Are extra virgin olive oils harmed by refrigerating them?
No. Quite the contrary, refrigeration is a very effective way of prolonging the shelf life of the oil. Some oils may partially solidify due to the oil containing naturally occurring levels of saturated fats and/or waxes. Even if they solidify, they will return to their normal state when they warm to room temperature. The aroma and flavour of the olive oil should not be affected in any way by refrigeration. However storing in a cool dark place is the best place to store olive oil if you frequently use small amounts of olive oil over a long period of time as there is some recent research suggests that constantly thawing oils marginally reduces their shelf life. However it beats storing on a window sill any time!
