How long can you keep your EVOO?

The expiration date for Extra Virgin Olive Oil {EVOO} should always be calculated from the time of milling and not from the time of bottling. The sad reality is that sometimes for imported EVOO, it can be weeks and even months between the time of milling and the time of bottling. Producers always have the habit of putting the expiration date from the date of bottling, most likely because they don't know when the olive was produced. 

A high-end EVOO producer like Chateau de Luz will always have the harvest and the mill dates available on the label or the website. { ... To be in the Ultra Premium grade, the olives have to be milled within 24 hours of harvest ... }. The expiration date will then be determined according to the milling date.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil's longevity depends on the amount of Polyphenols present when extracted as well as how it have been stored since it's been milled 

Ultra Premium EVOO have the highest level of Polyphenols which are antioxidants, which make them have the longest shelf life, provided it is stored in cool and dark place. Optimal range being 60-72 ° F {15 - 22 °C). Olive oil of lesser quality needs to be consumed within 1 year of milling. 

Traditionally in Provence, it wouldn't be rare that one year we had a big harvest and the next year a smaller one, so we always kept and use the olive oil from the previous year. The new olive oil would be more peppery while the older one would be softer to the taste bud, but both would be equally cherished.

Photography: Sharisse Rowan Photography