How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Olive oil is the primary source of added fat in the Mediterranean diet with health benefits.

As a rich source of fatty acids containing vitamins E and K, extra virgin olive is a significant food that can be consumed naturally with its unique taste and smell. So how can we save the panacea of extra virgin olive oil so we may continue to get health benefits and protect its quality?

First of all, extra virgin olive oil has 4 enemies: Light, Heat, Oxygen and Humidity!

After its production, while waiting to offer to consumers it must be stored in suitable conditions to prevent future deterioration and quality problems. Extra virgin olive oil should be stored in stainless chrome steel tanks in cool, odourless, moisture and light free environments. The method of adding neutral gases such as nitrogen or argon gas to the storage tanks prevents the oil to air out and the ideal storage temperature is between 18-20 ° C.

We talked about the storage conditions, but another important topic about the storage of extra virgin olive oil is the selection of the right packaging. I would like to emphasise that olive oil should not contact plastic. Because of the chemical structure of olive oil, dioxin which is a carcinogenic substance in plastic interacts with olive oil. Scientific studies have shown that plastic packaging is not suitable for olive oil storage.

Dark-coloured glass bottles are the best packaging materials to store extra virgin olive oil. Packaging can directly influence olive oil quality by protecting the product from two of the main factors that cause the deterioration, i.e. avoiding extra virgin olive oil’s exposure to light and air protects its product quality. Although tin packs are considered as an alternative way to store extra virgin olive oil, you should be careful about the quantities you purchase. Once you purchase big quantities that cannot be consumed in a short time period, the olive oil should be transferred to other small dark coloured glass bottles to avoid exposure to air. In addition to that, you should keep the extra virgin olive oil in cool and odourless environment. Olive oil can easily absorb the smell. Therefore, it should be avoided to put it next to other pungent materials while storing it.

The shelf life recommendation of olive oil is 2 years as stated in Turkish Food Codex. This applies to cases where it is stored under ideal storage conditions! Olive oil may lose its unique taste, smell, colour and aroma gradually. As Olea Aera, we recommend you to buy in small packages which can be consumed in short time after opening the lid of the packaging and to keep your extra virgin olive oil which is produced and stored safely and meticulously for you away from heat, light, air and moisture. Inappropriate storage methods and conditions will shorten the shelf life of olive oil and adversely affect the product quality. To be able to get the most benefit from this miracle of nature we wanted to answer the question of how to store the extra virgin olive oil. We wish you great pleasure tasting our delicious olive oil!