How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Right Way

Keep It Fresh and Flavorful Until You Finish the Bottle

You’ve invested in a bottle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil and it’s not just vibrant and delicious in flavour, but also full of healthy nutrients. But how you store it can make or break everything that makes it special.

Extra virgin olive oil is a natural product. It’s fresh olive juice, rich in antioxidants and vitamins, making it a medicinal food as well. But these healthy properties and fresh aromas can vanish if it’s not stored with a little love and care until the last drop.

We’ll summarize the dos and don’ts of storing olive oil.

Shall we start with the four biggest enemies of EVOO? Light, heat, oxygen and time.
Let’s break them down so your extra virgin olive oil stays as fresh and powerful as it was the day it left the grove.

1. Light

Light might look beautiful dancing through a bottle of olive oil, but it’s a silent assassin. Exposure to light, especially sunlight or bright kitchen lighting, kickstarts oxidation and breaks down the delicate compounds that make EVOO so special.

Avoid:

Storing your bottle on an open shelf or by a window
Using clear glass bottles that let in too much light (don’t buy olive oil in a clear bottle or use one at home to store/pour the oil)

Do this instead:

Keep your oil in a dark cupboard or pantry
Use dark or tinted glass bottles (like ours) that naturally protect against light

2. Heat

High temperatures speed up the breakdown of olive oil’s healthful compounds and flavor. Heat literally cooks out the goodness—long before it even reaches your pan.

Avoid:

Keeping your bottle near the stove or oven
Leaving it on a counter where the sun hits
Putting it in the fridge: while it might sound like a safe bet, every time it solidifies and then liquefies again, the structure of the oil gets stressed, and it slowly loses both flavor and healthy properties

Ideal storage temperature?
Around 18–20°C (64–68°F): cool, consistent, calm and, as mentioned earlier, dark.

3. Oxygen

Once you open the bottle, oxygen begins to interact with the oil. It’s a gradual process, but over time, this exposure leads to oxidation, causing the oil to lose its vibrant flavor and eventually turn rancid.

Avoid:

Leaving the cap or pour spout open
Transferring oil into open-top dispensers or decorative jars
Using oil straight from large containers over a long period

Important tip if you’re buying in bulk:
If you’re using a 5 or 10 liter container, keep in mind that every time you pour some out, you leave more oxygen behind in that growing empty space. Over time, that extra air accelerates oxidation. To protect the oil’s freshness, it’s better to downsize: refill into smaller, airtight containers as you go, and store them in a cool, dark place.

Do this instead:

Always seal your bottle tightly after each use
Refill from pouches or large tins into smaller bottles to limit oxygen exposure
Use containers designed to minimize air contact, like those with collapsible bags or vacuum systems (if available)

4. Time

Even under perfect conditions, olive oil doesn’t improve with age. It’s not a fermented juice like wine; it’s freshly squeezed juice, like orange juice. Freshness matters. The longer it sits, the more its fresh and healthy qualities fade.

Avoid:

Using old bottles “sparingly” to make them last longer
Keeping oil for over a year, even unopened

Do this instead:

Consume your EVOO within 3 months of opening
Check the harvest date, not just the best-before date
Buy in quantities that match your use (and refill as needed!)

Your olive oil is at its best when young, with all its aromas and flavours: grassy, fruity, peppery and bitter. That character doesn’t get better with time, so pour generously and enjoy it while it’s fresh.

TL;DR: Keep It Cool, Dark, Sealed and Don’t Save It!

Storing olive oil the right way isn’t complicated—it just takes a little intention. Keep it cool, dark, sealed and fresh. And when you do, every drizzle over your veggies or dip with bread will taste like it came straight from the grove.

Got questions about olive oil storage, flavours or refills? Drop us a message. We’re always happy to chat!