We bought this big bottle of extra virgin oil from CostCo 5 monts ago. We have used very little of it, i.e. less than a 1/3 of its content. Its expiration date is 30 June 06. Should we toss it into the garbage?

Kap

---

SoCal for now.

nah, I say it's still good, although it's probably only 'regular virgin' quality at this point.

You can smell when oil goes rancid, Kap--if it smells good, it is.

---

I would continue to use it for another six months as long as it tasted okay.

Oh yeah, how did the bike ride go?

---

In tha 360. MRF User Map

Ok. Thanks guys!

Kap

---

SoCal for now.

Depends on what you're using for. The oil itself will be fine but the flavor may degrade and become more acidic over time.

The grades run like this:
Xtra Vir = .5-1% acidity
Vir 1.5-2%
Semi Fine 3% and
Pure with no defined % - it's used when distinct olive oil flavor isn't needed.

---

"Who's more foolish - the fool or the fool that follows him?" - Obi Wan Kenobi

I recently cracked open a sealed bottle of EVOO bottled in 1999. It was kept in a dark cupboard, and tasted fine. YMMV.

RgrF's right on the money and there're few things in the kitchen nastier than rancid oil (rancid peanut butter's one of 'em).

And by the way, avoid buying the stuff in clear bottles (warehouse markets often have oils in clear bottles - avoid 'em like the plague). Dark-colored bottles or cans is the way to go.

And how RacerX stored his gold is also correct. Dark, dark, dark; it's light that spoils oil.

Heat also spoils olive oil I think. We've been keeping ours in a cupboard above the stove and I'm beginning to get worried about it. We use it pretty quickly but I'm still going to move it over to another cupboard during these hot summer months.

---

trisho.
----------------
Official Card-Carrying Mother Earthin' Sl*t.

We only buy olive oil in dark bottles and we store them in our cool and dark pantry. However, the one that we use most often for cooking is placed on the cupboard above the stove.

I think it is best that we buy a couple of 250mL bottles from now on instead.

Kap

---

SoCal for now.

"We only buy olive oil in dark bottles and we store them in our cool and dark pantry. However, the one that we use most often for cooking is placed on the cupboard above the stove.

I think it is best that we buy a couple of 250mL bottles from now on instead."

Save a green wine bottle, rinse, dry thoroughly, fill as much as you wish, keep it in the dark and use accordingly. I have a pourer w/ a flap over the spout that dispenses mine, but a cork will do the trick if you use the stuff quickly enough to avoid having air get to it.

mrthuse,
Thanks for the tip! We'll try it for certain

Kap

---

SoCal for now.

I keep them in the fridge.

I also tend to buy the smaller bottles and pay more, based on my usage. When I had a food place 12 years ago, and was buying the metal gallons of Bertolucci, I was using 1 every 2 weeks, so I just robbed from it for the home. Otherwise - I hate buying a large bottle - and tossing 1/2 (or more) of it.

Heat/Light/Time are the primary issues for all oils (and interestingly, plastics too!) - it's all about oxidative influence, so anything that increases that (including time) is what leads to its demise.

That's why they hydrogenate oils - as a stabilizer. And as we've learned, our liver and circulatory system really appreciate that technology.

I heard on a show that the best way to keep olive oil is in the frig so the oil doesn't go bad. ..but when I did this the olive oil. ..thickened up. . .


also, starting using more of it. ..salads. . .cooking. .. I also use a little on my vegetables AFTER they are cooked with some garlic. . .

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

From wikipedia:

Industrial Grades

The several oils extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:

* Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label (see next section).
* Refined means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.
* Pomace olive oil means oil extracted from the pomace using chemical solvents — mostly hexane — and by heat.

Quantitative analytical methods determine the oil's acidity, defined as the percent, measured by weight, of free oleic acid in it. This is a measure of the oil's chemical degradation — as the oil degrades, more fatty acids get free from the glycerides, increasing the level of free acidity. Another measure of the oil's chemical degradation is the peroxide level, which measures the degree to which the oil is oxidized (rancid).

In order to classify olive oil by taste, it is subjectively judged by a panel of professional tasters in a blind taste test. This is also called its organoleptic quality.

Retail grades

The IOOC standards are complicated. The labels in stores, however, clearly show an oil's grade:

* Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
* Virgin olive oil with an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.
* Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined virgin oil, containing at most 1% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.
* Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.
* Lampante oil is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from olive oil's ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.

Label wording

Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.

