Cooking oils can spoil over time due to a chemical process called oxidation. Oxidation occur when cooking oils react with oxygen, light, and heat. The reaction between cooking oils and these elements lead to the development of a rancid flavor and smell in the cooking oil.
Although cooking oils that have undergone oxidation are not poisonous, the spoilage of cooking oils create an unpleasant flavor in the cooking oil and can ruin the flavor of the food. To prevent cooking oils from spoiling, it is important to store cooking oils carefuly. Light can lead to the spoilage of cooking oils.
How to Keep Cooking Oil Fresh
Cooking oils stored in clear bottles allow light to enter the bottles and lead to the spoilage of cooking oils. Heat can also spoil cooking oils. You should not store cooking oils near stoves or oven as the heat from the stoves or ovens can lead to cooking oils aging rapid.
Finally, air can lead to cooking oils spoiling. Every time bottles of cooking oils are opened, air enter the bottles and ages the cooking oils. To avoid cooking oils aging, bottles of cooking oils should always be tightly seal.
Not all cooking oils have the same shelf life. Oils such as extra virgin olive oil contains compounds such as polyphenols that make the oil spoil faster than other olive oil products. Regular olive oil can last for approximately one year after opening the bottle; however, extra virgin olive oil may last for less time, unless the bottle is stored in a refrigerator.
Nut oils, such as walnut oil or flaxseed oil, are very sensitive to heat. To prevent these oils from spoiling, you should always store them in a refrigerator. Canola oil is a refined oil, and because it is a refined oil, it has a longer shelf life than oils that is pressed directly from the crops.
Another important measurement of cooking oils is the smoke point of the oil. The smoke point of the oil is the temperature at which the oil will begin to smoke when heated. If the oil reaches this temperature, the oil will burn.
The smoke point of cooking oils can range from as low as 225 degrees for flaxseed oil to as high as 520 degrees for avocado oil. For these reasons, oils with higher smoke points are better used for cooking tasks that require high heat, such as searing meat. However, oils such as flaxseed oil that have low smoke points are not suitable for high heat cooking tasks.
Instead, use oils such as flaxseed oil in cooking tasks that involve the oil remaining in its liquid state, such as dressings for salads. The length of time that cooking oils remain fresh depend upon how they are stored. Cooking oils should be stored in dark glass bottles to prevent them from being exposed to light.
Bottles of oils should be stored in a cool cupboard to prevent exposure to heat. Furthermore, storing bottles of cooking oils in the refrigerator can double the shelf life of those cooking oils. However, oils such as coconut oil solidify in the refrigerator; thus, they cant be stored in the refrigerator.
The lids of bottles of cooking oils should always be resealed tight to prevent the cooking oil from being exposed to air. Using your senses you can determine if cooking oils have gone rancid. Check to see if the oil has a strong odor.
Rancid cooking oil often smells of paint thinner, old crayons, or fish. Additionally, you can taste cooking oil to ensure it’s quality. If the oil contains a bitter or crayon-like flavor, the oil has gone rancid.
Another method to determine if cooking oil has gone rancid is by visually inspecting the oil. If cooking oil appears dark or contains foamy bubbles when heated, the oil should be thrown away. Common mistakes with cooking oils can lead to spoilage.
One of the most common is storing cooking oil near heat sources in the kitchen. Additionally, buying large amounts of delicate oils such as extra virgin olive oil can lead to spoilage. These oils go bad very rapidly after purchase; thus, if large quantities of these oils is purchased, they will likely all spoil before they are used.
Finally, leaving the pour spout of the cooking oil bottle open also leads to spoilage. Air will enter the bottle each time the oil is poured out of the bottle. Thus, buying smaller amounts of oils and leaving the pour spout tightly seal will help prevent cooking oil spoilage.
If cooking oil exhibits any of the following characteristics, sharp odor, murky color, gummy residue at the bottles bottom, or bitter taste. It should be thrown away. It is always better to throw away cooking oil that may ruin the flavor of the meal being prepared than to risk using spoiled oil.
By following the information presented, home cooks can store cooking oils proper and use them to prepare delicious meals for there families and friends.