Great question! And the answer is... it depends. Most of the time, storing in your pantry is just fine. However, if you don't use your almond butter as quickly as I do in my house, then it might be wise to store in the fridge. This is especially true if you purchase nut butters without preservatives. Keeping it in the fridge extends the shelf life from approx. 2 years to a whopping 4 years.