How long should olive oil last and how to tell if it’s bad

Being yellow or green, the balance of fruit and sweetness, and the twist (we use it in almost everything we cook ), olive oil is a precious commodity. Whether you grab a large jar or use a small bottle of olive oil bought at the grocery store, it’s important to store your olive oil properly to preserve its quality. But exactly how long does olive oil last and does olive oil go bad? Ahead, we share some ways to understand your olive oil, as well as tips for extending its shelf life.

Check the harvest date

If the olive oil bottle lists the harvest date, choose the freshest date available to ensure it will be good for several months. Harvest date tells consumers exactly when the olives were harvested and, therefore, how long the oil will be good.

How long does olive oil last?

Unopened

Typically, olive oil lasts 18 months from harvest, so it’s important to pick this date. Olives are harvested once a year in the fall, usually between October and December. The new harvest oil will be introduced in winter, so the bottles harvested in November 2020 will expire in May 2022.

Opened

Once opened, a bottle of olive oil should be used within three to four months, according to the North American Olive Oil Association.

How to store olive oil

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To get the most out of your olive oil, store it properly. “The three natural enemies of olive oil are light, heat and air. This means keeping it in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry or kitchen cabinet, and keeping it covered with a cap or cover.

Signs olive oil is fresh

Before pouring it into a pot or spreading it on a roast, the first thing you should do with a bottle of olive oil is taste it to make sure it’s still good. Take a few minutes to taste and think about what you enjoy. Fresh olive oil should have a herbaceous andgrassy flavor. Even though it has a fruity profile, it will still have that fresh flavor compared to the flavored oil.

A bright, sharp taste often indicates that the olives have been harvested early, making for a delicious green oil. When you taste good olive oil, you will feel the pepper in the back of your throat, which are two signs of quality and freshness.

Does olive oil goes bad?

Olive oil can spoil and if it does, it won’t have that fresh herb flavor and grassy flavor. Color and smell are not reliable indicators of the quality of olive oil. The best way to tell if an olive oil has gone bad is to taste it. If it doesn’t taste very sweet and tasty (or if it tastes rancid and stale), it must have past its peak.

Though you probably won’t get sick from eating expired olive oil and its health benefits are the same, rancid olive oil won’t provide the same sweet, nutty flavor to your food as fresh olive oil.

benefits of olive oil

Many studies have examined the health benefits of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil, the best available, is rich in antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage caused by molecules called free radicals.

Free radicals are substances produced by the body during metabolism and other processes. Antioxidants remove free radicals. If too many free radicals accumulate, they can cause oxidative stress. This can lead to cell damage and play a role in the development of certain diseases, including some types of cancer.

Olive oil and the cardiovascular system

Olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. People who follow this diet seem to have a higher life expectancy, including a lower risk of dying from heart disease, compared to people who follow other diets.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a condition characterized by certain risk factors that increase the risk of disease, including obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

The authors of a 2019 meta-analysis concluded that olive oil and the Mediterranean diet can improve the characteristics of metabolic diseases, such as inflammation, blood sugar, triglycerides (fats in the blood), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad . “cholesterol. On the other hand, it seems to increase the level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol.

Alzheimer’s disease

In 2016, some scientists suggested that adding extra virgin olive oil to food could help prevent Alzheimer’s disease. This may be due to its protective effect on blood vessels and the brain.

The authors of a mouse study published in 2019 suggested that consuming extra virgin olive oil rich in oleocanthal may help reduce or slow Alzheimer’s disease. Oleocanthal is a phenolic compound found in extra virgin olive oil.

The risk of depression and olive oil

In 2013, a mouse study suggested that the properties of extra virgin olive oil may help protect the nervous system and may be useful in treating depression and anxiety.

Two years earlier, scientists found evidence that people who eat trans fats, the unhealthy fats found in fast food and pre-made pastries, may fall Depression than those who eat unsaturated fats, such as olive oil.

Olive oil and cancer

Some studies have shown that the properties of olive oil can help reduce the risk of breast cancer, but not all finding supports this.

According to a study published in 2019, olive oil has properties that can help prevent colorectal cancer. Laboratory studies have shown that the antioxidants in olive oil can help protect the body from inflammation, oxidative damage and epigenetic changes.

Olive oil and liver

A 2018 study of laboratory research found that compounds in extra virgin olive oil can help prevent or repair liver damage. The oil’s MUFA, primarily oleic acid, and its phenolic compounds have been shown to help prevent inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other changes that can lead to liver damage.

Olive oil and inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are forms of IBD.

A 2019 review found that phenols in olive oil can help improve immunity and gut health by altering the microbes in the gut. This can be helpful for people with colitis and other types of IBD. More human studies are needed to confirm these results.

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