People Are Just Learning the Right Way to Store Olive Oil (My Mind Is Officially Blown!)

published Aug 14, 2024
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Cropped shot of a young woman preparing a healthy meal at home
Credit: PeopleImages / Getty Images

It’s time for a confession: I was today years old when I learned that what I thought was the hallmark of a well-organized kitchen — having my olive oil right next to my stove — is actually a big no-no. Until today, my bottle of extra-virgin olive oil perpetually lived out on the counter alongside my salt and pepper to make it as easy as possible for me to season veggies, use my air fryer, or to make a five-minute salad dressing — and it turns out many people are making the same mistake.

And while it’s apparently common knowledge that olive oil shouldn’t be stored next to the stove, a recent podcast episode resurfaced the debate and reminded everyone to put the dang olive oil away. 

In a new podcast interview, first covered by HuffPost U.K., olive oil distributor Elizabeth Berger talked with the co-founders of ZOE, a gut health company, about how small factors can change the integrity of your olive oil and potentially cause it to spoil. 

Berger said that the heat and temperature changes by your burners can destabilize the product and make it rancid. “You want to keep it where the temperature is constant, so away from the stove, away from a window where the temperature will fluctuate quite a lot,” she said.

So where and how should you store your olive oil? You’ll want to make sure your olive oil’s shelf life is as long as possible by avoiding its “three enemies”: light, heat, and oxygen. Consider me thoroughly shamed!

In fact, ideally, you’ll want to pick a “cool, dry, dark cupboard” with minimal exposure to heat and light, including the oven and other cooking sources. Ideally, you’ll store your oil at 57 degrees Fahrenheit, but room temperature is fine as well.

To protect the integrity of your olive oil, it also matters what vessel you store it in. According to The Kitchn, dark-hued glass bottles, or stainless steel containers (avoid iron or copper containers, which can react with the oil) are best, as any light getting into lighter-colored bottles can make your olive oil go bad. And if your olive oil comes in a plastic bottle, you might want to consider buying a small reusable bottle like a glass cruet to transfer it into, as chemicals from plastic can potentially leech into your oil.

So if you’ve been thinking about reorganizing the area next to your stove, this might be the perfect time to find the exact right kitchen cabinet to put a lazy Susan in to have your other cooking oils, regularly used spices, and olive oil in an aesthetically pleasing cruet. It might be one extra step to take out your olive oil when you’re cooking, but it’ll be totally worth it.