Light, fire and destruction… We are not talking about the introduction of Dragon ballthe popular Japanese anime series, but from good part of the enemies of olive oil. It does not matter if it is extra virgin, virgin olive oil or olive pomace oil, all of them get along quite badly with light and fire.
However, they are not the only enemies of olive oil, especially when we try to keep it at home. A daily drama that affects us mainly when we spend a lot of money buying quality oil and then, due to certain home mistakes, it goes to waste and loses properties such as aroma, color or flavor.
A concern that especially in times when olive oil looks like it will be scarce and that It will be more expensive than usual it is better to remedy and know how to deal with storing olive oil well at home so that it does not go bad.
In his day we already told you that olive oil should not be bought in bulk or in large quantities With those five-liter bottles, not even pulling offers from the supermarket of three bottles because the only thing we are going to achieve is that the oil gets worse and goes rancid over time.
Let us never forget that olive oil is a natural product and above all it is essentially an olive juice, and like any other fruit juice, it will lose properties as time goes by. If we also keep it in more or less uncomfortable situations, the only thing we are going to do is make the oil worse and in the end the last drink, the last dish we make with it, will not taste like lightning.
In addition, this can happen very often when we buy unfiltered olive oil or raw oil, which is nothing more than an olive oil that has not passed through that filter and therefore it carries small impurities and some water particles that accelerate the rancidity process.
Light
Have you noticed that the most expensive oils on the market generally come in opaque containers? It is not a coincidence, although the pet format is the most widespread for marketing oil, the best options are always go through opaque containers that block the light that the oil receives.
Natural light and artificial light are potential oxidizers of olive oil. This is the reason why you should store your olive oil in the famous cool, dark and dry place, and never too visible or exposed to any kind of light, both natural and artificial.
Heat
There is no natural element to which more or less intense heat feels good, olive oil is no exception. For this reason, it is always recommended that olive oil is not stored in a particularly hot room or where it is exposed to high temperatures, It is also for this reason that it should not be next to the oven because it is generating a series of contrasts that can ruin your olive juice.
Oxygen
Olive oil feels sorry to be open. For this reason, one of the most common recommendations is that we do not buy these large formats because we are going to allow the oil to be in contact with oxygen for a long time, which is going to reduce its properties.
It’s also a reason why It is not convenient that we are transferring olive oil from large bottles to smaller bottles or bottles and even oil bottlesbecause what we are going to allow during this interval is that it becomes familiar with oxygen and that it comes into contact with it, which is going to spoil part of its taste virtues.
Humidity
The main problem with basements or cellars, even wine presses, is not only that humidity is associated with the cold, but also with the generation of certain molds or fungi, which can also damage the oil.
Not only for penetrating it, but for the fact of transmitting certain undesirable odors to this type of product. Especially if we use them in PET or plastic bottles that are not well sealed and that can absorb these particles. So, forget to store olive oil in places where there is high humidity and a too intense smell of it.
Cold
If olive oil feels bad in the heat, could we think that the cold feels good? If not, then it is true that olive oil is generally going to do you better a little more cold than a temperature that is too high. That does not mean that olive oil should never be stored in a refrigerator, because it is still a fat and if we give it too low a temperature, it will start to solidify.
If this also happens with unfiltered oils, we are going to get too thick particles in our oil. In any case, if you have to choose between fright or death, it will always be better for the oil to be at a cold temperature than a hot temperature. Therefore, it would be better for him to be in a cellar rather than exposed to sunlight.
How to preserve olive oil well at home
Cool, dark and dry place. These are the keys to keeping olive oil in the best possible conditions. This means away from excessively intense heat sourcesfrom light sources and also from humidity or temperatures with a high thermal contrast.
A cupboard that holds a stable temperature throughout the year between 10º and 20º It will be the most suitable place to store our olive oil. Especially when we are going to store relatively high amounts of oil that may lose faculties over time.
Finca la Torre Olive Oil – Organic Extra Virgin Hojiblanca Bottle Case
In any case, remember that it is always more it is convenient to buy oil little by little and as we go along, we need to make a large purchase to stock up on oil.
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