Don’t slip up.
Home chefs everywhere may commit a subtle yet cardinal cooking sin that can ruin their olive oil.
Experts at Which? — a UK consumer awareness site — recently warned that where olive oil is stored can make or break its flavor.
“Keeping your olive oil in a cupboard away from light, heat and oxygen will help to prolong its life and prevent it going off too quickly,” the site told the Daily Mail.
“Keeping it in a cool, dark cupboard is best,” instead of having it out on a counter, they added.
For that reason, Which? suggests buying olive oil in dark bottles rather than clear ones to help protect against the harmful effects of light.
Preserving olive oil, however, is a bit of a balancing act.
While light exposure is no good and it needs a cooler environment to thrive, putting oil in the fridge is another no-no, according to Susan Stillson, Whole Foods Market’s senior culinary development chef.
She told Martha Stewart that the fridge’s cold causes congealing that impacts its use.
“Its fresh, fruity green aroma will also diminish if stored in the refrigerator,” Stillson said.
Which? staff also explained that olive oil typically has a shelf life best kept for only “a couple of months.”
Stillson said there’s more to look for than an expiration date when determining its freshness, too.
“The best indicator your olive oil is bad is not the expiration date on the bottle; it’s your own sense of smell and taste,” she added. “Rancid oil is commonly described as smelling musty, like waxy crayons or stale walnuts.”
This advice also comes as consumers expect some relief from the popular pasta add-on’s 2024 record prices caused by extreme weather issues in rural Europe.
Many were turning to cost-efficient alternatives like vegetable or canola oil in lieu of the so-called “liquid gold,” which was nearly $13 per bottle.
Fortunately, prices are expected to be slashed in half this year by manufacturer Deoleo.
Having a spoonful of olive oil daily was also connected to neurological and gut health benefits.
