The Last Thing To Do Before Throwing Away Empty Olive Oil Bottles

Olive oil is a kitchen staple, and for good reason — its uses are endless. It's a delicious oil to cook with, it adds body and flavor to homemade salad dressings, and it rounds out the perfect bruschetta when drizzled on some tomatoes and toast. But as with anything that is a frequent flier in the kitchen, all of these uses mean you can go through quite a bunch of bottles before you know it. This can result in a lot of waste.

What should you do with olive oil bottles once they're empty? Fortunately, many olive oil bottles are aesthetically pleasing, especially if they are made of glass. They look nice displayed on the counter, and you can even personalize the bottle if you remove the label. There are a number of ways you can reuse an olive oil bottle, but one of the best things you can do is refill it with more olive oil and keep using it over and over.

Why refill your olive oil bottle instead of just getting a new one? If you buy olive oil in bulk volumes, it's nice to have an easy, pourable vessel that looks attractive on your countertop. This will save you from having to pour oil from a gallon jug when you're cooking. It can also be helpful if you make your own olive oil — you'll already have nice bottles on hand to store it in.

First, thoroughly clean and dry your olive oil bottle. You don't want remnants of the previous oil carrying over to your new stock. You can also remove the label if you prefer the way a bare bottle looks. Next, decant your new olive oil into the bottle. If you don't move through olive oil very fast, you should be sure to create a label with the expiration date on it so you can keep track of how old it is, which is a good tip to keep in mind for any staples you decant in the pantry.