How Long Does Sesame Oil Last? Find Your In-dept Answer Here!
Sesame oil is a popular ingredient in many cuisines. It is particularly used in Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes.
Extracted from sesame seeds, you can already imagine how sesame oil tastes like – yes, it’s very similar to eating sesame seeds (without the crunch, of course).
Since sesame oil is a type of vegetable oil, their tastes are very similar – quite nutty in smell and taste. So, if you are not that good in tasting oil, you might find it hard to distinguish vegetable-type oils.
In this article, you will learn about sesame oil (in general). I am telling you right now that it’s a very good type of oil. However, once it goes bad and becomes rancid, it can be very dangerous to your health.
How long does sesame oil last? You will know the answer to that question (and much more) in this post, so keep on reading.
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How Long Sesame Oil Lasts
Generally, sesame oil will stay in good condition for 4 to 8 months. This will depend on many conditions such as storage and exposure to heat.
If left in the pantry, a sealed container of sesame oil will last for many many months (less than a year). However, if the container is already open, its life will shorten dramatically (about half the original lifespan of a sealed container).
Sesame Oil
Should you decide to keep sesame oil in the refrigerator, its life will be extended for a long time. In fact, if kept sealed, it can last for up to 2 years in the fridge. And again, if the container is already open, its overall lifetime will be reduced.
So, you see, storage really plays a very important role in making sesame oil last longer.
Storing Sesame Oil Properly
Keep the points I listed below in mind when storing sesame oil.
Shelf Life of Sesame Oil
Like I said, the shelf life of sesame oil will depend on a lot of factors. If your goal is to extend its life while making sure that it’s safe for consumption, keep the following things in mind when dealing with sesame oil.
Sesame Oil
How to Tell if Sesame Oil is Bad
Using spoiled sesame oil will ruin your dish and also affect your health. No, we don’t want to use sesame oil if it has already gone bad. With that in mind, remember these things:
Sesame Oil Recipe
Benefits of Using Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is a good choice oil when preparing food. Just so you know, I have listed the benefits of using this type of oil below.
- Healthy and nutritious – Because of the health benefits of sesame oil, it’s widely used as:
- Anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties – Sesame oil helps prevent microbial issues and inflammatory diseases.
- High in vitamins and minerals – Sesame oil is particularly rich in B vitamins, it is also high in calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, etc.
Notes:
Uses of Sesame Oil
While you already know that sesame oil is a good ingredient in cooking, it has other uses and benefits. Look at some of its other uses below.
Tips to Using Sesame Oil
Sesame Oil
Sesame Oil Recipes
Just to inspire you to make recipes that use sesame oil, I picked out a few easy-to-make dishes for you.
Sesame Oil Chicken
This dish is a very simple recipe. It makes use of the following ingredients:
- Chicken
- Sesame oil
- Ginger
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Wine
- Water
- Caramel sauce
- White pepper
The recipe basically calls for sautéing the pieces of chicken in sesame oil and adding sauce to it. You can pair this dish with rice or bread.
Sesame Noodles
This recipe is an Asian pasta dish. It’s very simple to prepare and all you need are the following ingredients:
- Noodles
- Sesame oil
- Vegetable oil
- Garlic
- Soy sauce
- Sugar
- Rice vinegar
This pasta dish is almost a no-cook recipe as all you really need to cook is the noodles. For the sauce, you just need to combine the other ingredients in a bowl and pour it over the cooked noodles.
Cucumber Garlic Salad
Sesame oil is a popular salad dressing (next to olive oil, that is). If you want to use this type of oil in your fresh salad, know that it only requires the following ingredients:
- Cucumber
- Garlic
- Sesame oil
- White wine
- Soy sauce
- Pepper
In his recipe, you need to cut the cucumber into bite-sized cubes. The rest of the ingredients will then be used as the dressing – just mix it up and pour over the cucumber. This refreshing salad makes for a fine side dish. You can also make a variation of it by using more ingredients. Having a mandoline slicer (Amazon) will help you slice more vegetables for your salad.
Sesame Oil is Good for You
Let’s play it safe when consuming food (in this case, sesame oil) and only use them when their quality is good. I have already provided you with a guide on how to prolong the life of this type of oil (mainly through proper storage) and how to tell if it has already gone bad.
Keep in mind that the Best by date only serves as your guide. The ultimate test to whether sesame oil is still good and safe for consumption is if its taste, color, and smell are still the same (or just slightly different) when you first bought it.
Sesame Oil
To really play it safe, I would suggest using an unopened container of sesame oil within a year of buying it. And if it’s already opened, try to use everything up in about a month’s time (or put it in the refrigerator). Therefore, I advise against stocking up on too many containers of sesame oil if you seldom use it anyway.
As with other types of food, throw away sesame oil if it has already gone bad. It’s not that expensive, to begin with – and your health is way more important. Always remember that.
So, hey, did you find this post useful? If so, do share it with your friends. And if you want to leave me a message, the comment box is all yours (I love long messages, by the way).
