Extra virgin olive oil does not improve with age: it is a juice, and like any juice it slowly fades. With a few simple habits it keeps perfectly until its best-before date.

• Away from light. Keep it in a closed cupboard, not on the counter by the window. That's why so many families buy tins: they let no light through.
• Away from heat. Never next to the hob or the oven. A cool place without sudden temperature changes is ideal.
• Tightly closed. Air oxidises it. Close the bottle after each use.
• A small cruet. If you buy a 5 litre bottle or tin, fill a small cruet for daily use and keep the rest sealed.
• Don't top up old oil. Wash and dry the cruet before refilling it, so the new oil doesn't mix with old leftovers.

Does it turn cloudy in the cold? That's normal: some components of olive oil solidify below about 10 °C. It clears again as it warms up and loses none of its quality.

See the oil in the shop