No, cloudy olive oil is not bad: the haze comes from tiny particles of olive pulp and traces of vegetation water that stay suspended when the oil is not filtered, or from natural waxes that thicken when the oil gets cold. If it does not smell rancid, musty or muddy, the oil is fine and the sediment at the bottom can stay where it is.
Why olive oil goes cloudy
Unfiltered oil: pulp and vegetation water
When the olives are crushed and the oil separated, minute particles of pulp and a few drops of vegetation water remain in the oil. If it is not passed through a filter, these particles stay suspended for weeks and give the oil a hazy look and a deeper green colour. Over time they sink on their own and form the deposit at the bottom of the bottle.
Cold: oil goes cloudy in the fridge or a cold pantry
Even a filtered, clear oil turns cloudy below roughly 10 °C (50 °F): the waxes and some of the fats solidify into white flakes or a general haze. It is a physical change and it reverses. Leave the bottle at room temperature for a few hours and the oil clears again; nothing is lost.
New-season oil is always cloudy
Oil milled a few days ago is cloudy by definition. At our mill the olives are processed within 24 hours of arrival and cold-extracted below 27 °C, so the oil leaving the separator still carries all its solids. This is the new-season olio nuovo that people look for in autumn precisely because of how it looks.
Is cloudy olive oil bad? When it is fine and when it is not
Cloudiness on its own says nothing about quality: it only tells you the oil was not filtered or that it got cold. What matters is how the oil was made and stored. Unfiltered oil keeps everything the mill extracted from the olive, deposit included, and has a deeper colour and a thicker texture.
There is one limit. The sediment that collects at the bottom holds water and residues which, after many months, can ferment and give the oil the defect known as muddy sediment. That is why unfiltered oil should be used sooner than filtered oil and kept away from light and heat. If a cloudy oil smells of mould, damp earth or rancidity, the problem is not the cloudiness but the storage.
How to store unfiltered olive oil
- In the dark: light speeds up oxidation; a tin or a dark bottle is best.
- At a steady temperature: ideally 14-18 °C (57-64 °F), never next to the stove.
- Within a few months: unfiltered oil is at its best in the first 6-8 months after milling.
- Without shaking: the sediment should stay at the bottom; if you like, decant the clear oil into another bottle after a few weeks.
- Tightly closed: the air in a half-empty bottle is the first enemy; move to a smaller container when little is left.
Filtered or unfiltered: which to choose
Unfiltered (grezzo): for those who want the oil as it leaves the mill, to use raw on bread, soups and vegetables in the months right after harvest. Expect sediment at the bottom and a hazy look.
Filtered: the oil passes through a filter that holds back pulp and water; it stays clear, keeps longer and suits anyone opening a bottle later in the year.
It is the same oil from the same lot; only the pass through the filter differs. We explain it in detail on our unfiltered olive oil page.
Where to buy unfiltered olive oil
At the Oliottaviani mill in Villa San Giovanni in Tuscia, where the Ottaviani family has been milling since 1905, every lot is offered both ways, unfiltered or filtered, with the lot code printed on every bottle. The olives come mostly from growers in Blera, Barbarano Romano, Vetralla and Villa San Giovanni in Tuscia, in the Tuscia area north of Rome.
The 2026 milling started on 21 September. The September new-season single-cultivar Caninese oil arrives in mid-October unfiltered, in packs of three 500 ml bottles; the rest of the 2026 production returns to sale at the same time. All formats are in the extra virgin olive oil collection, with free shipping in Italy from €120.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still use olive oil that has gone cloudy?
Yes. The cloudiness is olive pulp in suspension or waxes thickened by the cold, not a sign of spoilage. Trust your nose: an oil that smells rancid or musty should be discarded, cloudy or not.
Why did my olive oil go cloudy in the fridge?
Below about 10 °C (50 °F) the oil's natural waxes solidify into flakes or a white haze. Leave the bottle at room temperature and it clears in a few hours.
Should I get rid of the sediment at the bottom of the bottle?
You do not need to. If you prefer a clear oil, pour gently without shaking or decant the top part into another bottle. The sediment is only a concern if the oil is many months old and has taken on a muddy smell.
Does unfiltered olive oil keep less well?
Yes. The particles and residual water speed up changes over time; it is best used within 6-8 months of milling, while a well-stored filtered oil lasts until the next harvest.
