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Quick Question: Does Olive Oil Ever Expire?

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If you’re like us, you don’t have any problem zipping through a giant jug of Trader Joe’s olive oil. But the expensive stuff is reserved for special occasions (aka drizzling on a fresh loaf of crusty bread or over a big ball of burrata). So is it really OK to keep your bottle hanging around for, like, two years?

Think of olive oil like freshly squeezed juice—it definitely expires. It’ll last for about 20 months after it’s bottled, provided that you store it right. Here are some best practices, so your $30 bottle of liquid gold lasts as long as possible. 

Keep it in a cool, dark place, like on the counter or inside a cabinet. Light and heat speed up aging, so don’t even think about storing it on your windowsill or above your stove.

Don’t decant it into one of those transparent glass olive oil dispensers. We know, we know, they’re so pretty. But the dark green glass bottle the oil comes in prevents stray light from filtering in.

Screw the lid on as tightly as possible. This will prevent air from seeping in and oxidizing the oil. 

Take a whiff if you’re unsure about whether or not your olio d'oliva has gone bad. It’s time to eighty-six it if it doesn’t smell like, well, olive oil. 

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Food Editor

From 2017 to 2019 Heath Goldman held the role of Food Editor covering food, booze and some recipe development, too. Tough job, eh?