This Is the Only Way You Should Store Olive Oil, According To California Olive Ranch

From sautéeing vegetables to DIYing salad dressing, olive oil gets a lot of use in my kitchen. I usually keep a few bottles of good EVOO on hand, one for cooking and one for dressing and finishing. During our recent kitchen renovation, when we weren’t cooking much, my bottles collected dust in the basement. This unusual circumstance left me wondering: Is the opened olive oil still good? What about the unopened bottle?

To find out how long olive oil stays fresh, and the best way to store it to preserve its freshness, I chatted with Mary Mori, the vice president of quality and product at California Olive Ranch. Here’s what I found out.

The Best Way to Store Olive Oil 

Like many other pantry items, olive oil can eventually become rancid and unusable if exposed to light, heat, or oxygen. That’s why it’s always best stored in a cool, dark place, such as your pantry or spice cabinet. Unopened and stored correctly, olive oil is good until the end of the use-by date (that’s typically 18 months to two years, depending on the producer). “While there is no food safety risk consuming after that date, the quality is not guaranteed, which is why I always recommend using it quickly,” says Mori.

What About Opened Bottles?

Opened bottles, of course, don’t stay fresh as long given the oxygen exposure. Mori says California Olive Ranch recently tested opened olive oil in glass bottles and found they could last around two or three months before going rancid. Olive oils that come in boxes with bags inside can last up to six months, even when opened. “Because of this, I always recommend buying the size that fits your use in one or two months,” says Mori. 

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Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is more delicate because it’s made of fresher olives, but Mori says it contains compounds called phenols that keep it shelf stable until its use-by date. Cheaper olive oil may not contain as many phenols, because they sometimes use older olives, so they may go bad sooner than high-quality products. All oils, she explains, will eventually become rancid if not stored properly.

Absolutely Do NOT Store Olive Oil Like This

As for how not to store olive oil? Mori recommends against keeping yours near the stove, so it’s not exposed to heat, which can quickly degrade the oil and cause it to become rancid. Light and oxygen exposure can do the same thing, which is why Mori doesn’t recommend outfitting bottles with pour spouts (unless you’re sure you will use up all the oil quickly).

If you spot a good deal at Costco or generally like to buy in bulk, Mori suggests buying boxed olive oil, which should last the longest when opened. “The bag in box mechanism allows the oil to never be exposed to light or oxygen, making it one of the best packaging options,” she says. To make use more convenient, just fill a bottle out of the box over time. If you buy bottled oils, always store them in a cool, dark place and don’t open them until you need them.