storing oils?

[Jen74]

Can you store your oils in the fridge? I just wondered if this would help the shelf life last longer? I am just asking because I do not know if refridgerating the oil would change them somehow. I am still a little new to this and constantly learning...

 

[lsg]

I refrigerate some of my oils and even freeze coconut oil, palm oil and butters when buying in bulk.

 

[amd]

Same as lsg. I portion out my bulk oils and keep them in the freezer. To clarify, bulk oils to me is 50lb tallow and palm. I don't worry about my 44lb coconut oil bucket as I go through so much coconut oil (it gets used everything I make, whereas tallow and palm are only for soaps), same for shea and cocoa butter sitting out at room temp. Liquid oils I typically store at room temp, unless it's a specialty oil that I know I'm not going to use up quickly then it goes into the dedicated mini fridge.

ETA: some makers on the forum who don't sell, will add ROE (I think at .5% but a search on the forum will yield the correct answer) to their liquid oils as soon as they open them. ROE will help slow the oxidation process and extend the shelf life of the oil. It does not stop the process.

 

[Nelka]

I refrigerate some of my oils and even freeze coconut oil, palm oil and butters when buying in bulk.

Could you tell us which oils do you store in the fridge?
I just got few kg of shea butter, avocado oil, canola, sweet almond.
There is heat now in Amsterdam and I was wondering if I could put some oils to the fridge. I would appreciate your help

 

[Jen74]

Same as lsg. I portion out my bulk oils and keep them in the freezer. To clarify, bulk oils to me is 50lb tallow and palm. I don't worry about my 44lb coconut oil bucket as I go through so much coconut oil (it gets used everything I make, whereas tallow and palm are only for soaps), same for shea and cocoa butter sitting out at room temp. Liquid oils I typically store at room temp, unless it's a specialty oil that I know I'm not going to use up quickly then it goes into the dedicated mini fridge.

ETA: some makers on the forum who don't sell, will add ROE (I think at .5% but a search on the forum will yield the correct answer) to their liquid oils as soon as they open them. ROE will help slow the oxidation process and extend the shelf life of the oil. It does not stop the process.

I know someone mentioned using ROE to soap when making it to help prevent racidity. Where do you get ROE and does it have a scent? I am highly sensitive and make my soaps with No additives or scents at all. Also, How much do you add to the soap when making it?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

https://classicbells.com/soap/ROE.aspIn its pure form, it has an intense smell of rosemary, that is, however, only slightly noticeable when dissolved in oils (or at HP cooking), but absolutely nothing of the smell survives saponification. Dosage is ridiculously low (drops per kg oils/fats).
You get it at many cosmetic suppliers. I've got a 50 mL bottle that probably lasts for my whole life. I diluted it 1:10 for it to be measurable at all.

ETA: Btw, the ROE concentrate is the only soaping ingredient that I have put into the freezer. I store high-linoleic oils (poppy, flaxseed, paprika kernel, pumpkin, sesame) in the fridge, but I try to not have too many in house at a time. I store lauric oils (babaçu, palm kernel), high-oleic oils, and hard fats at room temperature.

 

[amd]

https://classicbells.com/soap/ROE.aspThis should answer all your questions.
As for where to get it, most soap suppliers will have it.
Scent, I'm remembering it having one, but I use it in my lip balms and can't smell it because it's used in very small amounts. Literally 0.5%.

ETA: bahaha Owl and I were posting at the same time...

 

[Jen74]

https://classicbells.com/soap/ROE.aspIn its pure form, it has an intense smell of rosemary, that is, however, only slightly noticeable when dissolved in oils (or at HP cooking), but absolutely nothing of the smell survives saponification. Dosage is ridiculously low (drops per kg oils/fats).
You get it at many cosmetic suppliers. I've got a 50 mL bottle that probably lasts for my whole life. I diluted it 1:10 for it to be measurable at all.

ETA: Btw, the ROE concentrate is the only soaping ingredient that I have put into the freezer. I store high-linoleic oils (poppy, flaxseed, paprika kernel, pumpkin, sesame) in the fridge, but I try to not have too many in house at a time. I store lauric oils (babaçu, palm kernel), high-oleic oils, and hard fats at room temperature.

I make small batches of soap ( 2lbs) . How much ROE would I add? I guess I would add it while the soap is cooking since I make HP or would I wait until it is done cooking?

 

[lsg]

Could you tell us which oils do you store in the fridge?
I just got few kg of shea butter, avocado oil, canola, sweet almond.
There is heat now in Amsterdam and I was wondering if I could put some oils to the fridge. I would appreciate your help

I store any expensive oils such as rosehip, meadow foam,etc. in the refrigerator. I also store my extracts for shampoo in the refrigerator. I store some of my butters, bulk jojoba oil, avocado oil and infused oils in the refrigerator. I freeze 7lb buckets of palm and coconut oils. and some of my bulk butters.

