How do you store canola oil?
It’s so bland. Can it go bad?
How am I meant to tell if my canola oil has gone bad?
If you have questions about how to tell if canola oil has gone bad, how to store canola oil, and how long canola oil lasts, then you’ve come to the right place.
Plus, we’ll even give you a rundown on what canola oil is and how it’s made.
Want the answers now?
Like other oils, canola oil doesn’t go bad in a way that it’s unsafe to eat, however, it can go rancid. Though rancid oil isn’t dangerous to consume, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s nice to eat.
Your unopened canola oil can last up to a year after the date on the bottle if stored correctly in an airtight container in a dark, cool area of the house. If your canola oil has been opened, expect it to last for 2-3 months before it starts smelling bad.
What Is Canola Oil?
Canola oil is only one of the various cooking oils out there. It’s made at a processing facility, where the Canola seed is crushed, then slightly heated. The extracted oil is refined by various methods, such as steam distillation.
Canola oil is commonly known as a healthy oil due to its very low percentage of saturated fat (7%). Similar to olive oil, canola oil is high in monounsaturated fat (63%). Monounsaturated fat is a type of dietary fat; they’re liquid at room temperature but hardened when chilled.
Canola oil can be used in various cooking methods, such as: sautéing, stir-frying, grilling, and baking. It can also be used in salad dressings, sauces, and marinades.
How To Tell If Your Canola Oil Has Gone Bad
Though it’s incredibly unlikely that mold will grow on your canola oil, spoilage will happen after a while, even if you’ve stored it correctly.
The main sign that canola has gone bad is the smell. Canola Oil’s smell is often hard to catch, but when it’s heated, it can smell a little fishy. However, if your canola oil smells off with an unpleasant odor or even you can spy the slightest bit of rancidity, you know it’s time to bin it.
You might be wondering: what’s that white stuff in my canola oil?
Don’t worry, this cloudy matter isn’t harmful. If you’re refrigerating your canola oil, then cloudiness will occur. The consistency should return to normal once you’ve warmed up the oil to room temperature.
How To Store Canola Oil
Storing canola oil is simple to do. This ingredient should be stored in a cool dark place in a tightly sealed container. It’s important that the oil has minimal contact with light, heat, or oxygen, as this can slow the oxidation process. Storing canola oil on a sunlit mantlepiece or next to the stove or oven is not recommended.
If you don’t have a good place or enough room to store the oil at or slightly below room temperature, you can keep it in the fridge. But please do note: your canola oil will become cloudy (though only temporarily).
Now: remember to always use clean utensils when grabbing a bit of canola oil.
Any Substitutes For Canola Oil?
So… you’ve realized that your Canola Oil has gone off, and you’re making a salad tonight. Lucky for you, there are lots and lots of great substitutes for canola oil that you might just have lying at the back of your kitchen cabinet.
This includes:
- Olive Oil
- Sunflower Oil
- Safflower Oil
- Peanut Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Avocado Oil
Beware: there are two types of olive oil. Extra Virgin and Virgin Olive Oil. Extra Virgin is made from the first press of fruit and is a greenish color, whereas Virgin Oil comes from the second press and is a lot blander.
Does Canola Oil Really Go Off?
The bad news is: yes, canola certainly does go rancid, meaning it won’t have an enjoyable taste to consume.
The good news is: canola oil doesn’t really go off in terms of whether it becomes unsafe to eat. It’s also really quick and easy to store, and there are methods to prevent it from going rancid.
This way, unopened canola oil can last up to 1 year after its sell-by date in your cool kitchen cabinet before it starts smelling bad.
