Store your oil smart: Keep olive oil fresh longer

Cooking oils are kitchen essentials – whether you’re drizzling them over a salad, sautéing veggies, or adding a special touch to a dish. To make sure they reach their full potential, proper storage is key. With a few simple tips, you can prevent your oil from going rancid or losing its flavor.

Dark Bottle, Big Impact

Even at the store, it pays to check the packaging: oils in dark glass bottles are better protected because less light gets in, slowing down oxidation. Just as important is to seal the bottle tightly after each use. This keeps your oil fresh longer and minimizes contact with oxygen.

Fridge or Pantry?

Some cooking oils benefit from the fridge, especially those rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which can oxidize faster at room temperature. Keeping them cool preserves their shelf life, flavor, and valuable nutrients:

► Nut oils
► Pumpkin seed oil
► Flaxseed oil
► Hemp oi
► Grapeseed oil (cold-pressed)
► Safflower oil

Not every oil likes the fridge, though. Refined oils or those with monounsaturated fatty acids, like sunflower oil, are fine at room temperature – in fact, that’s often better, as the cold can make them cloudy or solid. Olive oil and rapeseed oil prefer a cool but not icy spot: a dark pantry away from the stove or window is ideal.

Keep an Eye on the Opening Date

The opening date matters too. Once opened, oil should be used within six months. After that, it’s best to keep the leftovers cool and consume quickly. To stay organized, the consumer advice center recommends not keeping more than two to three bottles open at the same time - that’s plenty for all your cold and hot dishes.

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