Vegetable oil in a long-life kitchen
Vegetable oil, sunflower or rapeseed in most UK bottles, is the cooking fat most British kitchens actually keep. It is neutral, so it stays out of the way of whatever it is cooking, and it is the oil for frying hot. Almost every savoury recipe on this site starts with it, which makes it, along with flour, the ingredient that most often sets how long a store cupboard keeps. The oil and flour guide is about exactly that.
How long does vegetable oil keep?
USDA FoodKeeper gives oils 6 to 12 months; we plan on six. What ends oil is the fat going rancid, which you can usually smell before you can taste it. Heat, light and air speed it up, so keep the bottle cool, dark and closed, and buy a size you will use within months rather than the biggest on the shelf. The oil and flour guide has the detail, sourced.
Never infuse it with fresh garlic or herbs
Fresh garlic or herbs kept in oil at room temperature can grow the bacteria that cause botulism. Do not make garlic or herb oil to keep. See garlic and herbs in oil before making anything of the kind.
What it gives you
Per 100 g, CoFID records 899 kcal: oil is the densest source of energy in the cupboard, which matters when weight and space are what you are short of.