# cooking oil shelf life



## testhop (Dec 20, 2009)

does any one have the ans to what is the shelflife of olive oil , corn oil and the othetr oils used for cooking.
what is your pick for long turm storage:dunno:


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

depends on a lot of things:
type of container, 
type of oil, 
temperature of storage

vacuum sealed jars & metal cans are probably the best


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Glass or metal are better BY FAR than plastic bottles.
A dark, cool place with a steady temperatures, such as a basement or root cellar. A storage shed or garage can vary between daytime and nighttime temperatures, and the continual up and down of warm and cold is hard on any food.
A good grade of olive oil in a thick, dark (usually green) bottle in a dark, cool place will outlast most oils. 
But you can get some pretty good shelf life with the proper container in the proper type of storage area.
If you must buy the oil in plastic bottles, you can re-can them in glass jars.


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## Jerry D Young (Jan 28, 2009)

Coconut oil is my choice.


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Duh! *slaps forehead* Jerry, you're right! Coconut oil can be stored at room temperature and doesn't easily go rancid! It thickens like shortening but is actually an exellent cooking oil! And it stores well in plastic too! I buy it in one-gallon buckets! Thanks, Jerry!


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## The_Blob (Dec 24, 2008)

Jerry D Young said:


> Coconut oil is my choice.





gypsysue said:


> Duh! *slaps forehead* Jerry, you're right! Coconut oil can be stored at room temperature and doesn't easily go rancid! It thickens like shortening but is actually an exellent cooking oil! And it stores well in plastic too! I buy it in one-gallon buckets! Thanks, Jerry!


unless one is allergic, of course... :gaah:


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

We never used coconut nut oil, but it sounds like we should. 

Does it leave any sort of unwanted flavor on things like french fries or pop corn like olive oil does? Is it one of the "healthy" oils?


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

horseman09 said:


> We never used coconut nut oil, but it sounds like we should.
> 
> Does it leave any sort of unwanted flavor on things like french fries or pop corn like olive oil does? Is it one of the "healthy" oils?


No, It doesn't smell or taste like coconut, interestingly enough. Not REAL coconut oil, anyway. It's very heat-stable, so it's good for frying.

The movie theater in the town near us uses it for their popcorn. Wonderful popcorn, I might add. I use it in pie crusts and bread and other stuff.

Medicinally it's anti-fungal. We keep a separate jar of it, and my husband uses it for his feet when he needs to. I've also used it as a 'healthy' substitute for sunscreen.


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## ttruscott (Mar 6, 2009)

Apparently you can freeze metal cans of olive oil and the shelf life doesn't kick in until it is thawed.


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## fobhomestead (Aug 12, 2010)

testhop said:


> does any one have the ans to what is the shelflife of olive oil , corn oil and the othetr oils used for cooking.
> what is your pick for long turm storage:dunno:


I have actually looked into producing my own oils, and since you can burn olive oil as fuel in oil lamps, that was one of my research projects.

I reacall that you can store olive oil (if canned properly) UNOPENED for up to two years in a cool, dark place (like a root cellar). If you make your own, then use the open bottles within a few weeks (month max). If it is extra virgin oil, then dont refrigerate it. Store oil can be stroed for up to a year opened (dark place)... the thing with oil is that light, air, and heat break down the components of it and ruin the flavors and nutritional value. The flavor usually keeps a good 3-4 months after pressed, then starts degrading from there (degrading means that it gets more acidic in this case, and the taste becomes bitter or rancid).


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## horseman09 (Mar 2, 2010)

gypsysue said:


> No, It doesn't smell or taste like coconut, interestingly enough. Not REAL coconut oil, anyway. It's very heat-stable, so it's good for frying.
> 
> The movie theater in the town near us uses it for their popcorn. Wonderful popcorn, I might add. I use it in pie crusts and bread and other stuff.
> 
> Medicinally it's anti-fungal. We keep a separate jar of it, and my husband uses it for his feet when he needs to. I've also used it as a 'healthy' substitute for sunscreen.


Thanks, GS. We'll certainly give it a try.

FOB, I like your signature line.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

I just cked 23 different --101 fl ounce metal cans of olive oil and there is no use by date on any of them or any date at all on them. I know we've have them for over four yrs and every time we open one there is no smell of any kind. 

they're stored in the basement that is heated, people should start trusting their nose, once they've smelled rancid oil, they'll never forget it.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

*olive oil shelf life.*

Olive oil's storage 
Olive oil can be kept longer than any other edible oil, and if stored properly it will take years before it becomes rancid. Of course, quality of olive oil does matter, as refined oils of lower grades could have a shelf life of 6 months or less. On the other hand, high quality olive oils are rich in polyphelons, which apart from the health benefits they offer, they can also give a shelf life that is considerably longer.

