How to store olive oil properly: keep it fresh and aromatic

A good olive oil is a delicate food. Light, heat and oxygen make it age faster and take away its aroma. With a few simple rules your oil stays fresh for a long time.

Store it in the dark

Light is olive oil's biggest enemy. Put the bottle in a cupboard or a dark place – not on the windowsill and not next to the kitchen lamp.

Cool, but not next to the stove

Heat speeds up ageing. The spot right next to the stove or above the oven is therefore unsuitable. A kitchen cupboard with an even, rather cool temperature is ideal. In the fridge olive oil turns solid and cloudy; this is harmless and disappears at room temperature, but it is impractical for everyday use.

Close it well

Oxygen makes the oil oxidise. Close the bottle again straight after each use and do not leave it open next to the hob.

Prefer smaller bottles if you use little

The longer a bottle is open, the more air reaches the oil. As a rule of thumb, buy oils you only use occasionally in small sizes. The Oli Caimarí Extra Virgin Olive Oil (250 ml), for example, is good for trying or for use at the table. If you cook often and use a lot, the 500 ml bottle, such as the Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil (500 ml), is a good fit.

Buy fresh, use it up calmly

When buying, look for the harvest year (more in our guide on how to recognise good extra virgin olive oil) and use the oil within a few months of opening. That way you taste the aroma you bought it for.

Further reading

On our site you will find all the olive oil from Mallorca from small producers of the island, safely packed and shipped to Germany, Austria and other European countries.

How to tell that olive oil is rancid

Rancid oil smells musty or of old wax or nuts and tastes flat and greasy. The fresh, green notes are gone. Such oil is not harmful to health, but no longer tastes good and should not be used raw.

Decanting: useful or not?

A small oil dispenser made of dark glass or stainless steel for daily use is practical. Fill it only with the amount you will use in one or two weeks, and keep the main bottle stored in the dark.

What happens in the cold?

At low temperatures olive oil can turn cloudy or form flakes. This is harmless and disappears at room temperature. It can also happen during shipping in winter.

Tins, bottles or containers?

Light-protected containers such as tins or dark bottles protect the oil best. What matters is that the size suits your consumption: the less you use, the smaller it should be.

Rules of thumb at a glance

• Dark, cool and well closed.
• Not next to the stove and not at the window.
• Use within a few months of opening.
• Buy small amounts, but more often.