Olive Oil

[Shawnee123]

Going through a box of kitchen stuff that had stayed in a box for a year during my unsuccessful cohabitation, I found a bottle of "PURE VIRGIN OLIVE OIL" (Wow, for me to say "pure virgin" without my head imploding is a big deal.)

Anyway, it looks kind of funny. Does sealed Olive Oil go bad?

Yes. How old is it?

[glatt]

Crack it open, and smell it. If it smells fine, taste a drop of it. It won't kill you, just taste bad.

Olive oil comes in many different colors.

[Shawnee123]

It kind of looks like white floaties in it. Not sure how old, as it was a gift,at least a couple years.

I'll do the taste test thing later.

Thanks

Yeah, it will just be mold if it is bad.

[glatt]

If there's stuff floating around in it, I'd toss it. I thought you meant the color was really green, or really pale or something. Just throw it away.

[barefoot serpent]

better'n be safe than sorry... toss it (and not in a salad)

[chrisinhouston]

I've never heard of olive oil going moldy but depending on the storage conditions it could be off, sunlight and air are the main culprits for spoilage. I keep a small dispenser near my cooktop for daily use but my vat from Cosco is in the back of the pantry, cool and dark.

If it passes the taste test you could filter it. Or better yet pour it in a fancy bottle, add some thyme or rosemary and give it to someone as a Christmas present!

[Shawnee123]

I think I'll be tossin'

It's just such a pretty bottle, and came with a bottle of matching red vinegar, but I guess if I haven't used it yet I won't.

Thanks all.

I have had it go off on me and had mold grow in it... not good.

[bbro]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

I think I'll be tossin'

It's just such a pretty bottle, and came with a bottle of matching red vinegar, but I guess if I haven't used it yet I won't.

Thanks all.

Save the bottles, just dump the oil (and wash of course). You could always use it for a drip candle or change after you wash them out. How fun would they be as candle holders for dinner or something

[Shawnee123]

Great idea! That will look nice in my kitchen!

[bbro]

Also found this on storage:

Olive oil storage
Store olive oil in a cool, dark place for up to six months or in the refrigerator up to a year. Check the label for a bottling date for freshness. Olive oil does not improve with age like fine wine and is best when used during the first six months of pressing. Refrigerated or very cold olive oil will become cloudy, but will clear up when brought to room temperature. Be sure it's kept in an airtight container. Use higher quality forms of olive oil for flavor foremost, and lower grades for high-heat applications.

From here

I love random bottles, I just don't have enough room. It would also be perfect for an italian or mediterranean themed night.

[glatt]

My wife and I went to a local olive oil store over the weekend. Ah Love Oil.

Yes. This is a store that sells only olive oil (and balsamic vinegar.) You walk in and see shelves filled with about 30 different types of oil. In front of each group of bottles is an open bottle for tasting. There are tiny dixie cups, the size of ketchup cups in a fast food place. You are supposed to pour a little oil into a cup, and drink it straight from the cup to taste it. They also have little cut up pieces of bread you can use for dipping if you like, but they try to steer you away from that because you can't taste the oil as well if you try it with bread.

All this took a little looking around to figure out. The store was fairly crowded, but nobody was tasting the oil, and the staff there didn't come up to explain it to us. But we figured it out, and I selected a bottle that looked promising from the description, poured myself some oil, and sipped it. And it tasted exactly like oil. So I tried another kind, and it also tasted exactly like oil. So then I tried a variety that was described as having a slightly peppery aftertaste, and it also tasted like oil, but with a slight burn at the end. My wife had basically the same reaction as I did. It was all just oil. After a few samples,though, we started noticing very slight differences between the oils, and continued to try different ones. After sampling about a dozen oils, we felt like we had to buy a bottle, so we settled in on a bottle that seemed the most normal. It was $20. The cheapest oil was $11, and the most expensive was $50. These are for 500 ml bottles.

The store sells their own store brand of oil in multiple varieties from different countries, and they also sell branded oil from other manufacturers. All the oil is dated. Some was harvested in 2013, but most was from 2012. You're supposed to only consume the freshest olive oil, according to this place.

It was an interesting experience. We may go back there again someday, but it wasn't a mindblowing experience. What I need to do now is try a teaspoon of that fancy olive oil against the grocery store olive oil we already had in the pantry. I'm sure there's a taste difference, but I'm not sure if it's worth the extra cost.

[Clodfobble]

I'd be more interested in the balsamic vinegars, myself. I can definitely taste the difference in the various options at my grocery store. I wonder what $50 balsamic vinegar tastes like.