- Whenever you are buying oil, we should ensure that healthy oils or good oils are purchased.
- The right oils should be purchased for the right purposes e.g. Coconut oil for deep frying and olive oil for shallow frying.
- The oil should not stain the container in which it is contained.
- The colour of the oil should be clear without any cloudiness.
How long can a bottle of oil last?
Once a bottle or a gallon of oil is opened its shelf life is reduced to about six (6)
months. I hope this gives an idea why the oil you kept on the shelf the last
time started turning cloudy when you decided on using it the other time. You
may have also realized that an oil you left close to your flavors had a change
in taste this is a result of how you handled the oil, the type of oil it was
and the amount of antioxidants the
oil contained. If the oil was unopened, it could last for a year. All oils both
opened and unopened should be kept under the following conditions to avoid it
from turning rancid or to prolong their
shelf life;
- Be kept in a dark, cool dry place
- Be kept in a cool environment
- Be kept away from strong flavors and chemical, flavors from the kitchen may seep in, making the oil very undesirable.
- Opened oils should be tightly sealed as possible, because exposure to air is what causes oil to go rancid.
- Be stored in the fridge to prolong the shelf life of oil.
I know you have enjoyed this lesson on how to buy and keep oil in the home. In my
next post we will consider the health benefit and safe
disposal of waste oil. Please send me comments I love to hear from you.