The following paragraphs contain useful information on how to store your olive oil products, and how to tell when they are no longer desirable for consumption. For more tips and other helpful advice on how to make the most out of olive oil, you can sign up for our electronic newsletter.

Quick index: 
•Storage containers
•Locations for storage
•Temperature for storage
•Expected shelf life
•How to tell when olive oil has expired
Storage Containers 
The best containers for storage are glass (especially tinted glass), ceramic, porcelain, or non-reactive metals such as stainless steel. Do not store olive oil in containers made of reactive metals such as copper or iron. The chemical reaction between the olive oil and the metal will damage the oil and may produce toxins. Olive oil should not be stored in plastic containers because the oil may absorb PVC's from the plastic. 
Greek Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Storage Tips - Prolonging Oil's Useful Life

Expected shelf life 
Our olive oil should last at least for two years, assuming that it is properly stored. However, it has the best flavor, and it's more beneficial to your health, when it is used within a year after its extraction date. Note that if olive oil is consumed after its expiration date, it will not be harmful but it will have an unpleasant odor and taste. If you want to know how to tell when your olive oil has expired, please read the following paragraph.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

I saw a very interesting show last night on the History channel, 'Frying'. They talked about all the different types of oils, their smoking temp and the flash temp and how well they store. He stated that an archaeologist had opened a burial site in the middle east which contained a small amount of lamp oil, he placed his finger in it and tasted it, as would be be expected it was rancid but not toxic. He went on to explained that oil even though tastes bad with rancidity it is not toxic nor poisonous.


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## lotsoflead (Jul 25, 2010)

bunkerbob said:


> I saw a very interesting show last night on the History channel, 'Frying'. They talked about all the different types of oils, their smoking temp and the flash temp and how well they store. He stated that an archaeologist had opened a burial site in the middle east which contained a small amount of lamp oil, he placed his finger in it and tasted it, as would be be expected it was rancid but not toxic. He went on to explained that oil even though tastes bad with rancidity it is not toxic nor poisonous.


I had planned on watching the show but was called away, I'll catch it today or the next time its on. the history channel should be renamed the History and Education channel. thanks


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

It may not be toxic or poisonous, but from what I've read it can be cancer-causing to consume.

But that may be like the Saccharin scare of the '80s where diet pop was going to give everyone bladder cancer, and it turns out that humans would have to consume more than seventeen 16-oz bottles of diet pop every day to be at risk.

Maybe light or occasional consumption of rancid oil isn't harmful? I don't know.

If I had bigger things to worry about, such as survival, I'd consume it. Otherwise I'd make soap or something that won't be ingested with it.

I accidently made tomato oil once and always wondered if I could have used it for cooking oil. I simmered a kettle of tomatoes a lot longer than I should have, then set it on our cold porch overnight, and the next day there was a coat of oil on the surface. I wonder if I could have skimmed it off and used it? Of course, I wouldn't know what the safe "heat" point would have been.

We're still using the rendered bear fat from the bear MMM shot 3 years ago. It was a good size bear, first part of November which is when they're fattened up pretty good for denning, and we got several gallons of lard from it. Bear meat and lard, we found, was similar to pork. At least this one was.


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## bunkerbob (Sep 29, 2009)

bunkerbob said:


> I saw a very interesting show last night on the History channel, 'Frying'. They talked about all the different types of oils, their smoking temp and the flash temp and how well they store. He stated that an archaeologist had opened a burial site in the middle east which contained a small amount of lamp oil, he placed his finger in it and tasted it, as would be be expected it was rancid but not toxic. He went on to explained that oil even though tastes bad with rancidity it is not toxic nor poisonous.


 By the way, the manufacturer said they put nitrogen in the top of the bottles to help in the storage life and retard the rate of rancity.


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Lard*

What about a stand of Lard.

It is rendered from Hogs ?

What is the shelf life of a stand of lard ?


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## gypsysue (Mar 27, 2010)

Generally, lard sold commercially is from hogs. It is possible to render any type of animal fat, but some taste better than others. Deer are low-fat, but if you try to render what fat they have....Ugh!  

Bear fat, on the other hand, renders nicely and is pretty much tasteless.

I did a google search on "Which cooking fat or oil has the longest shelf life?" and I came up with the most hits of Coconut oil having the longest shelf life. Peanut oil seemed to be a second.

A couple of the sites said that "... Saturated fats are less prone to oxidation and thus have a longer shelf life. ... (askville.amazon.com). Lard is a saturated fat. (Coconut oil is also a saturated fat, even though it's a food-based oil).


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