* "Imported from Italy" produces an impression that the olives were grown in Italy, although in fact it only means that the oil was bottled there. A corner of the same label may note that the oil was packed in Italy with olives grown in Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia. Since Spain produces nearly half of the world's olive harvest, it is likely the oil "imported from Italy" comes from olives grown in Spain.
* "100% Pure Olive Oil" sounds like a high-end product, but in fact is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have "virgin" on the label.
* "Made from refined olive oils" suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.
* "Lite olive oil" suggests a low fat content, whereas in fact it refers to a lighter color. All olive oil—which is, after all, fat—has 120 Calories per tablespoon (33 kJ/ml).
* "From hand-picked olives" gives the impression that extraordinary care went into the oil's production, whereas it is not clear that a manual harvest produces better oil than the common tree-shaking method.

---

Don't ask who the bell's for, dude. It's you.

we pretty much stay w/ Costco's extra virgin Italian stuff that says from olives grown in Italy on the label, and also do the smaller extremely dark green bottle in cabinet over the stove routine, w/ big bottle(s) in dark, cool pantry. never lasts long enough to approach expiration, much less go bad. Costco seems to usually have a few choices, and the good stuff isn't a whole lot more expensive than the cheaper stuff, but we do try not to spill when xfering from the big bottle to the smaller one...

---

Sometimes it is what it is...
and then there's times when it's really better.



==

Quote
NewtonMP2100
I heard on a show that the best way to keep olive oil is in the frig so the oil doesn't go bad. ..but when I did this the olive oil. ..thickened up. . .


also, starting using more of it. ..salads. . .cooking. .. I also use a little on my vegetables AFTER they are cooked with some garlic. . .

as soon as it returns to close to room temp, it thins out and goes clear again.

Quote
Racer X

as soon as it returns to close to room temp, it thins out and goes clear again.

Yup. ..but the show said to keep the CURRENT bottle in the frig but how can you use it "thickened?". . .I store any unopened ones this way but the current bottle I keep in a shelf. ..

---

_____________________________________

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

microwave for about 20 seconds if it will fit (assuming it doesn't have a metal cap)

If you are cooking with it, it will just a take a second or 2 more to pour the cold stuff. No harm. I keep a small bottle out, and refill it when I use up the 8 oz or so it contains. I wash out the bottle every year or so and start from scratch. It has a bartender's pour spout with a check ball, so it isn't open to the air all the time. Really handy way to do it.

Wikipedia needs some refinement to its olive oil entry. (but then most of its entrys need refinement)

From Italy:
Robust, deep color, peppery finish that can stand up to ripe tomatoes, roasted vegs and firm (al dante) pasta.

From Spain:
Subtle sweet and buttery, Best with salads or light sauces and frying

From Greece:
Clear with fruity flavor; works best with stews, soups or steamed veggies.

From Portugal:
see Spain

From California:
Good for frying or sautéing

So consider the origin of the oil. California Xvir might equal Greek or Italian pure.

---

"Who's more foolish - the fool or the fool that follows him?" - Obi Wan Kenobi

some of the boutique EVOOs from California are better than the high end european oils FWIW.

Quote
Racer X
some of the boutique EVOOs from California are better than the high end european oils FWIW.

Ahhh! but we're talking CostCo here.

---

"Who's more foolish - the fool or the fool that follows him?" - Obi Wan Kenobi

Costco periodically has boutique oils, and many are imported from Italy. Kind of like a vintner's reserve of olive oil. That '99 bottle I mentioned was from the first batch that Costco imported as a test. Really worth it. It was $10 for .75 liters back in '99. (dark green bottle, kept in a cool and dark cupboard away from the stove)

I think the key was/is glass, cool and dark.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/19/2006 04:48PM by Racer X.

Funny how we're always interested in the same things, cousin kap.
I would never have asked this though-- I hate wasting food.
I agree that you'll just know if it's no good.
I use a lot because of pesto production in the summer;
I started buying the gallon cans and refilling small bottles for day to day use, and it works pretty well-- plus it's waaaaay cheaper.

---

I suffer from the same sensitivity that you do. A few nuggets of wisdom were shared with me and I'm "trying" to incorporate them into my life. First, remember that nobody can hurt your feelings unless you let them. You can always reject what is being forced on you emotionally.
Second, nothing changes unless you change it. If you don't want the behavior to be repeated then you need to take action. Otherwise the kid has learned that his behavior is the way to get things done, because everyone lets him get away with it.
In the meantime I sympathize because I've been there.
-beerman