 

[KiwiMoose]

@lsg and @amd - you must have a mighty big freezer! We just have a two-drwaer freezer than is on the bottom half of the fridge. Between dog food, food leftovers, a few items that have been left in there to die (by the looks of them) and frozen aloe juice it's already full.

 

[lenarenee]

I’ve used roe, but stopped. As much as I love the scent, it did affect the smell of my soap and the fragrance oils I used didn’t cover it.

 

[earlene]

I add ROE to newly opened bottles of oil. It can also simply be added to the oils while mixing the soap. Follow the instructions either by the supplier or on DeeAnna's site at the link Owl posted above and repeated here (link).
Prices vary as do the cost of shipping, so take that into account when choosing a vendor.
Here are just a few suppliers where you can get ROE (click on the purple links)

ROE - 7% carnosic acid content from Lotion Crafter (shipping from Washington state)

ROE - 7% carsonic acid content from WSP (shipping from Ohio)

ROE - 5% - 7% (5% minimum) at MakeYourOwn (shipping from Arkansas)

ROE - 4.5% - 5.5% carsonic acid content at Camden Grey (shipping from Florida)

ROE - 5% carsonic acid content at Jedward's (shipping from Massachusetts)

 

[lsg]

@lsg and @amd - you must have a mighty big freezer! We just have a two-drwaer freezer than is on the bottom half of the fridge. Between dog food, food leftovers, a few items that have been left in there to die (by the looks of them) and frozen aloe juice it's already full.

I have an extra refrigerator in the basement along with two freezers. We live on a farm and produce our own meat so we need extra space.

 

[Quilter99755]

I have always tried to have a soaping binge session in the spring to get rid of most of my oils since they live in my garage most of the year. This year I managed to use up just my RBO. Still have lard, palm and the tallow/lard mix from Walmart and some cocoa butter on hand. They will go under my bed on the floor (which is a cement slab) which stays reasonably cool all summer. So far, I have never had any of the hard oils go rancid. I'm a little more worried this year as I didn't soap as much this past year due to a needed hip replacement (Covid stopped all elective surgeries in this area so it took me almost a year to get it). I may try another soaping binge and see if I can't use up enough to repackage and find a place in the fridge. That might be a good time to try out some HO oils since I used all of my RBO. Looks like this might be the time to re-visit some threads in the forum for info....another rabbit hole to investigate! Yea!

 

[earlene]

I have always tried to have a soaping binge session in the spring to get rid of most of my oils since they live in my garage most of the year. This year I managed to use up just my RBO. Still have lard, palm and the tallow/lard mix from Walmart and some cocoa butter on hand. They will go under my bed on the floor (which is a cement slab) which stays reasonably cool all summer. So far, I have never had any of the hard oils go rancid. I'm a little more worried this year as I didn't soap as much this past year due to a needed hip replacement (Covid stopped all elective surgeries in this area so it took me almost a year to get it). I may try another soaping binge and see if I can't use up enough to repackage and find a place in the fridge. That might be a good time to try out some HO oils since I used all of my RBO. Looks like this might be the time to re-visit some threads in the forum for info....another rabbit hole to investigate! Yea!

I like that idea of storing your extra oils on the concrete slab floor in the house. I once lived in a condo with concrete slab under-flooring. It kept the place cool, but I sure hated standing on it for long periods of time, even with padded carpeting.

 

[amd]

I like that idea of storing your extra oils on the concrete slab floor in the house.

You do need to be cautious though if you sell and ever get audited.* You can't have your ingredients directly on the floor. They need to be on a shelf or some kind of riser. My husband made me a couple risers from pallets that I set my CO bucket and my MB buckets on. He also made me a similar riser by our boiler so my buckets aren't sitting on the boiler or the floor, but still get the heat from the boiler. (Which is where I keep my currently in use MB bucket during winter months. The boiler heat keeps the oils at the perfect temp for soaping.)

*Information from this article A Surprise Visit from the FDA - Soap Queen, see end of 4th paragraph, and 11th paragraph.

 

[Quilter99755]

@earlene I finally bought a rubber mat for the place where I soap in the kitchen. It does relieve some of the ache from back arthritis and allows me to keep soaping. I did add a thermometer to the area where I store my oils and it stays between 70-76F every day that I looked at it. So do feel that it has helped keep my oils from going rancid.
@amd nice advice for those who might be interested in selling...not my cup of tea for sure. I'm strictly a small time hobbyist. Besides, between health and age I won't end up as the newest soaping entrepreneur! A gallon of oil is a big purchase for me. Anything bigger is too awkward or too heavy. I can't imagine lugging heavy totes of soap to market! More power to those that do.