The Only Way To Store Olive Oil, According to a California Olive Oil Farmer

I come from an Italian family, so olive oil has always been a big deal in the kitchen. There was one massive tin on the counter and typically a spare can stored somewhere else in the house, wherever there was room.

Where and how you store olive oil is key to keeping it fresh and tasty, says Mary Mori, the vice president of quality and product at California Olive Ranch. “There are four enemies of olive oil,” she says.

These are the four things to consider when deciding where to store your olive oil:

• Time: Though that bottle of olive oil may seem like it will last forever, oil has a shelf life of about 18 to 24 months. “Unlike wine, olive oil doesn’t get better with age," says Mori. And once you open the bottle, the taste can decline. Mori recommends using it within a month or two of opening the bottle.
• Light: Olive oil bottles often are tinted. That’s because light can harm quality. “Prolonged light exposure will reduce the amount of antioxidants found in olive oil, ultimately compromising taste and causing rancidity,” Mori explains.
• Heat: Olive oil is best kept in a cool, dark place like the pantry. Although it might be convenient to keep the oil near the stove, storing it near heat can cause it to spoil.
• Oxygen: The flavor of olive oil can change when it’s exposed to oxygen. That’s why it’s important to keep it stored in an airtight container and make sure it’s capped.

Should You Refrigerate Olive Oil?

If you’re not going to use your oil quickly, it can be tempting to store it in the fridge. While that might not affect overall quality, it can change the flavor.

Crystals can start to form in olive oil when it’s chilled, according to the North American Olive Oil Association.

“When this happens and you bring that oil back to liquid form at room temperature a lot of the flavor ends up in the sediment that separates at the bottom, this can in turn also cause your oil to go rancid faster,” says Mori, who suggests keeping it in a cabinet or pantry.

The Best Container for Your Olive Oil

Ideally, you should keep olive oil in its original bottle. The tinted containers help keep out light and the tight fit keeps out oxygen.

Some people like the idea of a smaller, table-ready bottle with an easier-to-pour spout. “We love the pour spouts for usage ability,” says Mori, “but we recommend not to use these unless you use the oil up quickly as they allow oxygen in which will lead to quicker degradation and rancidity.”

When Should You Replace Olive Oil?

Only buy as much olive oil as you know you will realistically use. It might make sense to get the large one-liter bottle if you use it regularly. Consider a smaller size if it takes you longer than a month or two to use it up.

“Like all fruits, the olive oil should taste fresh, and herbaceous. Everyone has a different palate, but fresh extra virgin olive oil should be floral, fruity, nutty, and resemble freshly cut grass,” says Mori.

If your olive oil is rancid, it might taste stale or even have a band-aid or Play-Doh-like taste, says Mori.

“A great at-home recommendation I suggest when trying to learn these tastes is to smell crayons or band-aids, or even try some nuts or chips that may have been in your cupboard for a while; they will taste stale which is actually the oils in them going rancid.”