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How To Buy and Store Olive Oil:
 Buying oil in small sizes, or splitting larger bottles with friends, is a
practical way to buy expensive oils. Oil purchased in bulk should always be
poured into smaller containers, preferably in a can or a dark-colored bottle.
Remember - Olives are fruit; olive oil is a fruit juice.
Air, heat, and light will cause olive oil to turn rancid
(rancid is the flavor which is imparted in an oil after it has undergone the
process of oxidation. Since prolonged contact with oxygen is the rot cause of
oxidation, rancidity is a common defect, so it should be stored
in a cool place in an airtight container).
If your oil has a buttery taste, then it's probably rancid.
The ideal temperature for storing olive oil is 57°F or 14 degrees C, although a
normal room temperature of 70ºF works very well if the olive oil is stored in a
dark area where the temperature remains fairly constant. A kitchen cabinet
located away from the stove and away from direct sunlight will work quite well. If you have a wine cellar, store your olive oils there and
keep a small amount in your kitchen. Do not put olive oil in a container without a tight cap.
Refrigeration does not harm most grades of olive oil, but it is not recommended
for expensive extra virgin varieties because condensation may develop in the
bottle, affecting the flavor. When chilled, or in cold weather, the oil may turn cloudy and even solidify. Such
oil will clear again as it warms, so cloudiness should not be taken as an
indication that the oil is past its prime. Be sure bottles are tightly sealed.
Refrigeration will extend the life of olive oil without harming the oil. Doing so will cause it to congeal and turn
cloudy, but should not affect flavor. If refrigerated, olive oil will return to
its original, liquid state when warmed to room temperature again.
Refrigeration does not harm most grades of olive oil, but it is not recommended
Tinted glass, porcelain, or stainless steel are the best materials for containers; oil should never be stored in plastic or in reactive metals. Stay
away from plastic containers as the oil can absorb PVCs.
How To Cook with Olive Oil:
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Cooking with olive oil is like cooking with wine.
Never use a wine or olive oil that does not taste good to you. An inferior one
will leave an aftertaste. If you do the taste test and compare the "pure" to the
"extra-virgin" and the you'll understand the difference.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: When cooking with olive oil, save your
extra-virgin expensive oils for salads, dressings, and vinaigrettes. You can
also drizzle it over slices of crusty bread or onto open-face sandwiches. Use it on a baked potato or add it
to mashed potatoes instead of butter. Extra virgin olive oil tastes great on
cooked vegetables or brushed onto fish or meat before serving.
Marcella Hazan who wrote the cookbook called Marcella Cucina, wrote the
following:
"The taste of a dish for which you need olive oil will be as good or
as ordinary as the oil you use. A sublime one can lift even modest ingredients to eminent heights of flavor; a dreary oil will pull the best ingredients down
to its own level. Partial clues to the quality of the olive oil you are buying are supplied by the label and the price, but ultimately, the only way to
determine which one, among those available, is right for you is to taste and compare."
Frying: When sautéing or frying, use either a combination
olive oil (one that is simply a blend of extra virgin and regular olive oil) or
a straight olive oil.
For deep frying, the olive oil grade "olive oil," is
excellent because it has a higher smoke point (410º F) than virgin or extra virgin oils.
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Use this chart to convert the quantity of butter called for in a recipe to the required quantity of olive oil.
|
|
Butter |
Olive Oil |
|
1 teaspoon |
3/4 teaspoon |
|
2 teaspoons |
1-1/2 teaspoons |
|
1 tablespoon |
2-1/4 teaspoons |
|
2 tablespoons |
1-1/2 tablespoons |
|
1/4 cup |
3 tablespoons |
|
1/3 cup |
1/4 cup |
|
1/2 cup |
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons |
|
2/3 cup |
1/2 cup |
|
3/4 cup |
1/2 cup and 1 tablespoon |
|
1 cup |
3/4 cup |
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What does first pressing and cold pressing mean?
These terms are interchangeable and have been used in the past when initial pressure applied by hand presses produced only a small amount of olive
oil from olive paste. To extract even more oil, hot water was applied to the olive paste to improve the flow of oil. This is where the terms cold pressing and
first pressing came from.
Producers use these terms on their labeling to affirm that
extra virgin olive oil is an unrefined, natural product that has undergone very
little processing.
