Why Refrigeration for Flaxseed Oil Isn’t Absolutely Essential

Q: Should Flaxseed Oil Be Refrigerated?

A: Treat Flaxseed Oil as a Fresh Food

We believe we produce one of the finest cold-pressed flaxseed oils in the UK. (Flaxseed is also known as linseed.) Our oil is gently cold-pressed from carefully selected seed, bottled immediately and dispatched within a few days of pressing. It is intended to be enjoyed as a fresh food, not stored for months on end.

Freshness is far more important than refrigeration.

A Traditional Food

Flaxseed oil has been pressed on small-scale presses for centuries for both food and therapeutic use. Like many fresh foods, it is best produced in small batches and consumed while fresh, rather than manufactured in large quantities and stored for long periods.

Freshly Pressed Is Better Than Long Storage

Large-scale commercial production often uses higher temperatures, higher pressures and more processing. Flaxseed oil does not respond well to this treatment. Oxidation can begin during manufacture, causing bitterness and the gradual development of rancidity.

Refrigeration slows this process, but it cannot restore freshness once the oil has already deteriorated. Many mass-produced flaxseed oils are expected to remain on shop shelves for many months, sometimes even years. Cooling simply slows further deterioration.

Our approach is different. We press only as required, bottle immediately and recommend using the oil while it is still at its freshest.

Fresh Seed, Fresh Oil

Quality starts with the seed. We carefully select varieties that naturally produce a mild, pleasant-tasting oil. We recommend using the oil within about 2½ months of opening, or within four months of pressing.

Taste is the best guide to freshness. Good flaxseed oil should taste mild, creamy, nutty and slightly grassy, with no bitterness or rancid buttery flavours. It should never smell strong or unpleasant.

Flaxseed Oil Is Different from Milk

Milk spoils because microorganisms multiply. Flaxseed oil deteriorates in a completely different way – by oxidation of its delicate omega-3 fatty acids.

Cooling slows oxidation slightly, but a bottle of freshly pressed flaxseed oil kept at normal room temperature for a few days during delivery loses very little of its freshness. The difference between room temperature and refrigeration simply isn’t great enough to have a significant effect over such a short period.

This is worth remembering because flaxseed oil was valued as a health food for centuries before domestic refrigeration existed.

Protect It from Light

While properly produced flaxseed oil is more heat-stable than many people imagine, it is extremely sensitive to ultraviolet light.

Strong sunlight can damage the oil surprisingly quickly, so always store it away from direct light. A dark cupboard is far better than a sunny windowsill.

The Fridge Is Still the Best Place

Although refrigeration is not absolutely essential for freshly pressed flaxseed oil that will be used promptly, it is still the best place to store it once it arrives.

Keeping the bottle in the refrigerator, or even the freezer, helps preserve its optimum freshness for longer. (Don’t worry – the bottle won’t crack. Unlike water, oil does not expand significantly when frozen.)

Treat flaxseed oil as you would any other fresh food: buy it fresh, store it sensibly, protect it from light and enjoy it while it is at its best.