Guide to Olive Oil

 Subscribe to Scordo.com via RSS
| 4 Comments | 11 TrackBacks
olivefield.jpgItalians consume olive oil like it's water.  My grandparents used olive oil for cooking, shining shoes, preserving food, lubricating machinery (including various shotguns), curing various ailments (including stomach ulcers), etc.  I wouldn't recommend you use olive oil to lubricate your shotgun given other alternatives on the market, but if you produced your own olive oil (as my grandparents once did) you'd probably find alternative uses for the golden liquid as well!

If you're going to stick to olive oil for preparing and eating food, then you have plenty of good choices on the US market.  First, let's start with some basics about olive oil (including extra virgin olive oil):

1. Olive oil DOES NOT get better with age.  In fact, olive is meant to be consumed as quickly as possible (fresh=good).

2. Olive oil DOES NOT like light or warm temperatures.  In turn, it should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark environment.

3. Olive oil is a type of fat (like butter and lard) and has a good amount of calories.

4. Unlike butter, for example, olive oil has wonderful health benefits due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids as well as high content of antioxidative substances. 

5. Olive oil helps lower bad cholesterol and helps with good cholesterol.

6. Extra virgin olive oil is produced without using heat or chemicals (extra virgin olive oil also must have an acidity level of less than one percent).
 
7. Olive oil is extracted from crushed olives.

Both my grandparents and parents have told me wonderful stories about harvesting olives on the family farm in southern Italy (see La Cucina Italiana's guide to regional olive oil) and the process involved to produce both first press olive oil (that is, the first batch of olive oil produced via an old fashioned press; nowadays, most olive oil is produced via continuous centrifugal presses) and extra virgin olive oil.  I've tasted much of the olive oil produced by my family in Italy and to be perfectly honest the olive oil is extremely intense and almost too flavorful and viscous for everyday use (at least for my American palette).  Fresh, extra virgin olive oil, is almost a guild the lily type condiment (maybe to be used with a ready to explode ripe San Marzano tomato or drizzled over a freshly baked piece of bread); you wouldn't want to cook or make a salad dressing with the aformentioned extra virgin olive oil.   

In terms of everyday olive oil that can be purchased in most supermarkets in the US, I have a couple of favorites:

- Filippio Berio Olive Oil for everyday use- I find this olive great for both cooking (frying, sautéing, etc.) and using raw in salads and for finishing dishes (like bruschetta, any type of sauce for meat, etc.).  There is a definite olive taste to Berio and it's not overly oily like many mediocre olive oils on the market today.

- Colovita Extra Virgin Olive Oil for items that don't require cooking - I use Colovita Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO as Rachel Ray like to say) for pasta sauces, tomato salads, and for dunging soft crusty bread from my favorite bakery (Sullivan Street!).  Unlike celebrity chefs such as Mario Batali, I don't believe in using extra virgin olive oil exclusively in my kitchen (that is to say, for cooking, finishing, raw, etc.).  

- Bertolli Olive Oil - Bertolli is very similar to Berio in terms of quality, taste, and use.  In fact, I have a hard time discerning between the two, however I do have a preference for Berio if I'm faced with a choice at my local supermarket.  

In terms of high end olive oils from small producers, it's really a hit or miss type of thing.  I can't recommend a specific brand because of location and distribution.  For example, here on the East coast I often buy my extra virgin olive oil from Bartolomeo's Italian Food Emporium (click here for a review of the shop from Jason Perlow at Off the Broiler) that imports the oil from the owner's olive orchards in Puglia (the olive oil is fresh and has a nice balance of flavor and viscosity without being too overpowering or thick).  My recommendation on finding specialty olive oil is to try different producers and stick with a brand once you find something you like (also be sure to buy in small quantities unless you plan on using the oil every day).  Also, price doesn't equal quality.  In fact, I would opt for a fresh, recently produced bottle over an expensive extra virgin, first pressed, olive oil that has been sitting on the shelf for months.  

Finally, as I've said about wine, you should only buy and use what you like (don't listen to critics unless you've tried the product yourself).  



