# Shelf life of castor oil?



## lenarenee (Jul 30, 2015)

I bought a gallon of it as I thought it lasted 2 years after opening, another source says 1 year. How do I take care of it? Vitamin E? ROE? Both? Start making massive amounts of soap and hand out bars to every human body I come across??


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## SoapSap (Jul 30, 2015)

I would transfer it to 16oz. bottles/jars and refrigerate it. Or, maybe even freeze it. I have frozen other oils and have had no problem with it whatsoever.


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## lsg (Jul 30, 2015)

Refrigeration is a good idea.  I add Vit E to all of my oils when I first open them.


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## IrishLass (Jul 30, 2015)

Goodness, I have some castor about 3 or 4 years old and it's perfectly fine (doesn't smell bad or look bad and the viscosity has not changed). I store it at room temp in my closet. Never added any ROE or vitamin E to it either. 

Does your smell bad? That would be my first indicator that it has gone off. 


IrishLass


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## lenarenee (Jul 30, 2015)

No, the castor is brand new.  I bought a gallon because the price was so much better than buying a pint as an add on item from Amazon, and I always use castor in my recipe.  I thought it had a 2 yr shelf life, but guess it's only one.  Can't hurt to separate into smaller bottles and refrigerate it I suppose.

I also got a bucket of co....more than a gallon. I'm just a hobbyist,  so there's something intimidating about staring at these huge containers of oils sitting on the shelf.....more than the 50lb boxes of lard and tallow I got because I use them at more than 50%!


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## Dahila (Jul 30, 2015)

I freeze a lot of my oils and they are the same as before freezing


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