Types of Olive Oil
 Olive oil is made only from green olives.
Just like fine wine, the flavor, color, and consistency
of olive oils vary. This is due to different olive varieties, location, and weather. The olive oils of some small producers are treated and priced
just like fine vintage wines.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil:
All olive oils that are less than 1% acidity and produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process
is called extra-virgin olive oil. According to Paul Armas Lepisto, Director of
The Olive University, most olive oils today are extra virgin in name only, meeting only the minimum requirement.
Extra virgin is a chemical requirement that does not indicate quality and taste.
Virgin Olive Oil:
It is made from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of extra-virgin oil. Virgin olive oil is produced in the same way, but it
is essentially defective or low-grade extra virgin oil. This oil's acidity is a slightly higher level of 1 1/2%.
Refined Olive Oil:
Olive oil known as "refined olice oil" is made by refining the virgin olive oil. The final product is basically a tasteless olive oil.
The acidity level is higher than 3.3%. It also has a not-to-nice flavor and an unpleasant odor.
Pure Olive Oil:
Pure olive oil, usually called just olive oil, comes either from the second cold pressing
or the chemical extraction of the olive mash left over after the first pressing. This grade is also called commercial grade oil.
Pure olive oil is much lighter in color and blander in taste than virgin olive oil. It is a general-purpose (all-purpose) olive oil. Pure refers to the fact that
no non-olive oils are mixed in.
Refined Olive-Pomace Oil:
Oil which is obtained by treating olive pomace with solvents is refined using methods which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic
structure. Don't buy this grade, as it is bad for you.
Olive-Pomace Oil:
Olive oil which consists of a blend of refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive
oil. Don't buy this grade, as it is bad for you.
Light & Extra Light Olive Oil
The olive oil that you see on the supermarket shelf advertised as "light" or as
"Extra Light" olive oil contains the exact same number of calories as regular olive oil and is a mixture of refined olive oils that are derived from the
lowest quality olive oils available through chemical processing.
Tasting Olive Oil -How To Taste Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Just as different types of grapes make different wines, different types of
olives make distinct types of olive oil. The olives are also impacted by
varietal of grapes, weather, soil conditions, and how handled and harvested.
Just like wine, no two olive oils are created equal. Tasting olive oils
allows you to discover which oils you like best, and which ones you prefer in
your favorite recipes, or with your favorite bread or vegetables
- Wait at least an hour or so after eating or drinking anything to be sure your
palate is fresh.
- In professional tastings, olive oil is placed in dark blue glasses so
the tasters are not influenced by the color of the oils. If you're doing an
olive oil tasting at home ,you can use any small clean glasses or bowls. Use
about a tablespoon of each oil.
- Start by testing no more than 3 or 4 olive oils at a time,
- Pour a little olive oil (approximately 1 tablespoon) in a small glass. Cover
the glass with one hand, shake it delicately with the other until the oil
adheres to the entire inside surface. Warm oil in the glass with your hands
until it is close to body temperature.
- Lift the glass to your nose (under your nose) and sniff rapidly and deeply three (3) time, raising
your nose up and away from the oil between each sniff. Suck air through
the oil to coax more aromas out of it, and then close your mouth and breathe out
through your nose. Olive oils have aromas just like wine. We then tried to analyze the aroma. There really is a
difference in aromas!
- Tasting: Take a sip or slurp (approximately 10 drops into mouth). DON'T SWALLOW! Roll the
olive oil around in your mouth for approximately 6 seconds and then spit it out (novices
have to remember not to spit out the oil too quickly). The oil should touch all
areas of the mouth so that the various tastes and sensations can be noted. Then
it is spit out.
- Between tasting each kind of olive oil, drink lots of water and eat a small
piece of bread to cleanse your palate. No wine - just water.
Olive Oil May Have Pain-Relieving Properties
SOURCES: Beauchamp, G.Nature, Sept. 1, 2005; vol 437: pp 45-46. News release, Monell Chemical Senses Center.
WebMD Medical News
Fresh, Extra Virgin Olive Oil Contains Anti-Inflammatory Ingredient
Aug. 31, 2005 - A daily dose of olive oil may act as a natural pain reliever, according to a new study that shows the
Mediterranean staple contains an anti-inflammatory ingredient.
