Olive Oil Websites Everywhere!

Can you trust just any olive oil website?

When we have a question or are simply trying to gather information on something in particular, 99% of the time we will jump right onto Google rather than going directly to accredited site that might be able to give us the information we need from the get go. 

Currently, there are thousands of olive oil websites out there and due to olive oil's increasing popularity in the last decade, the number is rapidly increasing.  Some of these olive oil websites are larger, well-known olive oil giants that you can find pretty much at any grocery store country-wide (i.e. Bertolli, Colavita, etc) but most are smaller artisan producers from every corner of the globe...all very different olive oils...some sites which allow you to buy directly from them online.  Without being able to request a sample and actually tasting the olive oil from one of these small family estate olive oil websites, it is very difficult to tell what the olive oil is really going to taste like...unless of course you've had it before! 

The point I am trying to make on this post is that you must always remain skeptical of what you read and what facts, pictures, stories are being presented to you and if these olive oil websites are real and not just a false face of what they want you to think they are.  Contact the producers with any questions and find out if they offer samples of their oil before buying.  There's never any harm in asking!

Olive Oil FAQs

Most Commonly Asked Questions About Olive Oil

Are olives fruits or vegetables?

Olives are fruit, grown on the olive tree, olea europaea. Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years, and were already plentiful during biblical times. Plucked from the tree, the olive is extremely bitter, and virtually inedible. Prior to eating, olives are typically cured, either in brine,water or in oil. Freshly picked olives can also be stir-fried to remove some of the bitterness before eating.

Where are olives grown?

Major olive producers in the world include countries which border the Mediterranean Sea (e.g., France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey), as well as California and in South America. It is reported that Thomas Jefferson tried but failed to cultivate olive trees in his native Virginia.

How is olive oil produced?

The traditional method of extracting olive oil from the fruit is virtually the same today as it has been for thousands of years. At harvest time, which varies from region to region, olives are harvested by hand, and collected in nets placed around the foot of the tree. A day or two thereafter, the olives are taken to the mill. Giant stones weighing several tons are used to crush the olives and pits into mash.

The olive mash is then spread onto thin mats. These mats are stacked, and placed into a machine "press." As the press applies several hundred pounds of pressure, oil and water from the mash seep out of the mats, and drip into collection vats. In the traditional method, no heat is applied in the pressing--hence the term "first cold pressed." The oil is allowed to settle, and any vegetable water is removed either by centrifuge or decantation.

Oil extracted from the mechanical pressing of the olive is described as "virgin" olive oil, because it is pure, unrefined and unprocessed.

What are the differences among extra virgin olive oil, ordinary olive oil, and "light" olive oils?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. "Extra" is the highest grade for olive oil--the best you can buy. The virgin oil produced from the mechanical pressing described above may be called "extra" if it has less than 1% free oleic acid, and if it exhibits superior taste, color and aroma. Thus, the "extra" in extra virgin olive oil means "premium," or simply, "the best."

Olive Oil. Ordinary "olive oil" is actually a blended oil product. Olive oil producers start with low quality virgin olive oils. For these oils to be fit for consumption, they must be refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. The resulting "refined olive oil" is largely colorless and tasteless. Before the resulting product is sold as "olive oil," the producer blends into the refined olive oil a percentage of quality virgin olive oil to provide color and taste.

"Light" or "Mild" Olive Oil. Light olive oil is a variation on ordinary olive oil. Producers of this product use a highly refined olive oil, and add less quality virgin oil than that typically used to blend olive oil. The only thing "light" about light olive oil is the taste and color; it has the same caloric and fat content as other oils.

Olive-Pomace Oil. Olive-pomace oil is the residue oil that is extracted by chemical solvents from previously pressed olive mash. This oil must be highly-refined to remove chemical impurities. Like ordinary olive oil, refined olive-pomace oil is enriched with virgin olive oil prior to sale.

