ON THE LIFE OF VEGETABLE OILS

Have you ever wondered about the shelf life of our favorite cooking oil? We've had many questions on this subject as it relates to our Macadamia oil.

1. How long will oil last before it goes rancid?

2. What causes the oil to go bad?

3. How do I know the oil is still good to use?

Shelf Life:

All vegetable oils go through an aging cycle -- youth, middle age, old age and then they eventually die.  The enemies of stability in an oil are oxygen, light and temperature.

The method used for refining is important to shelf life.  Our Macadamia oil is minimally refined and then stored in a cool dark place.  When the oils are exposed to the enemies of stability they brea down shortening their shelf life.  Macadamia oil is a very stable oil high in monounsaturated fats with a shelf life of approximately two years or more.

Stability:

All natural fats are made from fat molecules that can be put into three categories: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.  These all play an important role in the makeup of the oils and its shelf life.

Monounsaturated fats are basically more stable than polyunsaturated fats (corn, safflower, soy, peanut, etc.) because of their lack of free radicals which cause rancidity.  While many cooking salad oils made from polyunsaturated fats need to be protected from oxidation by refrigeration after the container is opened, Macadamia oil is stable for months after opening, even at room temperature.

Senses:

The best way to tell the condition of an oil is to smell and taste it.  Your nose is a very scientific instrument and is quite good at measuring.  The odor of fresh natural oils should be bland and neutral.  Unnatural or uncharacteristic odors are usually signs of rancid or bitter oils.

FYI:

All of our products have a Best Buy date on the bottom of our bottles.  Macadamia oil has been given a very conservative date of 20 months.  The only suggestion is not to store it in direct sunlight or in an extremely warm spot.