Our beloved extra virgin olive oil is a product that is destined to deteriorate over time; for this reason, it is wise to take the necessary precautions to protect it from all the factors that can accelerate its chemical alteration, which causes rancidity or oxidation. Let’s try to understand together how and where to store olive oil.
Storing olive oil at home
Before proceeding to explain the storage methods, we want to say a few words about the chemical composition of the extra virgin olive oil and some production processes it undergoes, which obviously affect its shelf life.
Chemical-physical properties of oil
Olive oil is a liquid fat that is almost entirely made up of triglycerides – about 98% – and a small amount of unsaponifiable substance – 2% – which does not undergo any change when subjected to concentrated alkalis. During the various production phases, particularly in centrifugation, the vegetation water is separated from the must, which still contains a small percentage of water. After this process, the oil obtained is not yet edible because it still contains minimal residues of pomace. For this reason, it must be left to rest for about a month before being transferred to suitable food-grade containers.
Furthermore, it should be specified that the chemical-physical characteristics of an oil also depend on other factors such as the cultivar of the olives, environmental and climatic conditions, the type of cultivation, extraction methods, and storage.
An oil with a high concentration of polyphenols, that is, antioxidant substances, will not only be of superior quality and have greater benefits for our health, but will better resist deterioration, in fact, antioxidants oxidize first instead of the fatty acids in the oil. Therefore, oil stored for a long time will tend to lose the precious antioxidants but will still remain good and genuine.
Factors affecting oil deterioration
The main enemies of olive oil are light, heat, and oxygen, as with many other perishable foods. High temperatures indeed trigger rancidity processes that irreparably damage theoil . Conversely, cold causes the oil to solidify, although it does not affect chemical or organoleptic parameters, unless the thermometer approaches zero degrees.
Light, whether artificial or from the sun, alters the flavor and color of the oil.
Oxygen initiates oxidation processes that compromise the quality and taste of the oil.
Time is still a factor not to be underestimated. Even if the oil has been protected from all the aforementioned factors, it is still destined to expire. The law in this regard protects the consumer, in fact, it establishes that the oil must be consumed within 24 months of bottling. However, this parameter should not be taken literally: if all the precautions we will see later are adopted, the oil can remain perfectly good even beyond the expiration date indicated on the label.
How to best store olive oil
Given all the elements responsible for the deterioration of extra virgin olive oil, let’s see what precautions should always be taken to store it at its best.
- Keep the bottle of oil in a place where the temperature ranges between 14 and 18 degrees
- Transfer the oil into dark bottles, capable of shielding light
- Store the oil containers in cupboards with closed doors, so that they remain in the dark
- Do not store oil in overly large oil dispensers that the product cannot fill because they may trap too much oxygen
- Once used, always securely close the bottle cap
- Use vacuum caps
Which containers to choose for storing oil?
Once it is established that dark containers that do not let light through are preferred, let’s see what materials the containers that best preserve oil should be made of.
The characteristics they must have are the ability to protect the oil from light, heat, and oxygen, and they must not release substances capable of altering the aroma and flavor of the oil. From this point of view the best containers are made of: tin, stainless steel, and dark glass.
Tin
This material protects well from light, is very hygienic, lightweight, and manageable, although over time it may be affected by contact with oxygen.
Stainless steel
Stainless steel is capable of completely shielding light; it is practical and much more resistant than tin. It is the most used material for large capacity containers, in fact, most producers store oil in steel silos.
Dark glass
As for the storage of olive oil at home, dark glass is undoubtedly the unbeatable material. From a hygienic point of view, it is excellent and aesthetically pleasing.
Storing olive oil is simple
All in all oil has a good shelf life, and it is no coincidence that it is one of the most used foods for preserving other foods.
We at Frantoio Sommariva sell our oil strictly in dark glass bottles, to preserve its precious qualities for as long as possible.
Additionally, we use thebag in a box method: it is arigid container that contains a bag connected to a practical and convenient tap dispenser that allows transferring the contents into smaller bottles. In this innovative container, you canpurchase directly from our site the Muela extra virgin oil, produced cold in limited quantities, and the Ruxia, obtained from the crushing of olives from different cultivars such as our Taggiasca, as well as Leccino, Colombaia, and Frantoio.
Now that you know all the secrets to storing extra virgin olive oil put them into practice to bring to the table a product that is always fresh, maintaining its healthy and organoleptic properties intact.