Does virgin coconut oil need to be kept in the refrigerator and how long does it last?
No, VCO does not need to be kept in the refrigerator. In the Philippines and other tropical climates, where the ambiance air temperature is much higher than North America, people traditionally have not refrigerated coconut oil. Virgin Coconut oil is the least susceptible to oxidation of any plant oil. It’s natural antioxidants give it the longest shelf life of any plant oil. VCO samples have been shown to show no breakdown in a constant liquid state at temperatures above 80 degrees for over 2 years. The expiration dates on our VCO are for two years, and on our EPCO they are one year. We do recommend you store the oil out of direct sunlight. In the tropics VCO is almost always a liquid, since it’s melting point is about 76 degrees F. In North America it will usually be a solid, butter-like consistency. It can be stored in either form.