Researchers say they've discovered a previously unknown ingredient in freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oils that
acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, much like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin
or ibuprofen.
They say the soothing effects of the enzyme, which they named oleocanthal, may be responsible for some of
the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, such as a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease,
breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia, all of which have been linked to inflammation.
"Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a
causal role in the
health benefits
associated with diets
where olive oil is the
principal source of
fat," says researcher
Paul Breslin, PhD, of
the Monell Chemical
Senses Center, in a news
release.
Olive Oil: Nature's
Anti-Inflammatory?
Researchers say they
began researching the
potential
anti-inflammatory
properties of olive oil
after observing that
fresh extra-virgin olive
oil irritates the back
of the throat in the
same way that NSAIDs do.
After isolating the
throat-irritating
enzyme, they found that
it also inhibited the
inflammatory activity of
Cox-1 and Cox-2 like the
anti-inflammatory drugs.
Inhibiting these
reactions impedes the
production of the
chemical messengers that
cause the pain and
swelling of arthritis
inflammation.
The results, published
in the Sept. 1 issue of
Nature, show
that a 50 gram (1.75
ounce) daily dose of
olive oil is equivalent
to about 10% of the
ibuprofen dose
recommended for adult
pain relief.
That dose is relatively
low and won't relieve a
headache, but
researchers say low
doses of other
anti-inflammatory
agents, like aspirin,
have been shown to
provide substantial
health benefits when
taken consistently over
time.
Researchers say the
finding is significant
because chronic
inflammation is
increasingly thought to
play a role in a variety
of diseases, from heart
disease to cancer.
Low-Stress Olive Oil Tasting
by Paul Armas Lepisto, Director, The Olive University.
Impersonal -
This is the (negative) taste characteristic of olive oil which has always struck
me as the most bizarre. It simply means an oil which has neither character nor
personality, common in manipulated oil (oil which has undergone some sort of
chemical and/or heat treatment which neutralizes flaws such as rancidness, the
opposite of ‘cold-pressed’). In societies that grew up with mass-produced seed
oils, such as sunflower or corn, impersonal oil is essentially the liquid oil
they would come into contact with. If flavorful fats were required, then one
turned to butter or lard.
The point being, you probably have a pretty good idea what impersonal oil is which gives us a
good basis to build upon. Think of tofu. A neutral product which simply lends
texture (and provides protein) for any number of flavorful recipes. Manipulated
olive oil is similar and, the ugly fact remains, the majority of olive oil.
The good news is that it is very easy to identify a premium olive oil. When you smell it, you
will have an overwhelming olive fruit aroma (with any number of other olfactory
highlights which the low-stress guide will not stress you out about. You can
further enhance these smells by putting some oil in a small container and
warming it with your hands. Next, roll your tongue a bit and suck in a small
amount of oil drawing in a good volume of air at the same time. The back-center
portion of your tongue will now look for bitterness (determined by ripeness and
variety of olive), a positive characteristic even if it sounds anything but.
Finally, the oil goes down into your throat where you judge its pungency. If
it’s particularly sharp, you might cough, but the peppery bite is proof of fresh
oil with healthy olives well-processed.
All these sensations will diminish with time, so, for example, if an oil is too ‘peppery’
for you now, wait a month (even, or especially, with an unopened bottle) and it
may very well have mellowed. Of course, nothing excites the olive grower more
than the first oil with its strong scent and aggressive bite and a piece of
bread toasted over the fire drenched in this fluid accompanied by a steak
dressed with the same oil.
I have not mentioned oil color because that can be deceiving, however, one charm of fresh
central Italian (Tuscany/Umbria) olive oil is its rich green color (imparted, in
part, by the king of Italian olives, the Frantoio. An Umbrian might disagree
considering the Moraiolo superior, but a Greek fellow might as easily argue for
the Kalamata, the French gentleman, the Picholine, etc., etc.). But, nothing
beats the Frantoio for a rich green color.
Oops, I just slipped into high stress olive tasting. Ignore the last three sentences.
Simply look for rich, fruity smells, a bitter sensation in the middle of your
mouth and a ‘peppery’ bite in the back of your throat. And, since your access
to fresh super premium oil is restricted at best, even hints of those
characteristics should be viewed as a gift from above despite the fact that you
may very well have been sold refined, manipulated oil with a slight dose of
healthy Tuscan thrown in for flavor (For example, what grocery store sells
anything other than ‘extra-virgin’ even though ‘extra-virgin’ is the minority of
olive oil produced. Even the next grade down, ‘virgin’, is rarely offered for sale).
