Olive oil, just like any other perishable ingredient needs to be purchased with thought and stored with care for maximum flavor and freshness.
When you’re shopping make sure you go for the bottles towards the back of the shelf. These are less likely to have been overly exposed to the fluorescent light of the grocery store. Also purchase bottles in tinted glass if you are planning on having it for a while. Many olive oil bottles are clear and let light through easily, tinted bottles block light which zap the freshness of your olive oil.
If you buy your oil in clear glass you can always transfer it with a funnel into a clean, dry, empty red wine bottle. Speaking of wine, you should keep your olive oil in a dark, humid area, much like a wine cellar. Unlike many wines you store, olive oil is best used when fresh.
Finally, keep your olive oil away from any heat source. Some of us might have fond memories of growing up and seeing olive oil next to an oven or even on a rack behind the stove. But believe me- keep it out of the heat, your olive oil enjoys being at room temperature.
If you take one thing away from this article, let it be this: LIGHT IS BAD. Light destroys the oil, weakening its taste and flavor.
Looking for an excuse to use that good olive oil you’ve been saving? Here are some of my favorite ways:
Mini Roasted Vegetable Burrito
Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad
Olive oil knowledge shared by Michael Nunes