Olive Oil Blends. Olive oil blends (e.g., canola oil enriched with some virgin olive oil) are sometimes used as a more economical substitute for olive oil (but not as a substitute for extra virgin olive oil). Because the production of good olive oil is labor intensive--the olives must essentially be picked by hand--the resulting product is more expensive than other vegetable oils. To offer a more economical product with some of the goodness of olive oil, some companies make olive oil blends. In an olive oil blend, the producer uses a base of a less expensive vegetable oil (e.g. canola oil) to which it adds a percentage (e.g. 25%) of virgin olive oil. These products have proven particularly attractive to restaurant and institutional purchasers where the small savings per tablespoon results in big savings due to the large volume they purchase.

What is the difference between filtered and unfiltered extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin oil may be consumed either in a filtered or unfiltered state. Filtration is the process by which the microscopic bits of the fruit of the olive are removed from the oil. Unfiltered oil will be cloudy until it settles to the bottom. Some consider unfiltered oil superior because of the added flavor from the fruit, while others say it shortens the oil's shelf life. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.

Are all extra virgin olive oils the same?

No. Like wines, extra virgin olive oils can vary dramatically in taste, depending upon the type and quality of the fruit that is pressed, the time of harvest, the weather during the growing season, and the region from which the olives were produced.

Connoisseurs generally use the following adjectives in appraising extra virgin olive oils: mild, semi-fruity and fruity, depending on the flavor of the olive that can be detected. Further, some oils, such as the finer oils from Tuscany and Southern Italy, have a peppery finish that many appreciate.

What are the nutritional components?

A tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no cholesterol. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated, and nine percent (9%) is polyunsaturated fat; fourteen percent (14%) is vegetable-derived saturated fat. Virgin olive oils also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin E, as well as the phenolic compounds tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol.

 What makes olive oil a superior product to other oils?

Three things make olive oil superior to vegetable oils: taste, nutrition and integrity.

Taste is the most obvious difference between olive oil and the commercially popular vegetable oils such as corn, soybean and canola oils. These oils are tasteless fats. You would not want to eat a piece of bread dipped in vegetable oil; for the same basic reason, many chefs refrain from adding tasteless fat to the foods they prepare. When you cook with oil, get the most flavor and texture you can.

Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, adds a flavor and textural dimension lacking in other oils, making it a suitable substitute for butter and margarine in almost any recipe. In fact, more and more restaurants are serving extra virgin olive oil, both plain or flavored with salt and pepper, as an alternative to butter for bread.

Nutritionally, olive oil contains more monounsaturated fat than any of the popular vegetable oils. For more information on the nutritional qualities of olive oil versus other oils and fats, please refer to the last chapter in this booklet.

Moreover, vegetable oils are industrial, processed foods. Vegetable oils are generally extracted by means of petroleum-based chemical solvents, and then must be highly refined to remove impurities. Along with the impurities, refining removes taste, color and nutrients.

Extra virgin olive oils are not processed or refined. It is said that you do not make extra virgin olive oil, you find it. Extra virgin olive oil is essentially "fresh squeezed" from the fruit of the olive tree, without alteration of the color, taste, and nutrients or vitamins. Because of the integrity of the product, and its antioxidant components, olive oil will keep longer than all other vegetable oils.

How does olive oil compare with butter or margarine?

Butter and margarine are essentially fats like cooking oils. A tablespoon of ordinary butter contains twelve grams of fat, of which 8 grams (66%) are saturated fat. In addition, a serving of butter contains 33 mgs of cholesterol.

Saturated fat and cholesterol have been linked to increased levels of low density lipoproteins (LDLs)--the "bad cholesterol." Thus, compared to butter, a serving of olive oil contains much less saturated fat (only 2 grams) and no cholesterol. The comparison with margarine is more difficult because the fat breakdown in margarines varies by manufacturer and ingredient. Margarine typically contains approximately 10 grams of fat per tablespoon. However, to solidify the vegetable oils used to make margarine, the oils have to be hydrogenized. In the hydrogenization process, trans fatty acids are created. Trans fatty acids have a double whammy effect of increasing LDLs and lowering the high density lipoproteins (HDLs)--the "good cholesterol." 