But the question remains, are you using olive oil because you’ve heard that it reduces the ‘bad’
(LDL) cholesterol and does no harm to the ‘good’ (HDL), or will you pour it onto
your bean soup or pasta as a condiment? For the average Italian, who uses
fifteen liters of olive oil a year (in the U.S. it is 0.6 liters), it is a
crucial culinary ingredient, which is one reason Italy uses more oil than it
produces (and the prime oil regions of Tuscany/Umbria only produce approx. five
percent of the total Italian production). Now, consider this thought for a
moment; which oil would you guess they export? I would be leaning towards
manipulated Tunisian. Oops, another goof. Don’t stress about labeling.
Fruity, bitterness, peppery bite. And remember, if a pound of good Tuscan
olives has a wholesale price of 50 cents and you need at least ten pounds for a
liter of oil, tack on processing, bottling, wholesale profit, retail profit and
you have to wonder what exactly is going into your Sam’s Club mega bottles of
extra-virgin. Impersonal indeed.
Questions and Answers:
The following questions have generously been answered by Paul Armas Lepisto, Director The Olive University in Italy:
Question:
My question is about
why different brands of expensive true EVOO solidify at different rates in
the refrigerator. I have used several different brands of expensive true
EVOO and find that they all solidify at different rates. What is the
element in olive oil that is responsible for the oil solidifying when it is
refrigerated?
- Thank you for answering this question. - Lawrence R. Tenzer (12/11/08)
Answer:
This is a good question which I think has both a relatively
simple answer and a JFK conspiracy-type answer.
Simply put, while all olives varieties (to the best of my knowledge), have
all three types of fats, monounsaturated (approx. 75%), polyunsaturated
(10%) and saturated (15%), the levels of each vary slightly. Given that
olive oil is almost always a blend of different varieties (and varieties
that would vary from different regions), then you would have to assume that
some olive oils would naturally have a greater percentage of saturated fats
which would cause them to solidify at a different temperature.
The conspiracy theory answer is that perhaps that oil you think is extra
virgin in fact has been 'stretched' with some other type of oil which
naturally has a higher level of saturated fats. I believe they have found
hazelnut oil not infrequently mixed in, for example. Not sure what the
saturation level of that would
Question:
I am seventy-nine years old. When I was Twenty years old to
thirty-five years of age I used to use Gem Oil in gallon cans as well as
Santuzza olive oil in gallon cans. Gem oil was ten percent olive oil and
Santuzza was twenty percent olive oil. Pure olive oil had an odor that would
fill the whole house and had a very strong taste. The ten and twenty percent
blends had plenty of flavor and odor. I lived in Syracuse New York during
this time.
I now live in Lakeland Florida. I have tried
various different olive oils such as Bertolli, Vigo,Pompeiian and many others that are available
to us. I am sorry to have to say that they all are one hundred percent
tasteless and odorless. Is there any where in this world that I can obtain a good tasting
olive oil? I would rather not hear about the added tastes to olive
oil such as lemon, lime, tarragon, basil etc. What I am telling you
about was pure olive oil with no additives. If for some reason I cannot purchase olive oil like it used to be, so be it.
I am old enough to accept that.
- Thank you very much. Dominic Mercurio (9/05/08)
Answer:
A person could easily write a dissertation answering your
excellent question. Fresh, true extra virgin does have a strong, distinct smell. Professional tasters
often gauge an oil simply by smelling and they certainly don't need to foul
their mouths by confirming rancidity, for example, by actually tasting it.
You have your work cut out for you finding rich oils such as you remember
but it is possible (albeit at a cost). And yet, compared to what you might
pay for a good bottle of wine, it is a relative bargain when you consider
the work that goes into producing an equivalent volume of real
extra-virgin. At the risk of plugging any one oil, one that I have seen
available in the U.S. which, if stored under the right conditions and
bottled within the last year is Monini. It is an Umbrian producer
whose owner tastes every batch before it is bottled (and like all
commercial Italian oils, you can be sure it is a blend of several countries'
oils). Better would be to find smaller producers (both U.S. and abroad) on
the internet and start sampling bottles until you find one you like and,
perhaps more importantly, you trust. I wish I had an easier answer, but
people in Italy quest for good oil, so you can imagine you are at a
disadvantage in the U.S.
