Does Olive oil expire?
Extra virgin olive oil is unrefined, and the polyphenols that make it taste peppery and give it its health claims are exactly the compounds that oxidise away. Light is particularly destructive, which is why good oil comes in dark glass or tins and why a clear bottle on a windowsill is the worst possible arrangement. Look for a harvest date rather than a best-before, since the useful clock starts at pressing. Rancid olive oil smells waxy or of crayons, tastes flat and greasy, and has lost the throat-catching bitterness that fresh oil has.
How to store it
- Dark glass or tin, in a cupboard, tightly closed.
- Buy a size you will finish in a few months rather than a catering tin.
- Do not refrigerate — it clouds and solidifies, which is harmless but pointless.
How to tell it has gone
- No pepperiness at the back of the throat, and a waxy or crayon-like smell, means it has gone.
"Use by" and "best before" are legally different. Use-by is a safety date and should be respected; best-before is about quality, and food is usually fine well past it. Where the two diverge matters, the page above says which applies.
Common questions
- Does Olive oil expire?
- Yes, and faster than most people expect. Extra virgin is at its best within about 18 months of harvest, not of purchase.
- How long does Olive oil last?
- 18-24 months from harvest; 3-6 months once opened
Related pages
- Does Eggs expire? Eggs stay usable for weeks past the date on the box, and the float test tells you about age rather than safety.
- Does Medicines expire? Most solid medicines keep much of their potency for years past the date — but a handful genuinely must not be used late.
- Does Petrol and diesel expire? Petrol goes stale within months, and ethanol blends go faster because they absorb water.
- Does Batteries expire? They self-discharge on the shelf, at very different rates by chemistry — and alkalines leak when flat.
- Does Wine expire? The great majority of wine is meant to be drunk within a year or two. Very little of it improves.
- Does Chocolate expire? It keeps far longer than the date. The white bloom on old chocolate is fat or sugar, not mould.
- Does Household bleach expire? It loses strength within months and eventually becomes salt water. This surprises most people.
- Does Paint expire? Unopened water-based paint keeps a few years; opened tins depend entirely on how well they were sealed.
- Does Honey expire? Does not expire
- Does Milk expire? Has a real expiry date
- Does Sunscreen expire? Unsafe or ineffective after the date
- Does Salt expire? Does not expire
- Does Frozen food expire? Indefinite if stored properly
- Does Canned food expire? Indefinite if stored properly
Sources
- Typical range compiled from manufacturer specifications — At One Place