How to preserve olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a 100% natural product. Its conservation in optimum conditions will depend not only on its correct storage, but also on the type and variety of olive oil, according to its content in polyphenols and vitamin E, since they are powerful natural antioxidants that protect them from the passage of time, being also the Responsible for the bitter and spicy taste in some extra virgin olive oils, such as those of the picual or cornicabra variety.

The higher content of polyphenols and vitamin E, the longer and better the original properties of the oil are preserved. For example, an Arbequina oil can be kept in optimum conditions for about a year, while a picual oil can last up to 2 or 3 years.

Once you buy the oil, it is important to keep it in the correct way, not only to keep its aroma and taste, but also its nutritional characteristics as long as possible, and therefore to remain healthy. 

When olive oil is exposed to oxygen, light and heat are undergoing oxidation and can become rancid.

The good news is that by keeping it properly you can avoid it. Extra virgin olive oil in a sealed bottle can last from 3 months to 2 years; Depending on the quality of the oil and how it was packaged. So the answer is: I want a good quality olive oil and a good packaging 

Olive Oil storage

As soon as the bottle is opened, the oxidation process accelerates and the oil degrades rather quickly. For that reason you must be very careful with the olive oil storage, so make sure you keep your olive oil:

- in a closed bottle,

- in a dark container or cupboard

- away from heat sources.

You do not have to refrigerate it, although the refrigeration will not hurt the oil.

Buying bulk oil is a great way to save money. If you are using a bulk olive oil container, try not to open it too often. Fill a couple of bottles for daily use and leave the bulk container carefully closed the rest of the time.

We recomended the following olive oil container:

1. Glass olive oil bottles: This is our first choice. An olive oil bottle made by glass is the perfect container for storage olive oil, if the bottle is dark, much better, because is going to protect our olive oil from light.

2. Olive oil can: Same as glass, is the perfect olive oil container, can is definitly going to protect our olive oil from light. The disvantage is that is more expensive than glass.

3. Olive oil Plastic container. PET, especially for olive oil storage. Offers less protection than the ohers containers, but is the cheaper one. Nowadays is a good choice, recomended to storage olive oil in large cuantities.

How to preserve olive oil? Five rules

From these advices we have given you the following 5 rules are deduced:

1. Size matters: not too large.- Oxidation caused by exposure to air is the main alteration to which the extra virgin olive oil is subject over time. The best conservation is obtained with smaller containers, because the amount of residual oxygen in a five-liter can is definitely greater than that of a one-liter bottle. Even the contact surface between oil and air inevitably increases in a can than in a bottle.

2. In the dark.- The oil should be kept in the dark, preferably in opaque containers: the light is also susceptible to oxidation, although to a degree less than oxygen.

3. Keep it fresh.- The oil should be stored in a cool place, but not in the cold, preferably at temperatures ranging between 15 and 18 ° C. The oil will begin to freeze at temperatures below 5 ° C. This process is completely natural, so it does not affect the good state of the olive oil, as it will continue to maintain all its properties. In the event of freezing, small white or yellow spheres may appear and disappear at room temperature from 15 ° C.

4. Keep in glass.- It is better not to preserve the extra virgin olive oil in plastic containers. Its main component, oleic acid, in fact attacks most of the plastics in the market, producing processes detrimental to health. Although currently the packaging of plastic (PET) used to package oil, has been evolving very favorably in this aspect.

5. Close the container.- Last but not least, the oil should be kept in tightly sealed containers, to avoid the absorption of odors from the environment in which they are placed.

It follows that the ideal place for conservation should also be devoid of any odor.

Storage in the olive oil mill

For large quantities of extra virgin olive oil, producers are accustomed to using steel containers or glass-reinforced resin, perfectly sealed in order to avoid contact with oxygen.

Precisely, any container in which our oils are provided has a shelf life of at least 18 months. Because the packaging only takes place at the last moment, to avoid prolonged periods in a warehouse.

If you need more information about how to preseve olive oil, we are here to help you, please contact us