Question:
I enjoy reading your website forays into Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Some of
the information you reflect is good, however some is a bit
off-base. Light Olive Oil has a completely different criteria for
acidity than Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The implication that there is
shady business going on with EVOO producers to manipulate acidity
seems extreme. My understanding is that you can add oleic acid to
the oil or use some type of chemical process to remove Oleic acid,
but then it can't be classified as Extra Virgin. The COOC and IOOC
have specific criteria on what can be classified Extra Virgin and
Light Olive Oil or even Olive Oil. One should probably look at those
items before making some of the comparisons of Light Olive Oil to
Extra Virgin or even Olive Oil products.
- Crisp (3/07/08)
Answer:
It is difficult to where to start with this. Of course the name says it
all about the acidity level and (light) olive oil would not be, by
definition, extra-virgin, thus a different (higher) acidity level. I
suppose it would get tricky when you say extra-virgin 'light' olive oil
(which I have never seen). Some people would say that light olive oil
is a bit of a gimmick for those who want to use olive oil but do not
want the olive oil taste. And, as you are certainly aware, light olive
oil has exactly the same number of calories as regular olive oil.
As far as manipulation regarding extra virgin and the ability to use
certain processes to reduce the acidity, a google search on the subject
will reveal quite a bit of startling information (I've translated one
article from a German culinary magazine at my own website which is
pretty interesting). There are taste qualities that also contribute to
whether or not an oil is determined to be extra-virgin, but I am certain
that a small amount of aromatic Sicilian oil, for example, would more
than cover this. I don't want to be too controversial, but when you
consider the fact that oil is rarely sold as anything other than
extra-virgin yet the majority of the oil on the market is of a lesser
quality (and when one considers how expensive a true extra-virgin is to
produce yet the relative value of olive oil), I think some suspicion is
warranted (but sadly at the expense of the legitimate producers). Thus
I stress knowing your producer if possible and learning to taste the
differences in oil for yourself. The peppery bite is one good clue that
would be difficult to fake.
Question:
I am writing to you because I read the article here. I was wondering if
you can tell me the approximate shelf life of extra virgin olive oil,
virgin olive oil, olive oil for glass containers with an open sprout
like that pictured on the above link.
I cannot seem to find this anywhere and would appreciate an expert on
this matter as I purchased a sprout like container like the picture but
now realize it suppose to be store in air tight container? - Thank you
for any information. (11/16/07)
Answer:
In Italy, the sell-by day is essentially eighteen months after
the oil is bottled. One assumes that this is shortly after the harvest,
thus oil pressed in November and bottled in January will be good until 18
months from that date. Sadly, it is not uncommon for producers to empty
their tanks into bottles shortly before the new harvest thereby claiming it
is bottled in the year of the current harvest (and create space for the new
harvest). As always, it comes down to your ability to taste potentially
dramatic differences, something quite simple, such as when you differentiate
between fresh roasted coffee beans or peppercorns.
A small spouted bottle for pouring oil is common in Italy, however, keep in
mind they are using oil in prodigious quantities (and the spouted bottle
will be on the table to use as a condiment), so the limited exposure to the
air is not relevant. Another thing to keep in mind is that the residue from
previous fillings, especially if you are not using it at a rapid pace, will
contaminate the new oil you put in, so it is important to clean the bottle
before refilling (but not with soap). We use sodium carbonate (known as
Soda Solvay in Italy).
Question:
If you heat olive oil during cooking, does it
covert to saturated fat? Pleas advise. (11/1507)
Damini Shah
Sr. Clinical Data Scientist
GlaxoSmithKline/UP
610-917-6244 (External)
8-282-6244 (Internal)
610-917-4147 (Fax)
Answer:
I believe this question has been covered fairly comprehensively in
the answered questions section, but my short answer is no, cooking
with olive oil in normal cooking temperatures will not add to the
already existing low-level of saturation present in olive oil.
Question:
Would appreciate your expertise with regard to refrigerating
extra virgin olive Oil. The oil is refrigerated after opening, however it is
virtually solid. It takes so long for it to return to a liquid state for
baking our cookies. Please advise.
