Prolonged Shelf Life: Freezing food items significantly extends their shelf life. Usually, olive oil lasts around 18-24 months if stored in a cool, dark place. If you freeze it, you can extend this period considerably, and the oil will not lose any of its characteristics or quality.
Like most fruit, olives have waxes on their epidermis (epicarp) to protect them from insects, desiccation, and the elements. These natural waxes are what allow an apple to be shined, for instance. If an oil is sent to a cold climate, or if it will be used in a product like salad dressing where it will be stored in the refrigerator, it is often “winterized” (chilled and filtered) to remove the waxes and steparates. A standard test to determine if olive oil has been sufficiently winterized is to put it in an ice water bath (32°F) for 5 hours. No clouding or crystals should occur.
To determine the actual freezing temperature, Dr. John Deane put several oils in the freezer with a thermometer. At 40°F, most of the oils had not hardened or formed any crystals. At 35°F, most were firm enough that they could not be poured but were as soft as butter at room temperature. As the temperature lowered, more components of the oil solidified. At 10°F, the oils were hard enough that a fork could not penetrate them. Determining at what point to call the oil “frozen” is a matter of semantics. This slow increase in hardening as the temperature is lowered is in sharp contrast to a pure substance such as water that switches from a liquid to solid phase at an exact temperature.
Most manufacturers preset refrigerator temperatures to around 37°F. Chemistry texts list the freezing point of pure oleic acid at around 39°F. Olive oil manufacturers dont generally list a freezing temperature because it is quite variable depending on the olive variety and ripeness of the olive at processing. Unlike the properties of an element or simple compound like water, olive oil is made up of hundreds of chemicals, many of which change with every extraction.
We get many questions about freezing olive oil, such as: what are the clouds in my olive oil, will olive oil freeze in the refrigerator, is freezing olive oil good or bad for it, and does the way it freezes say anything about its quality? We have attempted to clarify the issues below.
Oil that has not been winterized will clump and form needle-like crystals at refrigerator temperatures as the longer chain fats and waxes in the oil congeal, but the oil will not usually harden completely unless chilled further. Some olive varieties form waxes that produce long thin crystals, others form waxes that congeal into rosettes, slimy clumps, clouds, a swirl of egg white like material, or white sediment that the consumer may fear represents spoilage. These visual imperfections also may form outside the refrigerator during the winter when oil is exposed to cold temperatures during transport. The white color in the hardened oil does not indicate spoilage.
Maybe you are going out of town for a while and do not want your olive oil to go bad while you are gone. Maybe you have a bottle that you have hardly used and you are trying to extend its shelf life. Maybe you are just curious about whether or not this freezing feat is physically possible. Regardless of what brought you here, you are asking yourself, “Can you freeze olive oil?” In this guide, we will explain whether or not it is physically possible to freeze olive oil — and more importantly, whether or not you should freeze olive oil.
Can You Freeze Olive Oil?
The answer is yes, it is physically possible to freeze olive oil. In fact, olive oil begins to solidify around 54 degrees Fahrenheit, and it begins to completely freeze around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Most refrigerators in the United States are kept around 40 degrees or a little below, and freezers are set to 0 degrees. That means that if you put the olive oil into the fridge, it will solidify, and if you put it into the freezer, it will freeze.
The reason why we say that olive oil freezes around 0 degrees Fahrenheit is because each olive oil has a slightly different chemical composition depending on the olives used, how it was harvested, what refining (if any) was done and so on. This causes the solidifying and freezing temperatures to vary from batch — and even bottle to bottle.
Olive oil does not solidify all at once. It does so in stages. You will notice the liquid become cloudy before it actually turns completely solid. That is because the triglycerides and naturally occurring waxes solidify first, turning into opaque particles giving the olive oil that cloudy appearance. If left in the cool temperatures, the entire bottle will eventually solidify and turn opaque.
Speaking of cooling down olive oil, you may have heard a myth regarding olive oil and refrigerators. The theory went that if you put olive oil in the fridge and it solidified, it was extra virgin olive oil. If the olive oil remained liquid, then it was not extra virgin. While the simplicity of the theory may be appealing, it simply is not true. Refined olive oil will turn solid in a refrigerator, just like extra virgin olive oil, due to its chemical composition.
Shop Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Should You Freeze Olive Oil?
You now know that it is technically possible to freeze olive oil. But should you do it? At Brightland, we generally recommend keeping your olive oil in a cool, dark place (such as the pantry) instead of placing it in the fridge. This way, the olive oil does not solidify and you do not have to worry about warming it up whenever you want to cook. If properly stored, extra virgin olive oil will usually last 12-18 months before it goes rancid. (Learn more about how to store olive oil.)
However, we realize that not everyone is able to use up a bottle of olive oil within that time frame, especially if it is a flavored olive oil that you do not use every day. To that end, we recommend freezing the olive oil in a covered silicone ice cube tray. This way, you do not need to thaw the entire bottle whenever you want to use some olive oil. A flexible silicone tray will make it easier to remove one cube at a time, and a cover will keep the olive oil from absorbing the smell or taste of other food in your fridge. Fill the reservoirs in the tray about three-fourths of the way full so that it does not overflow.
One popular reason for freezing olive oil is to preserve fresh herbs. Chop the herbs and place them in the ice cube tray before pouring in the olive oil. The herbs will freeze inside the oil, preserving them until you are ready to cook. Then, simply pop out one of the olive oil cubes and place it in a pan until the heat melts it.
We hope this quick guide answered your question about freezing olive oil. If you are looking for some new olive oil to refresh your pantry, we recommend our olive oil set The Duo, which features our two most popular and versatile extra virgin olive oils.
How long does olive oil last
FAQ
Does freezing olive oil make it last longer?
How do you increase the shelf life of olive oil?
Does refrigerating olive oil make it last longer?
How do you store olive oil so it doesn’t go rancid?
How long does olive oil last if frozen?
Freezing olive oil helps to retain these nutrients over a longer period. Prolonged Shelf Life: Freezing food items significantly extends their shelf life. Usually, olive oil lasts around 18-24 months if stored in a cool, dark place.
Is using olive oil after two years still beneficial?
Yes, olive oil is rich in good fats, helps control cholesterol levels, important antioxidants for immunity and the cardiovascular system, increases satiety, improves intestinal transit, acts as a natural anti-inflammatory and helps maintain bone health as it is a source of calcium and vitamin K.
Can you freeze olive oil?
If you find yourself with a surplus, rather than risking spoilage, you can absolutely freeze it. Unlike water, olive oil freezes at a lower temperature, around 10°F, making it suitable for long-term storage. Accidental Freezing: Should your olive oil unintentionally freeze in colder climates, there’s no cause for alarm. It’s perfectly usable.
Does freezing olive oil change nutritional value?
Freezing olive oil does not change its nutritional value. The health benefits of olive oil, such as its high levels of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, remain unaffected by freezing. Can I still use frozen olive oil for cooking? Yes, you can still use frozen olive oil for cooking.