Apr82010
How to Store Oil Safely
How do you feel about eating boiled food for every meal? If you’re not storing oil, that’s what you may end up eating every day, meal after meal. Quite a nightmare! Oil is tricky to store long-term, however.
Polyunsaturated oils can turn rancid before they actually smells that way, and rancid oils lose much of their nutritional value. There’s evidence that rancid oils contain free radicals, which can be a health threat. What’s a fried food lover to do??
olive oil image by fdecomite
Oil can be stored safely but will never have the long shelf lives of our other long-term storage foods. Keep in mind the four main factors that affect shelf life: light, oxygen, temperature, and time and apply them to the oils you store.
Keep oil in the dark.
Light is one of the main enemies of oil Store oil away from any light even if that means keeping the bottles inside a box.
Keep oil cool.
Refrigerate or freeze your oil to lengthen its’ shelf life. If it thickens, just let it warm to room temperature before using it. Coconut oil is a great option to the oils we typically think of for cooking and baking. Coconut oil can be kept refrigerated and has a longer shelf life than other oils since it is a saturated fat.
Keep track of time.
The most important step in storing oil is keeping track of the date you purchased it and rotate it on a regular basis. By the time it reaches its’ stamped expiration date, it may already be too rancid to use. If you don’t use oil all that often, buy smaller bottles so you’ll be able to rotate through them more quickly.
Keep oxygen out.
Obviously, you won’t be able to use oxygen absorbers in your bottles of oil! The only measure you can take is storing oil in jars and then using a Food Saver device to extract oxygen from the jar. Even that isn’t fool-proof.
Some food storage experts have given up on storing oil long-term and have switched to storing shortening. It can easily be stored in jars, and with the use of a Food Saver, can be vacuum sealed for true long-term storage. When oil is called for in a recipe, the shortening is melted, and there’s your oil. A good compromise would be to store oil using the guidelines described above and store shortening in vacuum packed jars for storage up to several years.
One important reason to store and use oil is that it quickly boosts our daily calorie count. Now, if you’re dieting, you’re probably staying away from oils, but imagine if you were in an emergency situation, 100% reliant on your food storage. Chances would be very good that between a much higher level of stress and, possibly, more physical activity, your body will need well over 3,000 calories per day. Adding oils to recipes, salads, or even a tablespoon or two of flaxseed or coconut oil in a smoothie will provide extra calories, not to mention all the health benefits that come with using good oils.
We can stack those buckets of wheat, rice, and beans, knowing they’ll be good for decades. Oil is just one item that will require a bit more attention in our storage pantries.
© 2010, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
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Chris
Hello from another Zonie. I don't currently live there but I have a little over three years to retire from the military and then I am moving home. All of my family is in the Phoenix Metro area. You have a huge amount of good info on your on this site and I am looking forward to learning from it. Thank You.
rightwingmom
Lisa, I have shortening (regular and butter flavored) and large Mason jars. I've ordered a vacuum lid from Food Saver for my jars. Would you recommend placing shortening in the Mason jars and vacuum sealing the lids?
I also plan on vacuuming my seed stockpile in the Mason jars and storing them in a cool, dark, and dry place. (My closet.)
mama4x
I too put my seeds in a jar and vacuumed the air out. Then I learned that with seeds, moisture is more important to keep out, than oxygen. So I'm going to the local shoe store and getting some silicon packets to absorb the moisture.
TheSurvivalMom
I know many people who store seeds in airtight Food Saver packets and freeze them.
gharkness
Well, this brings forth a question then (nice article, BTW). I am not a proponent of using hydrogenated oils (shortening), though that's an entirely different argument, so I am wondering: is it possible to store liquid oils by pressure canning? If so, that would be an excellent method to use, and one could put it in half-pint or pint jars, depending on how much one would expect to use in a short time. And if this is not desirable, why not? The oil would never get over about 240 degrees, which is way below the danger point for oil…..just wondering?
TheSurvivalMom
I actually had a hard time finding information about storing oil, other than storing it in a dark, cool place. I would like to know, myself, if pressure canning oil is possible and desirable, and I agree with you about the use of shortening. I much prefer healthier oils, which brings us back around to the storage issue! I can understand why otherwise health-conscious preppers turn to shortening for long-term storage. If you learn anything more about storing oil, I hope you'll share it with us.
Ravenwolf31
The LDS Preparedness Manual has about 2 pages of information on storing oils and fats, including some 'possible' long term storage (best to read all the info they have on it to be careful). If you can get a copy, it is well worth it for almost everything.
Kevin
I have read a couple of articles about canning butter, but other than that nothing.
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kdonat
Adding Vitamin E to an opened bottle of oil adds antioxidents that extend the shelf life somewhat. I usually pierce 3 or 4 vitamin E capsules and squeeze the contents into the bottle of oil.
rightwingmom
Some good news! I'm watching History Channel's "Modern Marvels" episode "Fry It" (2010). They're covering cooking oil and said even rancid oil still hinders bacterial growth and is relatively safe to consume, just not as appetizing.
