Food
Fact-checked

At DelightedCooking, we're committed to delivering accurate, trustworthy information. Our expert-authored content is rigorously fact-checked and sourced from credible authorities. Discover how we uphold the highest standards in providing you with reliable knowledge.

Learn more...

What is the Shelf Life of Oil?

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

The shelf life of oil varies depending on how the oil is handled and what kind of oil it is. As a general rule, cooking oils can last six months after they are opened, but this varies considerably. Regardless as to the shelf life an oil is supposed to have, it is a very good idea to taste oils before use if they have not been used in a while to determine whether or nor they have gone rancid. Rancid oil will ruin a carefully-assembled dish, and that would be a great pity.

Leaching of flavors and chemicals can also affect the shelf life of an oil. If the oil is not stored in an inert container, flavors from the kitchen may seep in, and some of those flavors might be surprising and very undesirable.

When stored in the refrigerator, olive oil can remain palatable for up to a year.
When stored in the refrigerator, olive oil can remain palatable for up to a year.

Sealed oil can typically be held in a cool, dark, dry place for up to one year. Once oil is opened, it should continue to be stored in a cool, dark, dry place, and it should be kept as tightly sealed as possible, because exposure to air is what causes oil to go rancid. To prolong the shelf life of oil, you can refrigerate it. All oils can be stored in the fridge, and although they will thicken up a bit, they will go rancid a lot less quickly, and many people think that the thickness is worth it to prolong the shelf life of oil.

Grapeseed, avocado, and sesame oil should be refrigerated.
Grapeseed, avocado, and sesame oil should be refrigerated.

Vegetable oils such as peanut, palm, rice bran, corn, and coconut oil can keep for a year sealed, and six months after opening. They are usually very shelf-stable in a cool dry place, although they can certainly be refrigerated. For best results, keep the oil in glass, if possible, because glass is inert, so it is less likely to leach strange flavors, including the flavors of foods cooked nearby, into the oil. When you purchase new oil, make a note of the date stamped on the package, and consider writing the date you opened the oil on the container so that you will be able to keep track of how long it has been sitting around.

Peanut and certain other vegetable oils should be tossed six months after opening.
Peanut and certain other vegetable oils should be tossed six months after opening.

More delicate oils like grapeseed, apricot kernel, avocado, sesame, and walnut oil can keep for four to six months after opening, and they really should be refrigerated. Flaxseed oil keeps around a month, losing most of its benefits after just three weeks, while olive oil can keep for a year in the fridge, and six to nine months at room temperature. Oil stored in the fridge can be kept in wide-mouthed containers to facilitate pouring as it thickens up in the refrigerator.

In general, most vegetable oils can keep for a year after sealed and six months after opened.
In general, most vegetable oils can keep for a year after sealed and six months after opened.

The shelf life of oil is also improved when it is stored in a clean container. If you buy oil in bulk at the store or pull oil from large drums into smaller bottles for household use, you should make sure that your containers are spotlessly clean. If old oil is left behind, it can make the new oil go rancid, sometimes very quickly, especially if it has been sitting around for some time.

Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a DelightedCooking researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

chicada

@ Glasshouse- I am not sure how old the oil is in your shed, but you should open it up and take a look at it. If the oil seems to be separated into layers, is hazy or cloudy, or has formed solids, I would recycle it.

In theory, oil can remain usable for 100 years or more, but the storage conditions must be perfect. If the oil was stored in an outdoor shed, and the temperature has changed from season to season, I would recycle the oil if it were more than a year old. It’s really a judgment call, but you have to ask yourself; do you want to dump two dollars of aged oil into hundreds of dollars’ worth of equipment?

Glasshouse

This article gave great information about the shelf life of cooking oil, but I was hoping to find information about the shelf life of motor oil. I was cleaning out my tool shed, and I found some old two stroke oil that I can use in some of my lawn tools and chainsaws. Does anyone know what the shelf life of these oils are? I don't want to mix them with the gasoline and foul the gas.

Post your comments
Login:
Forgot password?
Register:
    • When stored in the refrigerator, olive oil can remain palatable for up to a year.
      By: margo555
      When stored in the refrigerator, olive oil can remain palatable for up to a year.
    • Grapeseed, avocado, and sesame oil should be refrigerated.
      By: mitev
      Grapeseed, avocado, and sesame oil should be refrigerated.
    • Peanut and certain other vegetable oils should be tossed six months after opening.
      By: WimL
      Peanut and certain other vegetable oils should be tossed six months after opening.
    • In general, most vegetable oils can keep for a year after sealed and six months after opened.
      By: danr13
      In general, most vegetable oils can keep for a year after sealed and six months after opened.