Regards,
Suzzette Exclusives, Inc.
Answer:
I'm assuming you are refrigerating your olive oil because you know that heat
is one of olive oil's natural enemies (together with air, light and time).
I think that if you have any significant rotation of your oil stock, it
would suffice to simply keep it cool, perhaps in your cellar.
Smaller bottles help in this respect.
Question:
Please could you tell me whether
Virgin Olive Oil becomes a saturated fat when used in baking, frying i.e.
when heated in or on a stove? (6/19/07)
Agnes Philpott
PA to CEO - Mr. Alain Larousse
Air Liquide (Pty) Ltd
Answer:
Of course, providing a chemical-oriented
answer to someone from a compressed gas chemical company frightens me, but I
will give it a go. Saturation is a reaction with hydrogen, a chemical
process which does not occur very well in an oxygen-atmosphere. As the heat
of your stove causes oxidation (also known as burning), the answer is no,
olive oil will not convert to a saturated fat. Feel free to double check
that with the corporate chemists. Another point to keep in mind is that all
oils, even olive oil, have some portion of saturated fatty acids (albeit
sometimes in very small amounts) and that saturated fats are not universally
bad.
Question:
I have a question on olive oil. I live in Florida, a very warm
climate. Furthermore, I like my house temperature at 79 degrees, which is
considerably warmer that the recommended 57 degrees for storing olive oil.
I have tried refrigerating it, but then it's not usable until it warms up again.
How do they do this in Italy?? I'm from Europe and vacationed there often
as a child. It gets very warm there, but most places (other than large
hotels) don't even have air conditioning. Do you have any advice?
Answer:
Castello di Mongiovino (Umbria), where we live and make olive oil,
gets, as you mention, quite hot in the summer and does not have air
conditioning. The big difference is probably how the houses are
built, namely massive stone construction with minimal windows so
that it stays comfortably cool inside, especially in the cellar.
The downside is that we suffer considerably in the winter and
central heating is staggeringly expensive and ineffective compared
to a fiberglass insulated wood house in North Dakota. Our olive
mill and oil storage containers are essentially in this type of
massive stone construction, however, we do have an air conditioner for
the oil which we rarely use even in the hottest part of summer.
Since you probably don't have a cellar in Florida and suffer as most
do without a wine refrigerator, I would suggest you buy you oil in
as small a bottle as possible (which is better anyway because,
besides heat, air is your worst enemy so a big opened bottle, no
matter how cool it is kept, will deteriorate). I wouldn't worry too
much about the temperature, however. Keep in mind that the grocery
store where you bought it probably was above 57 degrees, as was the
middleman's storage and any other stopping points along the way. We
usually tell people that 25 degree centigrade is the limit (approx.
77 Fahrenheit), but that is a bit of a fib so that they are more
careful. 27 is a more realistic limit for consumers who are not
storing a lot of oil. If you buy a large amount, you could repackage
it into smaller containers and refrigerate that which you aren't
using and even try experimenting with freezing some if you manage to
get a really good oil.
Question:
I wonder if you would be kind enough to answer my
olive oil questions please. I have been told that I am incorrect in my claim
that a rich dark colored extra-virgin olive oil has a more intense flavor than a
light colored oil. I believe that a darker color is an indication that the
olives are early season and therefore more flavorsome. Am I correct please?
I
also believe that lighter colored extra virgin oil is from later season olives
and is therefore less intense is flavor. Am I correct please? I have been
informed that the light color is an indication of the first pressing and
therefore this is referred to as extra virgin olive oil?
Thank you in my attempt to settle my argument. - Francine Rizza, Australia
(5/03/07)
Answer:
Color is a curious topic. As you are most certainly aware, what we see
influences our tastes profoundly which has been proven time again by packaging
in general. We eat with our eyes. This is one reason that olive oil tasting is
often done with blue tinted tasting cups so that we cannot be influenced by the
color.
When you say dark color, do you mean dark green? Olive oil fresh from the press
has a rich green color whether it be from the first or the last olives (although
there is a slight varience and, keep in mind that different types of presses
will also have slightly different colorations) which will tone done over time
(and become, generally, more golden). As oil fresh from the press has the most
intense olive flavors (and other taste characteristics such as pepperiness and
bitterness), it would follow that the darker oil has more intense flavor. Keep
in mind that a great deal of sediment drops over the first month (and why we let
oil sit at least three weeks before bottling).
