Think you are all prepared to handle any type of emergency? Does your food closet contain all the necessary foods and condiments needed to manage your family's needs on a yearly program? One of the most frequent questions that I hear on a consistent basis is how long will my quarts of cooking oil last in my food storage provisions? Since there exists an extreme difficulty in properly storing fats or oils for long periods of time many articles and books on food storage frequently avoid discussions centered on the topic.
Long term storage of oils which contain fat may prove problematical however; it is not a totally impossible task.
By following certain rules you can successful get the most life from your stored cooking oils.
The usual problem with storing oils and various fats for any sort of long term period is that they often go rancid rather quickly.
These rancid fats have been attributed to increased rates of heart disease and other health issues.
In general, one would want to avoid using rancid oil whenever they can.
It only stands to reason that different opened cooking oils will remain fresh for various amounts of time however this time frame could change according to how the oil is treated.
Oils should be tightly covered and always stored in dark locations away from heat sources.
Generally, the answer to how long the oil will safely store lies between two years and twenty according to who is providing the answer.
I have previously been informed that a good quality cooking oil would last in storage for approximately 20 years.
I actually believe that most oils would more accurately have a shelf life of two plus years.
Unopened peanut or corn oil as well as other types of vegetable oils will usually keep for from one to two years in storage.
This can be extended a few additional years if quality oil is used and properly stored although I seriously doubt that 20 years is an accepted time frame.
Once they are opened the above listed oil would be good for only four to six months.
Oils such as peanut or olive oil benefit greatly from being stored in ones refrigerator.
As an example, if left opened in the pantry Olive oil will only keep about 6 months and that is assuming it is maintained in a cool, dark pantry however if you place it in your refrigerator it will extend its life to over one year.
When refrigerated, oil will likely cloud up and become extremely thick but upon warming it to room temperature it should once again restore its pouring capacity.
Oils like walnut or sesame oil are considered rather delicate and are inclined to become rancid quit quickly.
If they are stored in the refrigerator they should last for two to four months.
Alternately unopened cans of shortening have just about an indefinite shelf life if it is properly stored in a cool and dark location.
If you have no problem with using shortening for your cooking needs this has the most shelf life of any fat based products.
A good quality product such as Crisco (tm) will likely be useable with a storage life of eight to ten years, if maintained in a reasonably cool location.
The more I learn about rancid fats and human health the more I realize that it's exceptionally important to rotate your oil supply, as a little rancid is just a little too poisonous.
With these hints and facts in mind you can accurately plan your food storage and avoid wasting your hard earned money.