How To Store Nut Oils To Keep Them Fresher Longer

Maybe you've stocked your cupboards with peanut oil for frying, added walnut oil to your pantry for finishing salads, or chosen other varieties to roast nuts in their own oil. It all sounds delish, but if you want to keep these oils at their best, you need to be careful where you store them. Why? Nut oils are high in polyunsaturated fat, which can oxidize easily and make them go bad unless you take steps to protect them. 

Air, light, and heat are the greatest enemies to the quality of these oils, but luckily, those factors are fairly easy to combat. First, seal the containers tightly between uses so the oil is not exposed to air. Dark bottles or cans can help protect them from light, but keeping them in a cupboard or inside your refrigerator is an even better strategy. Both of these locations can also help your nut oils stay cool, so they'll last much longer than they would if you kept them near the stove where heat could degrade them. 

Many of us go through common oils, like olive and canola, fast enough that we don't have to worry about their best-by dates. However, with nut oils, you might not reach for them quite as often. Even if you take the precautions mentioned above, you'll want to use them or lose them within a fairly short time. For example, hazelnut and walnut oil last only three to four months in the pantry, while walnut oil will keep up to eight months in the fridge, and hazelnut for up to a year. Peanut and macadamia oils are a little hardier, with peanut keeping for two years in the pantry or fridge and macadamia potentially lasting up to three in the fridge.

How do you know if a nut oil has overstayed its welcome? Unfortunately, it's all too easy to tell. Rancid oil is stinky and bitter-tasting. It's also potentially bad for you since it's linked to digestive problems and can contain free radicals. If you have a special nut oil on hand, it's best to store it right, enjoy it while it lasts, and then restock when its time is up.