Olive oil is a staple in many households, whether used for cooking in a frying pan or as a salad dressing. However, with food inflation still high, experts warn that Brits are unknowingly wasting money by storing olive oil wrong. Now one of the UK’s most expensive pantry items, a 500ml bottle of olive oil has jumped from £3.54 to £7.45, according to Quality Bottles.
Some premium oils are now even reaching upwards of £20 per litre. In the Facebook group Canning Rebels, a post this week about oil storage sparked a lively debate. One user warned that “heating the oil in any way will cause the oil to go bad fast”, while another said it’s essential that they’re stored in “cool, dark” places.
Rowland King, storage expert and director at Quality Bottles, said this mistake is “far more widespread than people realise”.
The expert added: “Storing olive oil next to the stove or in direct sunlight is one of the quickest ways to ruin it.
“Olive oil is extremely sensitive to heat and light. Both speed up oxidation, which breaks down the oil’s natural antioxidants and causes it to lose flavour, aroma, and nutritional quality. Eventually, it becomes rancid.”
Due to the increasing expense of olive oil in recent years, improper storage is now costing households more than they realise.
Rowland King, storage expert and director at Quality Bottles, said this mistake is “far more widespread than people realise”.
The expert added: “Storing olive oil next to the stove or in direct sunlight is one of the quickest ways to ruin it.
“Olive oil is extremely sensitive to heat and light. Both speed up oxidation, which breaks down the oil’s natural antioxidants and causes it to lose flavour, aroma, and nutritional quality. Eventually, it becomes rancid.”
Due to the increasing expense of olive oil in recent years, improper storage is now costing households more than they realise.
Dining and Cooking