Does Avocado Oil Go Bad? Signs To Recognize The Expiration

Like other fruit and vegetable lipids, the buttery liquid extracted from alligator-pear is widely used in daily cooking methods thanks to its health benefits. However, does avocado oil go bad, and how to know when it expires?

This article will equip you with a comprehensive understanding of this product, including how to tell if it is spoiled or not and how to prolong its durability.

There are also suggestions to prevent wasting the expired liquid below for you to take into account.

Avocado Oil Review

Production

Can avocado oil go bad? Before getting the answer, it is necessary to have a basic understanding of this product.

Avocado oil with a buttery taste is popular in cooking recipes and is highly formulated with monounsaturated fats.

These elements help reduce the level of cholesterol and degrade blood pressure.

Besides, there is lutein with numerous benefits contained in this liquid that improves your eyesight and prevents the related illness of this body part.

In short, avocado oil is manufactured by extracting the fruit. The alligator-pear has the flavor of butter and is beneficial for your healthcare and beauty care.

Categories

The first way to tell this product apart is based on the extraction process. There are two types of avocado oil: expeller-pressed and cold-pressed.

• Expeller pressed type is extracted by using solvents like hexane. It is less rich in fat and healthier than the other type. This processing method can filter the toxic compounds in the fruit.
• The alligator-pear is processed without chemicals or heat to make the cold-pressed oil. Thus, the essential nutrient, color, and avocado flavor are retained the most in this type.

According to the differences in appearance and elements, people can separate this product into unrefined and refined avocado oil.

• The refined oil is more expensive as, after being pressed, the seeds and impurities in the texture are removed.
• The unrefined oil only has the seeds and pulp removed.

Does Avocado Oil Go Bad?

Yes, most of the edible products, including avocado oil, will expire. Light exposure, high temperatures, and oxygen contact affect the vegetable oil made from this fruit.

When it reaches the avocado oil expiration, the nutritional advantages and properties of this product will disappear.

Once the oil comes into contact with the air, chemical reactions occur and impair its content, flavor, and aroma. Oxidation can make the oil rancid.

How Long Does Avocado Oil Last?

In general, the unopened bottle lasts from 9 to 12 months if it is stored in the pantry and around one year if it is frozen.

Once you open the bottle and let it stay at room temperature, it is safe to use for 6 to 8 months. Meanwhile, the opened avocado oil shelf life when stored in the fridge reaches about 8 months.

When you put the product in the freezer, its texture will become solid. Thus, the tips to turn it back to the normal condition are placing it at room temperature for some minutes or hours.

Also, you can dip the frozen bottle in warm water for faster defrosting.

However, it is advised to have a regular check on this product by recognizing the changes in look or sniffing.

How To Tell If My Avocado Oil Has Gone Bad?

There are some typical signs of expiration for you to take into account.

The Look

The usual color of good alligator-pear oil is light green to transparent. Once it turns darker or has a strange appearance compared to the original on the packaging, the product has been spoiled.

Why is my avocado oil cloudy? Don’t worry. The texture and look of this product are modified when you keep it in a fridge. You can put it at room temperature or heat it a little before use.

The Smell

As mentioned before, you can check the product’s condition by sniffing.

What does avocado oil smell like? The unrefined type smells light buttery, while the refined type is odorless. Thus, it has expired when you recognize your liquid has the same smell as vegetable lipid.

Moreover, the smell of chemicals like sour or acetone means you have to throw it away and find some avocado oil substitutes instead.

These scents tend to happen more in unrefined varieties as they can easily become rancid. At the same time, the refined ones require more complicated checks.

The Taste

The product has been spoiled in some cases, but there are no signs of unusual appearance or smell.

Thus, have a taste test instead when you can not determine the expiration by smell. If the texture tastes like chemicals and turns sour or off-taste, it is expired avocado oil.

Off-taste is more significant in the unrefined product as they are high in fatty acids.

The Packaging

The packaging has a great effect on the shelf life of avocado oil. Theoretically, if there is heat or light exposure, the product will catch unexpected oxidation reactions and go spoiled.

Thus, it is recommended to purchase alligator-pear oil, especially the extra virgin or unrefined varieties, with opaque packaging like dark bottles rather than the transparent ones.

What Happens If You Keep Using Spoiled Avocado Oil?

In fact, the quality of avocado oil degrades gradually, and it can expire unexpectedly. Degrading is an ongoing process, and the due date printed on the packaging is considered a rough estimate.

The product can go bad before or even after the printed date due to some factors such as storage.

For instance, a bottle of avocado oil can have a chemical-like smell akin to the old paint some weeks before the expiration date.

In some cases, it still looks good and has a normal scent and pleasant flavor when the due date has passed.

Once you realize that the opened liquid has expired based on the mentioned signs, you had better stop using it in your recipes to prevent the health risks.

Not to mention the unpleasant odor, the spoiled product also loses its nutritional content and has toxins that can damage cells in your body and pose a threat to serious health issues such as cancer and diabetes.

What To Do With Expired Avocado Oil?

Surprisingly, you can take advantage of the expired avocado oil. Follow these tips to save your investment:

• Apply to iron or steel tools. If you have devices or tools made from steel or iron, people can use the expired oil to rub on their surface. The greasy coating improves their lubrication and prevents rust as well.
• Use as a substitute for lamp oil. Although the effectiveness offered can not be as good as the original lamp liquid, the expired product can still provide an amount similar to the light from a candle. It is such a saving for you.
• Use as a polish for your home furniture. When you combine the vinegar and the expired liquid at the ratio of 1:1, the final texture becomes an ideal substance. It is useful for reviving the wood furniture that has been old or scratched.

The texture also works on another material – leather. It provides a protective coating for your sofas, purses, and shoes and makes them softer.

FAQs

Should Avocado Oil Be Refrigerated?

Actually, you can keep the product in the fridge; however, it is not necessary. There are unsaturated fats contained in the alligator-pear, which slows down the process of oxidation.

You should keep the liquid in the dark cabinet at room temperature and out of direct sunlight.

Meanwhile, if you still want to put the lipid in the fridge, the ideal temperature should be between 35 and 37F.

Make sure the container is airtight. As mentioned before, the refrigerated product is cloudy and solid.

How Can I Store Opened Avocado Oil?

How to store avocado oil? Any type of avocado oil, including the opened one, can be stored in a cabinet or a pantry, which is dark and cool.

When you purchase a large bottle and just consume a small amount, you can secure the lid and put the leftover avocado oil at room temperature or in the fridge.

The third method is freezing it in ice cube trays. Thanks to this, you can take a separately small amount of the product for each use.

Conclusion

In conclusion, does avocado oil go bad?– Yes.

However, you can follow the tips and advice from this writing to have relevant storage for this product. Having proper maintenance will guarantee the condition and improve the shelf life of the lipid.

Normally, you can flexibly use this beneficial buttery flavor liquid in both cooked recipes and raw salads.

Yet, it also poses a harmful effect on your health when turning spoiled. Remember to have a careful check before consuming.