Late-dropping macadamia nuts have reduced shelf life

•Macadamia kernels are prone to oxidative rancidity because of high levels of unsaturated fatty acids and high oil content.•Harvest time influences the quality and shelf life of macadamia kernels.•September-harvested kernels have 3–6 months less shelf life than May-harvested kernels.•Timely harvesting of macadamia nuts is recommended to minimise quality losses.