Can olive oil be used to replace butter and margarine in recipes?

Yes!!! Butter and margarine have an unbelievable taste, and there are certain uses of butter and margarine for which there is no satisfactory replacement in the American Diet -buttered toast at breakfast comes to mind.? Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been described as "buttery" by many consumers in taste tests. Extra Virgin Olive Oil can be used in place of butter or margarine in many recipes, such as on vegetables, rice, potatoes, and--yes-even corn on the cob!

How do you store olive oil?

Olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place away from sunlight. Properly stored, olive oil can keep for at least two to three years. It is, however, at its peak within a year of production, and is its most flavorful for the first six months. Olive oil may be stored in the refrigerator, but not preferred. If chilled, olive oil will become cloudy and eventually solidify or crystallize. Should this happen, the oil is perfectly fine; just leave the oil at room temperature for a time to restore it to its natural state.

Can olive oil be used in baking recipes that call for butter, margarine, vegetable oil or shortening?

Yes!!! Try olive oil in your muffin, cake and cornbread recipes (but not in recipes in which butter is the principal flavor like butter cookies or pound cake).

Can olive oil be used to "grease" a pan in place of butter or vegetable oil?

Yes, and a healthy greaser at that!!!

Picking Olive Oil That is Right For You

Extra virgin, virgin, light, pomace, filtered, cold pressed, stone milled, organic….the list goes on and on.  If you are confused about which olive oil to buy, you are not alone.  Luckily there are a few keys to choosing the right olive oil: first is knowing the types of olive oil available, the second is considering what you will use it for. Learning the different grades of olive oil and their characteristics will help you make sense of what you read on labels.

Next decide is which type of oil will best suit your intended purpose.  Are you buying oil to drizzle on a piece of country bread, to use on your skin, to make soap, or to burn in an oil lamp?  Different uses may require different oils.  The question is: Which oil for what? Here is an attempt to point you in the right direction.

ALL OLIVE OILS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL

After you read the descriptions of the various grades of olive oil, you will still probably be wondering what this means to you as a consumer.

Although there are many grades and definitions, we would like to emphasize only a few points that we think are most relevant to you as a consumer. The most important factor is to understand how the oil was obtained from the olive. Virgin olive oil is obtained from the olive only, using solely mechanical or other physical means, in conditions, particularly thermal conditions, which do not alter the oil in any way. It is pure fruit juice, so to speak. It also meets a set of chemical standards.

Refined olive oil is obtained by treating low quality or defective virgin olive oil with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters.  An obsolete equivalent is "pure olive oil".  Note that no solvents are used in the refining process.

Though it may be confusing, you should be aware that the term olive oil, when used alone, refers to a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil.

Pomace is the ground flesh and pits left after the extraction process.  According to the IOOC, all olive-pomace oils are obtained by treating it with solvents or other physical treatments.  Within the olive-pomace oils category, oil specifically labeled as olive-pomace oil is a blend of virgin olive oil and refined pomace oil.  

WHAT DOES EXTRA VIRGIN MEAN TO YOU AS A CONSUMER?

Extra virgin is the highest grade of olive oil.  As with all virgin olive oils, it is made mechanically, without the use of chemicals or excessive heat and meets some chemical and organoleptic standards.  The chemical characteristics of extra virgin olive oil (as with all vegetable oils) give an indication of the care with which it was made and stored: how the fruit was grown, transported and harvested, how it was milled into oil, and how the oil was packaged and bottled. Chemical testing can also help determine if the oil is adulterated. The chemical standards for extra virgin olive oil are the highest of all the grades and, as such, offer a minimum guarantee of quality.

 In addition to chemical characteristics, extra virgin olive oil also has certain organoleptic characteristics: it does not have taste defects yet is not totally flavorless. This does not guarantee it will taste good to you, however.

