Unlike most wines, EVOO does NOT improve with age and should be used as fresh as possible.
The enemies of EVOO are light, heat and air. EVOO should always be stored in a cool, dry, dark location AWAY from the heat of your stove and sunlight. A dark, cool pantry that is not next to your stove or oven will work just fine; sitting out on your countertop next to the sunny, kitchen window is a terrible spot and your olive oil will deteriorate rapidly. Once opened, continue to store the unused portion properly. If buying in bulk, consider keeping a small bottle at hand for everyday use and the rest of the oil stored away properly. At Belle Farms, we store our oil in bulk and bottle as needed. Our oil is then sold in dark glass bottles to help further protect the oil from sunlight.