Portions of refined and bleached soybean oil were stored at various temperatures for various lengths of time, then hydrogenated to 70 iodine value (IV) to find the effect of peroxides on the rate of hydrogenation and on characteristics of hydrogenated product. Samples were treated up to 3 wk at up to 65-degrees-C and provided samples with peroxide values (PV) of up to 358. All samples were analyzed, hydrogenated, and reanalyzed. Peroxides affected the fatty acid compositions as determined by gas chromatography, the calculated iodine value based on fatty acid composition, and rate of hydrogenation. Peroxides also affected the selectivity of hydrogenation and slope of the solids curve in hydrogenated products.