If you accidentally put olive oil in the fridge, it will change the olive oil to crystals, and finally, it will solidify. However, this will not change the quality of the olive oil, and it will come to liquid form once kept at room temperature.
What happens when we accidentally put olive oil in the fridge?
If by chance you put your olive oil in the fridge, don’t panic. It will not harm the olive oil rather refrigeration helps in increasing the shelf life of the oils. Cold temperatures will change the consistency of the Olive oil to buttery and then it will solidify.
You can bring it back to its original form by keeping it at room temperature or by dethawing it in the sink filled with warm water.
How does olive oil in the fridge solidify?
It is a normal process where you can start seeing small white balls with a decrease in temperature. This process does not change the quality of olive oil.
The range of temperatures for freezing is different for different fatty acids present in olive oil. This ranges from 2° celsius to 0°. For example, stearic acid solidifies at 23°, palmitic acid at 18°, Oleic acid at 5.5°, and linoleic at -2.3°. As the temperature starts decreasing, olive oil starts to convert into crystals or small balls.
Does refrigeration change the olive oil?
As we know, refrigeration solidifies olive oil. It can change the texture or form of the olive oil, but it does not change the quality of the olive oil. On the contrary, it increases the shelf life of olive oil.
When you remove the olive oil from the fridge and keep it at room temperature, it will come back to its natural liquid form. Keeping olive oil in the refrigerator increases the shelf life of oils.
But removing it from the fridge and bringing it back to liquid for everyday use can degrade the olive, and it does not help increase shelf life. If you want to store Olive oil in the fridge, you can store it in a wide-mouthed container, making it easy to spoon out the required amount to use.
How to dethaw olive oil in cold temperature?
In warm temperatures, live oil comes back to its original liquid state at room temperatures. However, it becomes a bit difficult in a cold climate. If you are experiencing difficulty bringing back oil to its original consistency, fill the sink with warm water and keep the bottle in the sink until the oil becomes liquid.
Accidentally putting olive oil in the fridge helps in increasing the shelf life of the oil, but it is not required. Olive oil can be stored without refrigeration.
How to store Olive oil
1.Store in a glass container: Store olive oil in dark glass bottles or steel containers. Dark glass bottles save it from direct light.
2. Keep away from heat: Never keep your olive oil near a gas stove or oven. Heat can damage the oil.
3. Store in small containers: If you buy olive oil in large quantities, store it in small glass bottles to save it from coming in contact with air while using.
4. Store in a dark pantry: Best place to store Olive oil is a dark pantry or cupboard. A dark pantry helps in keeping olive oil away from light, sunlight, and heat.
