Olive Oil: Fresh and Local is Best

Unlike certain wines, olive oil most definitely does not get better with age, and in fact loses many of its nutrients over time. The best olive oils to consume are those which are fresh (and made with organic/non-GMO olives, of course).

There was a story on NPR back in September about this which I've been sharing with all my friends and family. One of the things it mentions is that it's best to buy olive oil that's sourced closer to where you live:

By the time imported olive oil reaches us, it has often been shipped from place to place and sometimes not stored well. Even if it's not noticeably rancid, many of the heart-healthy compounds have degraded and fizzled (Read More)

It might be helpful to think of olive oil like juice, since that's basically what it is. As with juice, the fresher the better.

Along those lines, you should also avoid keeping olive oil for a long time. Buy smaller bottles and use it faster:

As soon as you open the bottle and expose the oil to oxygen and light, it will slowly start to degrade (Read More)

Read the whole story or listen to the audio as it was originally broadcast on NPR here:

To Get The Benefits Of Olive Oil, Fresh May Be Best by Allison Aubrey on NPR.org