Related Posts with Thumbnails

11 TrackBacks

TrackBack URL: http://www.scordo.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/scordo/managed-mt/mt-tb.cgi/163

How-To / TipsBest Tools For HomeownersRecent College Grad TipsHow Many Shoes Should A Man OwnTips on Cleaning Your Kitchen and HomeTips for First Time Home BuyersHow Stress is Preventing You From Leading a Happy LifeHow to Make Homemade Wine and... Read More

I've been asked by a few readers to post a traditional tomato sauce recipe and I've included one below that uses crushed, uncooked, tomatoes.  Tomato sauce is easy to make and incredibly versatile.  I use tomato sauce for pasta, other... Read More

There's something about eating good food outdoors that makes me feel utterly alive and happy.  It may be the fresh air cooling my shoeless feet or the sound of pouring cool Esino Bianco into a wine glass.  Ultimately, however, it's... Read More

One of my favorite, all purpose, condiments on this little planet include sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil.  Authentic sun dried tomatoes capture the essence of the tomato and can be enjoyed year round.  As a young boy, one... Read More

(photo: tarallini made with red pepper flake) I'm going to ask the inevitable question; how many bags of chips did you consume this weekend?  And did you include some dips like sour cream and chives or salsa to go with... Read More

Images have always played a large role in my life.  I still have vivid images in my mind of childhood events like playing hide and seek at dusk on my New Jersey block or the fierce eyes and large... Read More

Risi e Bisi is basically a variant of risotto and while a good risotto is creamy in texture, a good bowl of risi e bisi is looser in composition.  As you would guess, the humble pea is the star... Read More

(Photo: Orzo with zucchini, bits of tomato, and parsley)With the arrival of August, our household starts the summer tradition of consuming copious amounts of fresh tomatoes (at times for both lunch and dinner) - see my entries on tomato... Read More

(photo: The Canonica Verde Umbrian Spice Blend including rosemary, sea salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes)Click here for my other olive oil reviews!As you've probably noticed, Olive Oil and Pasta are at the heart of Italian cuisine (both above a... Read More

Lazy, weekend, lunches are one of the small pleasure in life and I define a lazy lunch as a simple plate of food (with little to no manipulation), fresh, crunchy, bread, and a bottle of exquisite wine (psychologically, get... Read More

(photo: a typical trip the market for some fresh ingredients for our kitchen, including bread, fruit, whole chicken, yogurt, etc.) I've always equated good cooking with being prepared, just like a fine carpenter has the necessary tools to build... Read More

4 Comments

Thanks so much for the information! This post is very helpful. A similar post on vinegars (red wine and balsamic) would be great too.

No problem and thanks for the suggested topic. Keep the suggestions coming and look for a vinegar post soon!

Best,
Vince

Hi Vince,

This post was awesome! I use a ton of olive oil in my cooking, but I guess I don't have the palate to discern when it's gone bad or lost its flavor.

I mean, I've been buying it in the bulk bottles from Costco, thinking I was "saving money" (I thought olive oil lasted forever). Do you think it's better to buy the smaller bottles from the grocery store? In your opinion, how long does olive oil have before it starts to lose its mojo?

Thanks for the great post!

Great post, Vince! I am also a fan of the Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Leave a comment

Welcome To Scordo.com

Google Ads:


Follow Us:
twitter scordo facebook fan page scordo rss feed contact scordo.com more about scordo.com



Read Through Our Top Categories:
personal finance best of house and home best of italian way food and products best of how to and home improvement best of

Sign Up: Scordo.com What's New Newsletter
* indicates required

Help Keep Us Going:

Feeling generous and want to help keep Scordo.com producing fresh and original content?

Questions, Ideas, or Tips:

email scordo.com: blog at scordo.com


Blog Flux Directory

Note: The views expressed herein are solely my own and should not be attributed to my employer in any way. This site is not maintained utilizing my employer's resources or on company time.

RSS feed graphic for scordo.com Subscribe to Scordo.com via RSS