Key Points
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Store olive oil in a cool, dark cabinet to protect its flavor and nutritional benefits.
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Avoid keeping olive oil near heat or sunlight, as both can speed up degradation.
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Always secure the cap tightly to limit air exposure and preserve freshness.
A good-quality olive oil is one of the hardest-working ingredients in the kitchen. Use a splash to sauté shrimp or toss it with vegetables before roasting them. Whisk it with lemon juice and mustard for a tangy vinaigrette, or blend it with basil and pine nuts for a bright pesto. Use it regularly and it can actually make your food more nutritious.
Yet many people store their olive oil next to the stovetop. As it turns out, this is the most common mistake people make when storing olive oil. Yes, that may be where it gets the most use, but heat and light can quickly degrade its flavor.
I spoke with experts to better understand what common olive oil mistakes we all make, and they all agreed that the biggest one is where and how we keep it once opened.
Treat Olive Oil Like a Perishable Ingredient
“One of the biggest misconceptions I encounter is that olive oil is a shelf-stable pantry item – it’s actually more like fresh fruit juice,” explains Lisa Pollack, education manager, Corto Olive Co. “Producers work hard to capture the grassy, green flavor and peppery kick from peak season olives, and the result is perishable. Fresh is best when it comes to olive oil, and it will degrade over time, especially when exposed to the wrong conditions.”
Chef Morgan Lewis at Halls Catch in Nashville, agrees. “The biggest mistake I see is treating olive oil like it’s shelf-stable forever. It’s not—it’s a fresh product.”
Because olive oil is made from fruit, it’s surprisingly perishable, says Paul Bartolotta, owner and co-founder, The Bartolotta Restaurants, and a two-time James Beard Award-winning chef for Midwest and Southwest. He recommends storing olive oil like you would a good wine.
Pollack compares olive oil not to wine, but to orange juice. “Would you leave a glass of orange juice out on the counter for a few days then expect it to taste fresh? Olive oil is no different.” To best enjoy olive oil that tastes like the fruit it came from, these experts stress that a few specific storage conditions are the key.
Storing olive oil properly is your best chance of slowing down oxidation, the breakdown of olive oil’s fatty acids and antioxidants, which eventually ends in rancidity and a reduction in its health benefits.
How to Store Olive Oil Like a Pro
Store Out of Direct Light
One of the biggest enemies for olive oil is light, especially direct sunlight. Pollack says leaving a bottle of oil on the counter where the sun may hit it may speed up oxidation, which will harm the quality of the oil. “That’s why high-quality producers go to great lengths to protect from light, whether through dark glass, tins, or more protective packaging systems.”
Keep it Away from Heat
Leaving your container of olive oil next to your oven and stovetop may be convenient, but it’s likely harming the oil itself. “We are all tempted to store our olive oil next to the stove for convenience, but ambient heat impacts the oil,” Pollack says. “Exposure over time accelerates degradation, and oil stored by the stove is more likely to lose its fresh, vibrant characteristics faster than in other storage locations.” Instead, store in a cool, dark cabinet close to your stovetop to protect the oil.
Close it Up
Once a bottle is open, some exposure of the olive oil to air is inevitable, but simply closing the bottle securely after using it can really help reduce oxidation. “Prolonged exposure to oxygen is also an enemy of olive oil,” Bartolotta explains. “Your bottle shouldn’t be left open or uncapped, otherwise it will become oxidized, and the flavor will be compromised.”
Skip the Refrigerator
Since it’s cold and dark, a refrigerator is a perfect spot to store olive oil, right? Actually, no. “While refrigeration won’t harm the oil from a quality standpoint, it can cause the oil to solidify due to naturally occurring waxes in the fruit,” Pollack says. “When this happens, the temptation is to warm the oil and allow it to liquify again, but fresh flavor and aroma are diminished when exposed to heat.”
Our Expert Take
Whether it’s a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil intended for finishing dishes or a regular olive oil meant for cooking at higher temperatures, it’s important to think of olive oil as perishable. That means keeping your bottle away from light, especially sunlight, and in a cool, dark place like a cabinet. Prolonged exposure to oxygen and heat can also degrade the oil, so keep the cap on and store it away from your cooktop. Follow these basic storage tips, and your olive oil will stay fresh and delicious for several months.
Read the original article on EatingWell