How to Store Cooking Oils

Almost every recipe uses some kind of cooking oil. Are you storing your cooking oils in the right place? Correct storage will help keep your oils fresh.

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Oils are an important part of many recipes. They can make things taste very delicious… but when oils go bad they can make your recipes taste awful. It’s important to store all your cooking oils the right way so they can stay fresh as long as possible.

Do Cooking Oils Go Bad?

Yep, they sure can! You won’t see mold or anything weird growing in your oils, but they can go bad just the same. As oils age, they can go rancid. Rancid oils smell bad and taste bad, and shouldn’t be used in any recipe.

How Do I Tell If My Oils Are Bad?

Before you use any cooking oil, give it a smell. Most cooking oils have no smell, or a very light smell. If the oil is starting to smell “off” (maybe like crayons, bad peanuts, metallic, or even used motor oil), it’s time to toss it.

You might also notice that the oil feels a little “greasy.” Yes, all oils feel slick and oily, but as oils start to go rancid, the oil gets a little thicker and feels more greasy than oily.

If there is a residue on the outside of the bottle, either near the bottle’s opening or around the label, the oil is definitely past its prime. It’s time to throw it away.

Store Some Kitchen Oils in the Pantry

In general, most of the oils you’ll cook with on a regular basis can (and should) be stored in the pantry. These are some of the oils that can be stored at room temperature:

All these oils should be stored in a cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight. Warm temperatures, humidity, and sunlight can break the oils down and make them go rancid faster. Cabinets near your stove or dishwasher aren’t great places to store cooking oils (even though it might be convenient), because of the changes in temperature in those areas.

Coconut oil will be a solid, even at room temperature. Don’t worry about that. Just measure it with a scoop, like you would measure other solid or dry ingredients. As it heats, it will liquify.

Store Some Cooking Oils in the Refrigerator

Some oils are a little more delicate, and need to be kept in the refrigerator to stay fresh. These are some of the oils that should be stored in the refrigerator:

Any oils can be stored in the refrigerator, but the three listed above definitely should be stored in the refrigerator. In the refrigerator, these oils might become cloudy or thick. This doesn’t mean the oils are bad, it just means they are chilled. Let the oil sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, and the oil should be clear and smooth again.

Some oils, like olive oil, will solidify in the refrigerator. This isn’t a bad thing, just leave the oil to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to warm up before you use it.

How Long Can I Keep Cooking Oil?

Look at the “use by” or “best by” dates on your packaging. Those dates will give you a good idea of how long your oils should stay fresh, when stored correctly (cool, dry place, out of direct sunlight). Most oils will last for about 1 year after you open them, again, when stored correctly.

Sesame and walnut oil will often start to go rancid within about 6 months.

Use a Sharpie to label the bottles when you open them. Then you’ll know for sure how long the oil has been open in your pantry. No more guessing, and no more sniff test!

Enjoy!

Free Printable for What’s In My Pantry?

Keep track of all your cooking oils so you can use them up before they go rancid. Grab your free printable pantry inventory sheet and always know what’s are hiding in the back of your cupboards.

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