<p>I thought aflatoxin was an issue for peanut butter, but not almond butter… that is why I switched to almond butter last year (along with the peanut butter salmonella outbreak in my favorite brand!). I eat it every day on wheat toast or english muffins, and keep it in the fridge. I do wonder why it is so much cheaper than almond butter everywhere else. My local grocery and coop are both about $10 a jar, and TJs is $4.99.</p>
<p>Thanks guys… I learned a lot.</p>
<p>Regarding rancid oil, enlighten me please, am no scientist. What oil will go rancid? We have all kinds of food oils on counter and in cabinet: olive, peanut, sun flowers, sesame seed and now we have almond… should I start put all these in refrigerators now? The 5 gallon olive oil will be difficult to find a space.</p>
<p>I’m no scientist either, but I have read more than once that nuts and nut oils should be kept cool because they go rancid easily. We keep nut oils (like walnut oil) and peanut/almond butter in the fridge, and nuts like walnuts in the freezer. The nuts don’t have to be thawed to eat. That may be overkill-- the fridge is probably fine, but a foodie told me to do that. We don’t keep olive, canola, or sesame oil in the fridge. Any oil can go rancid though if you keep it for a long time, especially in warm, humid climates. Our pantry is kind of warm due to some pipes in the wall, and I have to throw out crackers and granola if they have sat around too long because they get rancid (from the oils).</p>
<p>I have just spent 15 minutes scanning various sources for a good reference to give. Not happy with any of them. Briefly, scholarly articles give details of the breakdown chemistry (the rate of which increases with both temperature and availability of oxygen); food storage article just say “cool dark place” without giving reasons.</p>
<p>Here’s my synopsis: food oils go rancid gradually over time. How much time it takes depends on the temperature at which the oil is stored, the particular chemistry of the oil (including the Omega 3/6 ratio), and the amount of oxygen available. Most commercial oil producers store their oil under nitrogen and below 50 degrees F for maximum shelf life.</p>
<p>Deterioration begins as soon as the container is opened (exposure to oxygen) and moved to room temperature. Thus, oils are generally just fine as long as the container is sealed by the manufacturer. While deterioration begins immediately, how long it takes depends on what you do next and the kind of oil it is. Some oils keep better than others. Flax seed and fish oils are particularly mentioned as prone to developing rancidity. Olive oil apparently keeps pretty well, as does grapeseed.</p>
<p>My answer: buy smaller quantities and keep them in the refrigerator.</p>
<p>Also, the link I posted says that aflatoxin can grow on almonds. Sorry, intparent. I eat both almond and peanut butter without worrying about it, but I do refrigerate it. It is a bit of a pain to spread, although the warm toast will soften it. One thing is to be sure to stir it up well before you refrigerate it (after opening the first time) so the oil is well mixed in.</p>
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<p>Huh, my fish oil capsules says refrigeration not necessary, but I guess they qualify as sealed.</p>
<p>I am in no way discounting what you all said, but because I really prefer it at room temperature and less pasty, and because it’s never caused a problem in the past, I’m going to continue to live dangerously and keep it in the cabinet.</p>
<p>Hey, ya gotta live a little, right? :)</p>
<p>Garland: “in the cabinet” is at least dark and probably cooler.</p>
<p>Mousegray: yes, capsules are by definition sealed.</p>