Bottled olive oil shelf life

Shelf life is very variable, depending on the olive variety, ripeness when pressed, care in processing, etc.

It also depends on storage after it has left the producer, so it is hard to “guarantee” a certain lifespan.

Lifespan can be as little as 3 months for a low quality late harvested olives oil, bottled in clear glass and stored in bright light on a hot stovetop with the cap unscrewed. It can be as much as 3-4 years for an early harvest, high polyphenol containing olive variety, well sealed in dark bottles then stored in a cool dark place.

Also researchers have shown that oil stored in polyethylene bottles exposed to light can develop unacceptable limits of peroxide in as little as 20 days.

Opened oil with headroom for exposure to air oxidizes more quickly, better to buy oil in small quantities and use it up.