Oil: How best to store it

Good preservation allows the oil to retain its taste, smell and beneficial effects. To keep its peculiarities intact, it is necessary to be careful to store it in the best possible conditions.

What are the main ‘enemies’ that can damage the organoleptic and nutritional properties of oil?

Light, heat sources and air!

So choose a dark, thick glass bottle and store your olive oil away from light and air to prevent it from oxidising: in this way you protect your olive oil from both light and possible knocks. 

Temperatures that are too low can also have negative effects, especially below 4°C. Therefore be careful about storing the product in outdoor cabinets, especially in the north!

Oil fears bad odours, which it absorbs like a sponge. Never store it near perfumed chemicals (soaps etc.).

Containers for olive oil: what are they and how do they differ!

GLASS: Clear glass, as opposed to coloured glass, is preferred by consumers but photo-oxidation occurs more easily here.

ALUMINIUM OR CANS: It is not advisable to fill aluminium cans because as they corrode they release compounds over time which accelerate oxidative reactions, 

thus reducing the shelf life of the oil.

STEEL: Stainless steel provides excellent protection from oxygen, light, moisture and microorganisms but its cost and high weight may make it less suitable for commercial packaging.

PLASTICS: Plastic materials have the advantage of being lightweight and durable. A major disadvantage, however, is their porosity, which allows air and moisture to penetrate.

What is the shelf life of olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil does not have a strict expiry date. It does not expire. This means that the expiry date olive oil is not written on the label.

In general, olive oil can be stored for up to 18 months depending on the quality of the oil.