Why Storing Fats and Oils
Long Term is Difficult and
Why We Need Them

At the top of the list for many reasons, is coconut oil. As it turns out, coconut oil is a great option for cooking due to its high smoking point (350°F for unrefined and 450°F for refined).  This means that you can sauté and bake with coconut oil and not worry about it turning into a trans-fat.  Plus, coconut oil is very stable.  It has more than a two-year shelf life and won’t become rancid, even in warm temperatures. (This is one of my favorite brands.)

There appears to be strong evidence that coconuts are an anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory food. Plus, the research behind its heart and weight benefits seems well founded.  In addition to a whole host of amino acids, coconut is also a great source of the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese, as well as vitamin C and riboflavin (vitamin B2). 

Shelf Life of Coconut Oil

As mentioned above, coconut oil has more than a two-years shelf life, but because of its stability, if unopened, it will last much longer (if you can keep it around - we use a LOT of it).

Palm Oil

Palm oil is very close to coconut oil, but there are two types: palm fruit oil and palm kernel oil. Palm fruit oil is approximately 50% saturated fat and 40% monounsaturated fat (oleic acid – the same type of fat in olive oil). The remaining 9-10% is polyunsaturated fat in the form of linoleic acid. This is a very low amount of these inflammatory types of fat, which is excellent.

Palm kernel oil is derived from the hard and innermost, nutlike core of the palm fruit. It contains 82% saturated fat, much higher than regular palm oil.

The remainder is about 15% monounsaturated fat and only 2% polyunsaturated fats. Both of these amounts are significantly lower than palm oil.

Palm kernel oil is healthier than regular palm oil for two reasons: It's a closer match to coconut oil and it contains lauric acid, like coconut oil, with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. (source)

Shelf Life of Palm Oil

Palm oil has almost identical properties as coconut oil: high smoking point, won't become rancid, and has a 2+ year shelf life (most likely longer if properly stored).

Olive Oil

Olive oil will not form trans-fats. However, high heat cooking with olive oil will produce some free radicals. It is also not a good oil to use for baking. If used for frying or sauteing on a fairly low temperature, it is a good oil to use. A much better use of this nutrient-rich, extra virgin olive oil is to use it in salad dressings.

Shelf Life of Olive Oil:

Light and heat degrade olive oil fairly quickly. A study showed that two months of too much light degraded extra virgin olive oil enough that it couldn't be classified as extra virgin. Olive oil is not the best for long term storage.

Butter and Ghee

Butter is one of the healthiest and most affordable fats to use for cooking – use grass fed and use it often! It contains no protein, fiber, carbs, or trans-fats, but plenty of nutrients. it provides the body much-needed fuel and helps with blood sugar stability.

Shelf Life of Butter and Ghee

Both butter and ghee must be kept in the refrigerator (or the freezer) for long term storage. However, butter can be purchased in cans, or can be canned at home to preserve it for long term — about 1- 5 years. I have stocked up on Red Feather Canned Butter from New Zealand, which comes from grass-fed cows; there are no added ingredients — just golden rich butter. I was skeptical at first, but after trying a can, we're sold. It's a little pricey but worth it to me because of the excellent quality and longer shelf life.

Lard

Several years ago when "fat" was a supposed enemy of nutrition, lard and tallow were considered absolute no-no fats. Since science and nutrition have now caught up to the health benefits of both, they are more available and information on what to look for in healthy fats can be found easily.

Lard is rendered from pig fat, specifically the fat around the kidneys and loin. This lard is called "leaf" lard and is the most highly prized (by chefs and bakers in particular) and pricey. And not all lard is the same. Be sure and read labels before buying it just anywhere. Specifically, pay attention to the amount of trans-fats. A non-GMO, unprocessed commercially rendered lard should not contain trans-fats.

Shelf Life of Lard:

Traditionally rendered and properly stored lard can still avoid spoilage for extended periods of time with simple refrigeration; which means it is not a long term storage item without refrigeration.

Tallow

Like lard from well fed pigs, tallow is not just any old beef fat.

Shelf Life of Tallow:

Tallow is solid at room temperature and keeps well in the pantry. Rendered beef tallow will keep many months – even years – in the refrigerator.

Specialty Fats and Oils

Fats and oils come in so many varieties — some of which are very healthy but are not very shelf-stable, and others that are healthy but not as well known.

Nut oils such as peanut, almond, walnut, and macadamia oils give a rich flavor to salad dressings but are not especially good for cooking and are too fragile to store long term.

Seed oils such as flax, sesame, sunflower, and avocado have an even shorter shelf life and must be refrigerated.

Some very tasty and healthy fats for cooking and similar to tallow and lard, are duck and goose fat. Tallow and lard can be rendered at home but since most of us don't usually eat duck or goose, these fats can be purchased.