TheSurvivalMom
That would be good news. There is so much conflicting information out there. Just yesterday I contacted a food preservation expert with this question, Karen Breese, she checked with another expert she knows who said oil could be stored indefinitely! Well, it CAN be stored indefinitely, but should it be consumed after long periods of time? Probably the safest bet would be to keep it in the freezer and rotate. In a SHTF scenario, it might be canola oil that becomes as valuable as gold!
judy
I have not frozen oil but I have kept it in the fridg. The only thing I ever noticed with the refrigerated oil is that it does turn cloudy. Doesn't hurt the oil though and I have used it for years. I suggest rotate , rotate, rotate and don't store it for long , long periods of time. Also there are lots of ways to fry foods. If your going to fry why be all that concerned about the fat used? I would not worry about it . When it comes to having to use it in a crisis I would use what I have and then plan on going back to real healthy oils as soon as possible. This problem shouldn't last forever. I HOPE ! Love all your info. You are doing a good job. I heard that hydrogenated oil was created by heating it ! But what do I know ?
TheSurvivalMom
Actually, you seem to know quite a bit! As much as I love storing food long-term, oil is something that has to be rotated. I read somewhere that olive oil in ancient clay jars had been found at an archaeological site, and it was still good. Most of the experts I've read, say that it can go rancid just like any other oil. Yes, you're right. In a crisis, you just make do with what you have.
gadabout
We just toured an olive oil farm/bottling plant in Spain. I asked the owner how long an unopened bottle of olive oil will last and he said years! Cool dark place of course.
Kristy
I am planning on getting a cow. It is pretty easy to make fresh butter from milk!
sourdough
Vegetable and seed oils are notorious for rancidity. Check out sources of animal fats, coconut oil, and palm oil, and don't forget the olive oil. These oils can keep for extended periods of time without a lot of fuss.
Cathi
In fact, the saturated tropical fats (coconut, palm fruit) are perfect for long term storage and extremely healthy. See Dr. Bruce Fife's website for sound science on this. Naturally saturated fats are actually the healthy ones (plain chemistry here) and unsaturated go rancid easily-bad. Thats why crisco was a boon…artifically saturate the veggie oil with hydrogen (hydrogenated) and increase shelf life and preserve it artifically-bad. Fats that saturated by nature are healthy and shelf stable for years even in a plastic tub. I buy them by in 5 gallon tubs and after three years, they are still perfect. Flax oil is highly prone to rancidy and free radicals. Great for paint though as it's really linseed oil. Great for painting, not for eating.
TheSurvivalMom
Great info! Thanks, Cathi! I'm a big fan of coconut oil.
Prepper Man
Can you buy oil in packaging with better shelf life that typical store biought?
TheSurvivalMom
It seems that the best bet is to go with shortening repackaged in canning jars and given the Food Saver vacuum treatment or buying saturated oils, such as coconut. I've read mixed reviews on the shelf-life of olive oil, everywhere from a few months to centuries!
Peggy M.
For those of you that don't like the hydrogenated shortenings like Crisco, I've bought a case of Spectrum Organic all vegetable shortening. It's non-hydrogenated, no trans fat, made from pressed palm oil, and makes a great pie crust. I got the case from Azure Standard out of Oregon, who deliver in our area by truck. As far as I can tell it should last a long time on the shelf.
Janelle
Olive oil stored in tins (rather than glass or plastic bottles) has a longer-term shelf life if you follow the same guidlines, of light, oxygen, and temperature that you listed in your posting. According to Alton Brown from the food network, if stored in a dark, cool place, unopened, it will store indefinitely. I have a combination of oils as part of my plan. Olive oil, coconut oil, and canola oil. These oils are not only good for consumption, but they have other topical properties as well.
Coconut oil is a natural anti-bacterial agent. It can be used on the skin as a moisturizer for very dry skin, and helps to keep you smelling good and fresh. Another little tidbit about olive oil is that it has the same anti-inflammatory properties that ibuprophen has when it is consumed without heating. That is why it is a good heart-healthy oil in that it helps to reduce inflammation in our bodies, and as a topical treatment for rashes and insect bites.
jane
What kind of shortening do you recommend?
TheSurvivalMom
If you can find shortening, Crisco, usually, in a metal can, it will last indefinitely. However, most shortening isn't packaged that way anymore. It comes in foil-wrapped sticks or cardboard-ish containers. If that's all you can find, just pack the shortening into canning jars and use a Foodsaver jar attachment to remove air from the jar. This is an excellent way to keep shortening fresh for years.
Vic
FYI – you can also Buy “Powdered Shortening” and store in a #10 can. Keeping it in a coolest area, will last quite awhile.
thesurvivalmom
Shortening powder is very helpful as an ingredient in baking but still cannot be used for frying. I tried it once and it turned into a plastic-y sort of mess.
Steve
I’ve sealed (canned) crisco, coconut and gee (butter) in canning small canning jars. Hopefully 5 year shelf life. Nothing beats the comforting flavor of butter on re-hydrated veggies, sun baked bread or pop corn!