There are two types of sunflower oil: refined and unrefined. Each is used in its own way: deodorized is more suitable for frying, unrefined is used in salads because it has a rich taste and unique aroma.
The methods for producing oils differ. Resistance to oxidative processes, and therefore shelf life, depends on the degree of purification. Refined oil is less capricious to conditions. Fragrant things are afraid of light and spoil faster. Each variety has its own nuances, knowing which you can store sunflower oil for a long time without fear that it will go rancid.
How to choose the right oil for long-term storage
The raw oil is aromatic and rich. Hardens at temperatures from -15 to -20 degrees. Unrefined is obtained either through cold pressing (pressing) or by industrial extraction. It is chosen for preparing salads and cold appetizers.
When producing purified oil, all unstable compounds that can oxidize when interacting with air and precipitate are removed from it. When cleaning, vitamins and substances responsible for color and aroma are removed. Refined oil is used for hot dishes.
Pay attention to the types of sunflower oil. The first and highest - do not taste bitter, have no sediment, the smell is clean, fresh. In the second grade, bitterness and impurities may appear.
Deodorized and frozen oils have the highest degree of purification.
Yes:
- take bright yellow products;
- no additives, otherwise storage will be worse;
- check for sediment.
No:
- oil standing in the light could spoil;
- choose too light;
- take the product at the end of its expiration date.
If the oil quickly flows down the wall when tilted, it may be diluted.
Which oil do you like best?
RefinedUnrefined
How to tell if the oil has gone bad
Like any vegetable product, sunflower oil can go bad. This happens infrequently, but you need to be able to identify signs that the product has become unfit to eat.
Unrefined sunflower oil usually has a darker shade. Sediment may appear at the bottom of the container.
The following symptoms most often appear in spoiled unrefined oil:
- sediment at the bottom of the container or cloudiness;
- bitter or, as they say, rancid;
- unpleasant smell.
Important!
Light sediment and netting cannot accurately indicate that the product is spoiled. GOST R 52465-2005 allows for slight turbidity in unrefined and refined oil. It is necessary to pay attention to other signs: date of manufacture, whether the original packaging has been damaged, and in what conditions the product was stored.
Read the publication about palm oil But it is better to control refined oil by the shelf life on the packaging, since obvious visual signs of unsuitability of the product may not be noticed. If you are not sure of its freshness, then you should not use it.
Sunflower oil storage conditions
Observe the storage temperature of sunflower oil: if it is overcooled or overheated, it becomes unstable. With frequent changes, the oil can deteriorate, become rancid and cause poisoning if consumed.
- Optimum temperature +7…18°C.
Organize storage in a closet or other dark place. After use, remove the bottle so that the oil is exposed to light as little as possible. An expired product is unsuitable for food and is hazardous to health. Unlike products such as red caviar in sealed packaging, butter can go without refrigeration.
It is not recommended to store an open container for more than a month; beneficial vitamins and substances disappear.
Can:
- do not pour from purchased packaging;
- glass darkened bottle;
- lack of light.
It is forbidden:
- metal containers;
- reuse after deep frying;
- allow water to enter.
Sunflower oil should be stored in a cool, dark place at a temperature of 5-18 degrees. Optimal: closet, closed balcony. It is advisable to pour from a plastic bottle into glass.
Small print
Before, I had never thought about how to properly store sunflower oil. I placed it on the table near the stove. When I cooked something, I simply reached out and poured it into the pan. In general, no problems. To be fair, the picture was exactly the same for my friends. Everyone I knew kept a bottle on the table or, at most, in the kitchen cabinet within arm's reach of the stove.
And then one day I was inspired to read the information on the label. And there in small print it says:
After opening, store in the refrigerator.
Shelf life
Deadlines vary for different types.
Refined:
- An unopened bottle can be stored for 2 years in a dark room, temperature up to 16-18 degrees.
- Opened packaging is stored for 14 days, temperatures up to 20 degrees are allowed. At temperatures up to 15 degrees it will last a month.
- The opened container can be placed in the refrigerator; carefully close the cap. The product will last for a month.
- In the freezer, the oil will not spoil for about a year while preserving its vitamins.
Unrefined:
- Cold pressed oil is good for 3-4 months if the packaging is sealed.
- Hot pressing will preserve the quality and vitamins for up to 10 months.
- An open bottle can be kept in the refrigerator for a month. Close the lid tightly.
- Place portions into small containers inside the freezer and store for 1 year. When defrosted, it will retain beneficial vitamins. It may thicken.
Opened packaging of any kind cannot be stored for longer than two months.
Best before date
The expiration date of sunflower oil must be indicated on the label and you should definitely pay attention to it when purchasing.
If stored properly, the shelf life of unrefined oil is 4 months, and that of refined oil is 6 months.
If the expiration date on the container is longer, it means the product contains preservatives. Choosing a product with a long shelf life is advisable if you are buying a supply for times when you cannot replenish it.