Less ripe olives will generally be richer in polyphenols and slightly more
bitter. They will also have a higher water content (although, by the time of
harvest, the oil content remains constant) which is one reason people delay
because they pay the milling by weight. Another factor is how quickly the olives
are pressed after harvest and what has been the storage conditions inbetween.
Poorly stored olives will often result in a 'greasy' taste, as bizarre as that
may sound.
Extra virgin oil is based upon acidity levels and certain minimum taste
characteristics. Since the overwhelming majority of olive oil is spun in a
centrifuge, there isn't really any pressing at all and the time of the season in
which the olives are pressed doesn't have really a major influence regarding
virginity (except that, those pesky poorly-stored and late-to-mill olives will
already have started their breakdown into free-fatty acids and will be on their
way to ruin). Of course there is quite a bit of monkey business going on in the
olive industry to manipulate acidity levels.
I would recommend doing some double blind tasting and see which oils you prefer.
And one final thought; I am discussing Italian oil and olives. It may very well
be that Australian olives are different.
Question:
I
have been enjoying your website on olive oil. i have wondered-is any of the
olive oil made from just the black olives instead of the green olives, and what
flavor would it have. I like trying all kinds of olive oils. Where can one buy
and try the oil from the black olives, if there is such an oil. Thank you.
-
Ramonia Pettijohn (2/01/07)
Answer:
A black olive is pretty much simply a ripe
olive. Most olives become black in their final development phase (a process
similar to leaves changing colors although, curiously, the olive tree leaves
themselves never change color). There are some exceptions to this, perhaps
the most important being the Frantoio olive (which is also the name for an
oil mill in Italian) which will give you the classic Tuscan taste (almost
certainly blended along with the other big Italian three which turn
black) which is a quite powerful oil. The riper the olive, the milder the
oil, so late harvest would produce a softer oil (but also less rich in
polyphenols).
Question:
I am writing because when I use extra virgin olive oil to make my husband's
fish, it bothers his stomach and gives him GERD (Gastro-esophageal reflux
disease). He is currently on medicine for GERD but that does not stop the
extra virgin olive oil from causing GERD. When I switch to extra light
olive oil, his stomach tolerates it better. Why is this? I am
curious because I use the extra virgin olive oil for health conditions.
I use tablespoons a day. I also use it to cook. Thanks - Pam Barbour
(2/26/07)
Answer:
I can only speculate somewhat on this
question, however, based upon the fact that the 'light' olive oil doesn't
cause the same reaction as the normal extra-virgin, a couple ideas come to
mind. As you probably know, besides the obvious health benefits of
mono-unsaturated fats found in olive oil, the micronutrients or
phytochemicals/polyphenols are being found to be more and more important
from the perspective of preventing oxidation. Thus the richer the extra
virgin (noted by strong aromatics, deeper colors and often suspended
sediments), the greater the volume of these elements. Keep in mind that, in
Italy, these strong smells and flavors are what one is striving for (and
which, ironically, is often seen as a hindrance to selling oil in other
markets which want a more neutral oil).
'Light' oil has the same number of calories, however, it has been altered
somehow to take away most of the olive flavor. For example, it is quite
common to take a rancid oil (which I fear much of the olive oil on the
grocery store shelves has become for any number of reasons) and (chemically)
neutralize the free fatty acids causing it to meet the extra-virgin low
acidity standards and then possibly adding a bit of honest oil to give it a
slight olive oil flavor. Be under no illusion that this is anywhere near as
healthy as the good extra-virgin, but, as a source of monounsaturated to fry
your eggs, it's fine.
My theories then: Light oil might have lower acidity than extra-virgin that
has become overwhelmed by (naturally forming) free-fatty acids because of
age and/or storage conditions. There also may be some kind of acid reflux
action based solely upon the smell of the extra-virgin. In a perfect world
then, I would like you to try some 'true' extra virgin Ligurian oil (a
milder oil famous in Italy for using on fish) that you can be fairly certain
is not rancid. I assume you are in America, so it might be difficult to
find, but with the internet, everything seems possible these days. Keep in
mind you would want oil from the 2006 harvest, insist upon that (as age is
one of the worst contributors to rancidity).
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