frozen again.
How to know if the hearts of palm are bad?
Hearts of palm in poor condition will have the following characteristics:
- Mold (black, green, or blue spots or lint).
- Stink.
- Sour or bitter taste.
- Color change (no longer white or ivory).
- It falls apart when you grab them.
In any of these cases, it is best not to eat the hearts of palm, or you could end up sick to your stomach.
How long do hearts of palm last?
| Product | Shelf life |
| Canned hearts of palm (sealed) | Until the expiration date |
| Fresh hearts of palm in the fridge | 10 – 14 days |
| Canned hearts of palm in the fridge (open) | 5 – 7 days |
| Frozen hearts of palm | 2 – 3 months |
| Thawed hearts of palm in the fridge | 2 – 3 days |
What is the best way to preserve the hearts of palm?
Since palm hearts are incredibly delicate, the best way to preserve them is to store them in the refrigerator.
You can store the cans or sealed jars of hearts of palm at room temperature, but as soon as you uncover them, you should keep them cold, or they will be damaged quickly.
Storing them in the freezer is not ideal because they will lose consistency and will no longer be pleasant to the palate, especially the fresh hearts of palm.
If you are interested in learning how to preserve other types of products, here you have several topics. I constantly add more and update and improve the information already published.
