Storing Olive Oil and Spices to Prevent Rancidity
The two things you reach for most often are probably stored in the worst possible location. Learn why keeping oil and spices next to the stove is destroying their flavor.
The Convenience Trap
Walk into almost any home kitchen, and you will see the exact same setup: a beautiful bottle of extra virgin olive oil and a rack of expensive spices sitting proudly on the countertop, directly next to (or worse, on a shelf directly above) the stovetop. It is highly convenient to have them within arm's reach while cooking.
It is also the fastest way to completely destroy their flavor. By placing these delicate ingredients near the stove, you are subjecting them to the three things that degrade them fastest: extreme heat fluctuations, bright light, and humidity.
Protecting Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is effectively a fresh fruit juice. It is unrefined and packed with delicate, volatile flavor compounds.
- The Enemy: Heat and Light. When the stove is turned on, the radiant heat warms the oil in the bottle. When the stove is turned off, the oil cools. This constant cycling of heat drastically accelerates the oxidation of the oil, turning it rancid, bitter, and stripping away its grassy, peppery notes.
- The Dark Glass: This is why high-quality olive oil is always sold in dark green or brown glass bottles—to protect it from UV light degradation.
- The Solution: Never store olive oil next to the stove or on a sunny windowsill. Store it in a cool, completely dark cabinet. (Note: do not put it in the fridge, or the fats will solidify into a cloudy, unusable clump).
Protecting Spices
Spices derive their flavor entirely from highly volatile essential oils.
- The Enemy: Heat, Light, and Moisture. The heat from the stove evaporates the essential oils out of the spices, leaving behind tasteless colored dust. Furthermore, the steam boiling off pots of pasta or soup rises directly into the spice rack, clumping the powders and causing mold.
- The Solution: Spices must be stored in airtight containers (preferably opaque tins or dark glass) in a cool, dark drawer or cabinet far away from the stove and the dishwasher.
- The Golden Rule of Spices: Never shake a jar of spices directly over a steaming, boiling pot. The steam will shoot directly up into the jar, ruining the entire batch. Always shake the spice into your dry hand or a spoon first, then add it to the pot.
By sacrificing a tiny bit of convenience and moving your oil and spices into a dark cabinet, you preserve the expensive flavors you paid for.