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Using and Storing Oils

post #1 of 10
10/12/08 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
I bake a lot every day and use olive oil and canola oil a lot in my cooking. I’d like to have an easy way to use and store these right by my stove (instead of storing them in my pantry in their original container). I bought some dripper bottles but noticed they let air in.

If I’m rotating through these oils within 3 weeks or so, does anyone know if I’ll be diminishing the taste and quality of these oils if I leave them on the counter in these oil dispensing bottles? If so, any other suggestions on how I should store my oil?

Everything I have read talks about long term storage conditions for oil but I haven't found any information on short term storage. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Emily
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post #2 of 10
10/12/08 at 7:00pm
Generally, heat and light are the enemies of oil. I keep my 'main supply' in a dark cool place, with only as much as I expect to use within a week handy to the cooking arena. Even so, I keep it inside the cupboard in a cooler part of the kitchen.
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post #3 of 10
10/13/08 at 12:14am
I concur with grace. I was an official taster with the California Olive Oil Council and oil does not get better with time; also being that your oils are largly unsaturated then the light and exposure to warmth would accelerate the saturation of those open unsaturated places with oxygen and her nasty friends....of flavors, oders, etc...

Keep away from light and heat even if you are using quickly or else run the risk of some off flavors starting to creep in. If you continue to store by the range I would say use as quickly as possible in small dispensers. Don't continue to refill on top of the old oil for sure.:look:
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post #4 of 10
10/13/08 at 4:51am
As soon as you fry one item in the oil, you are one step closer to having them go off. I found storing them in an old red wine bottle with a cork ,in the the fridge the best way. The shade of the bottle traps the ultraviolet light and the cork makes it airtight.Do not store near the stove as every time you use stove you subject oils to temperature variation, this is not good. If you fry something with high water content, dont even bother to save. Another note flourescent lighting affects some oils if stored a long time, in fact if exposed long enough the light will even lighten the color of the label. After using oil I would strain twice thru cheesecloth before storing.
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post #5 of 10
10/13/08 at 4:52am
I thought of this later too. Thanks for mentioning this important detail.
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post #6 of 10
10/13/08 at 7:54am
I store my evvo in its original container away from light and heat. For quick use I have a small stainless steel oil canister with an open spout that I keep near the stove. I have a makeshift cap I've made from a small piece of paper towel and aluminum foil but I'd take any suggestions about a better one.
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post #7 of 10
10/13/08 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
Thank you! These are great suggestions. I'll continue to keep my main supply in the cold storage room in my basement, then I'll look for a smaller, airtight container to use in my cooking area. Thanks!
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post #8 of 10
10/24/08 at 2:13pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks Chef John Paul, sorry to has taken me a week to respond. Would you mind explaining how the oxygen in the air would accelerate the saturation of those open unsaturated places?

Does this mean that unsaturated fats can turn into saturated fat with heat and air?

Thanks,
Emily
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post #9 of 10
11/28/08 at 2:16pm
Emily, oxygen will bond in these open areas molecularly and oxygen brings with it other elements that have unpleasant characteristics. That's why for longevity the guys in the lab coats will "saturate" a poly or mono unsaturated fat with hydrogen so there are no 'open' areas for oxygen to bond with and oxidize (Oxygen). Unfortunately this hydrogen saturation changes the structure of the fat and how our body processes it with the health problems that come with it.

Use up your unsaturated fats within a respectable time and protect them from oxygen as much as possible!
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post #10 of 10
11/30/08 at 8:52am
Thread Starter 
Wow, interesting! Thank you so much for the reply!
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