I like to put a little sesame seed oil in the sauces I make for Chinese food, but you generally only use a tiny amount. I buy the smallest bottle I can find, but it still goes all cloudy and thick after a few weeks, and I’ve only used a fraction of the bottle. Any way to prevent this? I understand that it’s supposed to come back to “normal” once it reaches room temp, but do I really have to take it out of the fridge hours before I use it?
There has to be a better way…
Just store it at room temperature like all other oils?
It lasts a good long time at room temp, so I wouldn’t sweat it.
So, you’re not supposed to refrigerate? I didn’t know that.
Do I need to refrigerate soy sauce?
Soy sauce is so salty that almost nothing can survive in it. I’ve never seen anyone refrigerate it. I’ve had a gallon of soy sauce last five years without it apparently going bad.
Well, there’s yer problem! You need to use it a LOT more!
I LOVE sesame oil! We generally buy it by the liter. Its great for frying, dressings, noodles, etc… A liter usually lasts me about 2 months. It comes in a metal tin. I store it a room temperature in the dark and it never goes bad.
In your case, if it is in a glass bottle, make sure its protected from the light. It’ll store well at room temp but light will oxidize it.
Hmm… methinks cold sesame noodles with vegetable stir fry for dinner tonight…
When in doubt, look at the label. Restaurants don’t usually refrigerate so it won’t go bad, but on the other hand the go through it fast. You will usually see something like “for best freshness, refrigerate,” meaning it preserves the taste best if you do, but it’s not strictly necessary.
Sesame oil has a longer shelf life than most oils. I takes a long time to go rancid, so there’s little reason to refrigerate it.
You should know that a lot of sesame oil is blended with other oils. It pays to look at the label carefully and buy only 100% pure sesame oil. It tastes better and lasts longer than blended sesame oil.
Bought some this AM, it isn’t going in the fridge, and the label says 100% Pure.
Boo-yah!!