All fats are susceptible to degradation, as this is what causes them to spoil. The more unsaturated fatty acids that make up a certain oil, the more quickly the oil will spoil. This process can also be accelerated by warmth, light, oxygen, metals (especially copper), enzymes and microorganisms. As the fatty acids begin to degrade, the oil takes on a lightly sour or bitter taste. In time, the oil tastes and smells unpleasant and goes rancid, at this point the oil is spoiled and should not be consumed.

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil PGI should not be exposed to high heat, otherwise it develops an unpleasant odour and the valuable nutrients found in the oil are destroyed. Pumpkin seed oil is not recommended for roasting or frying, but can be heated to 120 °C without any noticeable effect on the taste and aroma of the dish. Above all, pumpkin seed oil is used in the cold kitchen and as an accent shortly before serving warm foods.

Pumpkin seed oil presents many possibilities as an ingredient in baked goods, here, the nutty taste and the green tint play the most important roles. Alternatively, pumpkin seed press cake can also be added to many baking recipes.

Dishes containing pumpkin seed oil should NEVER be place in direct sunlight or left for too long out in the daylight. UV rays accelerate the degradation of the fats in the oil and, especially in the summer at a barbeque, pumpkin seed oil can quickly turn brown in colour and add a bitter taste to to the dish.

Oxygen, warmth and light stimulate the degradation of the unsaturated fats in pumpkin seed oil and cause the oil to quickly go rancid. This is why Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. is stored in well sealed dark bottles. It is possible to store an unopened bottle for 9 - 12 months at room temperatures lower than 18 °C, but of course the shorter the storage time, the better and nuttier the flavour.

Opened bottles of pumpkin seed oil should be used within 6 - 12 weeks. As the oil is used, the ever increasing amount of air in the bottle is of ever increasing importance. The more air in the bottle, the more oxygen is available to oxidize the fatty acids in the remaining oil. It is possible that pumpkin seed oil can go rancid towards the end of a bottle; that the rest of the oil is not enjoyable anymore and that it ends up as waste oil. The best prevention is to buy a bottle fitted to your individual needs. That's how smaller bottles, of 250 ml or 500 ml, can ensure the quality and culinary delight last as long as possible !!!!!

It is also a good idea to wipe the drops of oil away from the bottle's neck after pouring, this residue oxidizes very quickly. This rancid oil residue can lend its rancid flavour to the next dish where Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. is needed, though the oil in the bottle is actually still good.

You must have experienced this too: It is always the last bite of salad dressed with Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. that leaves a stain on your freshly washed blouse or shirt. What to do? The solution is simple, sit yourself in the sun and the pumpkin seed oil stain will begin to disappear in just 10 minutes!  Just the grease stain left by the oil will have to be removed by washing. That said the washing machine is is unable to remove pumpkin seed oil's green pigments, so stained clothing should be laid out in the sun before washing or hung out to dry after washing. The effect of daylight on pumpkin seed oil works just as well when it is overcast.

As mentioned above, old oil residues can have a negative affect on the taste of the pumpkin seed oil used in a dish. In order to counter this effect, it is important to ensure the pumpkin seed oil bottle spout is regularly cleaned when pumpkin seed oil is placed on the table for guests to use. In the meantime, a special pumpkin seed oil spout has been designed for Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I., the Oil Baron, which is perfect for use in gastronomy because it is dishwasher safe and easily used with (and removed from) all pumpkin seed oil bottles.

Caution! Clear or transparent bottles are not suitable for serving pumpkin seed oil in an oil and vinegar stand. This is because the constant exposure to daylight leads to the degradation of the fatty acids in the oil. Clear bottles can either be covered in aluminum foil or switched for opaque bottles to extend the table life of the pumpkin seed oil in the oil and vinegar stands.

Styrian Pumpkin Seed Oil P.G.I. is now available 10 ml individual portions, this allows gastronomes to guarantee their guests high quality pumpkin seed oil to the last drop. This pre-portioned pumpkin seed oil can be ordered as a contract filling at any of our pumpkin seed oil producers and so can be served to restaurant guests or sold to private consumers.

Genuss bis zum letzten Tropfen Steirisches Kürbiskernöl g.g.A. 
Die optimale Aufbewahrung der Flasche sollte folgendermaßen erfolgen: 

• stehend und gut verschlossen
• vor Wärme und Licht geschützt
• bei Raumtemperatur - nicht im Kühlschrank lagern!