Please note that once the bottle is opened, the product must be used within one month. It is this fact that housewives often do not pay attention to.
If you do not need large volumes, there is no point in buying a product in large containers, there are various volume options on sale, you can always choose the one you need according to your needs and use only fresh product for food.
How to store sunflower oil
For judicious use, it is recommended to buy oil in small quantities. This advice applies primarily to the unrefined product, since it is used more slowly but spoils faster. There are general rules that must be followed for all types:
Can:
- store unopened plastic containers;
- pour into a glass bottle;
- place on the shelf of a closed cabinet/balcony.
It is forbidden:
- store near the stove/battery;
- place next to spices/fish/other strong-smelling foods;
- keep in the sun.
Storing oil in the closet and on the balcony
Refined
Refined oil is more stable and stores better than other oils. Due to the lack of taste and aroma, it is universal. Used for preparing hot dishes, dressings, canned food. Refined coconut oil also stores better.
Pros:
- has no foreign odor;
- high shelf life;
- no sediment.
Minuses:
- few nutrients;
- may contain a higher percentage of fat.
Do not buy a refined product that shows obvious signs of exposure to direct sunlight.
Unrefined
It has an active smell and taste - used for salads, cold appetizers, and vegetarian dishes.
Pros:
- lower oil consumption;
- fragrant, healthy.
Minuses:
- spoils quickly - the maximum effective period is one and a half months;
- you need to buy small containers.
Pay attention not only to the production date, but also to the bottling date. If you exceed four months from the date of bottling, you should not purchase the product.
Store exclusively in a dark place: closed cabinet/cellar/pantry. It is better to immediately pour this type of oil into a dark glass vessel with a narrow neck.
Raw sunflower oil should not be used if bitterness and sediment appear.
It is allowed to use an expired product for purposes other than its intended purpose - softening, moisturizing the skin of the hands/face, hair care. Apply it to your skin or mix it with cream. Can also be applied to eyelashes or rubbed onto cuticles. Not suitable for food!
How to store an opened bottle
An opened package of refined, deodorized oil can be stored for a maximum of two months. Subsequently, oxygen oxidizes the product, destroying useful microelements. Such oil can cause significant harm to health, including the occurrence of cancer.
Unrefined wine cannot be stored in an opened bottle for longer than 14 days. Therefore, it is recommended to buy small bottles and open them immediately before use. Olive oil should be purchased and stored in a small container.
Can it be stored in the refrigerator or freezer?
One-time freezing will not lead to a loss of quality, but will significantly increase the shelf life. After freezing, thickening and cloudiness are possible - this is not a sign of spoilage. When defrosted, the product will return to its original state. Frost retains beneficial properties.
The main advantage of refrigerated storage is that it extends the shelf life of opened packaging.
- Place plastic containers on the middle shelf of the refrigerator/inside the door.
- Check how tightly the lid is closed.
- Store until expiration date.
Do not place on the same shelf with strong-smelling foods, such as red salted fish, to avoid an unpleasant aftertaste. This is especially true for unrefined oil. Long-term freezing is unacceptable for it; its beneficial properties soon disappear and the product is only suitable for frying.
Oil classification
In all the variety that is offered to consumers today, you need to choose the right quality oil for different purposes:
- Raw-pressed or so-called first-pressed oil is “live” oil obtained from sunflower seeds, preheated to 50 °C. Then they are passed through a press, which causes the release of oil. The filtered liquid oily substance not only has a pleasant taste and aroma, but also retains a maximum of all valuable nutrients.
- Unrefined - differs from the previous one in additional mechanical cleaning, which, however, takes away some of the beneficial properties.
- Hydrating the oil removes some of its taste and smell and removes sediment.
- Refined is obtained through multi-stage purification, as a result of which all nutritional biochemical structures are eliminated. This applies to vitamins and minerals. But it is ideal for heat treatment.
- Frozen sunflower oil is also cleared of wax structures. This makes it almost colorless and maximally transparent.
Important! Each type of oil requires its own storage conditions.
When buying a bottle of oil, pay attention to the label. Here you will find all the necessary data to understand by what technological method a particular product was obtained.
It is very important to understand that each type of oil is used for its own purposes. So, raw and unrefined are ideal for use without heat treatment (they are added to salads or porridges). All others are suitable for frying, stewing, baking and other types of heat treatment. The absence of any substances other than pure fat does not allow the substance to smoke and smoke when heated.
How to tell if a product has gone bad
The main signs of spoilage, provided that the product has not previously been frozen:
- cloudiness;
- presence of flakes/sediment/thickening;
- bitter taste;
- unpleasant pungent odor;
- the appearance of foam when heated;
- darkening of color, spotting.
If you experience any of the symptoms described, do not use the oil; this will help avoid food poisoning. It can only be used for technical purposes.