Having said all that, it is important to recognize that there are huge differences among extra virgin olive oils in terms of their quality, taste, aroma, color, health benefits, shelf life, presentation, and or course their price.  Extra virgin olive oils can be anything from very delicate and mellow to quite bitter and pungent. Their anti-oxidant content varies considerably.

It is sometimes hard to tell just from the label what you are looking at on the shelf, even if the oil is labeled extra virgin. You cannot even be certain that the oil is truly extra virgin as, at this point in time, there is no federal standard to guarantee that oil labeled as extra virgin is indeed extra virgin. The USDA is working on new standards.  New laws now exist in some states.  The California Olive Oil Council certifies oils as extra virgin.  For domestic olive oils, look for the COOC seal and try to buy oil from the most recent harvest.   In addition, there are many claims made on labels such as first pressed, cold pressed, stone milled, hand crafted… The list is as long as the imagination of the marketing people.

Finally, as we are often asked for a sound bite description of what extra virgin means, we would say that Extra Virgin = High Quality Olive Juice + Good Taste.

TO USE AS A CONDIMENT (UNHEATED)

A high quality extra virgin olive oil is perfect as a condiment, drizzled over fish, meat, steamed vegetables or baked potatoes, in salad dressings, as a bread dipper, as the base for mayonnaise and uncooked sauces, or rubbed on a piece of bread, to name only a few examples. Check out some of our recipes for more ideas. As the oil is left unheated, you reap the full benefits of its flavor and aroma, as well as of its health qualities. You won’t use very much so it is well worth the higher price of a gourmet extra virgin olive oil.

Think of extra virgin olive oil as you would of wine.  Pair it with foods, find the right match.  Use a mild to medium strength oil for salad dressings or as a condiment over mild food, such as mozzarella.  Switch to a robust olive oil to drizzle over fresh tomatoes or a hearty dish.  Use your imagination to create various mixes of flavors you like.  More and more stores offer olive oil tasting and sampling.  Take advantage of it to decide which oils you like the most. In the end, that is what matters.

Storage Tip: as light and heat are detrimental to the oil, keep your oil in a dark, cool place, away from the stove.  Dark glass protects the oil from light, including halogen and fluorescent lights, much better than clear glass.  Beware of clear bottles of olive oil on the top shelf at the store.

 TO BROWN, STIR FRY, OR FRY WITH

Among olive oils, extra virgin oil has the highest smoke point (that is, it tolerates high heat), but this point varies even among extra virgin olive oils depending on their acidity.

The second consideration is that heating the oil for frying will destroy much of its flavor and aroma, so there is no point in buying an expensive oil. I strongly suggest using extra virgin (no point in buying the best though) or virgin olive oil for browning or sautéing, and a cheap, flavorless oil with a high smoke point for frying - something like canola, soy or peanut oil.

ENJOY ITS HEALTH BENEFITS

If you are especially interested in the health benefit aspects of olive oil, the best choice is extra virgin olive oil, preferably a very high quality one, as it is likely that its production method left most anti-oxidants and other healthy components intact. The more recently the oil was made, the better, so make sure to pick one with a harvesting or “Best By” date.

One of the greatest benefits of extra virgin olive oil is its antioxidant content.  Keep in mind, however, that antioxidants in olive oil are bitter.  The higher the antioxidant content, the more bitter the oil will be.  This may be in direct contradiction with either your personal taste or an optimum food pairing: if you drizzle a very bitter extra virgin olive oil on mozzarella, for instance, or use it to make mayonnaise, the olive oil bitterness may completely overpower the cheese or the food you are eating with the mayonnaise.  On the other hand, a garlic and olive oil pasta dish can work very well with a bitter oil.

TO USE ON YOUR SKIN

Olive oil has been used for thousand of years (especially by the ancient Greeks) as a beauty product for both skin and hair.  If you use it as a moisturizer, we recommend a high quality extra virgin olive oil, as you will use very little.  Pure and light olive may have been chemically processed.  Some people pour some olive oil in their bath water: a good choice for this is a virgin or refined olive oil.

 TO MAKE SOAP

Most people use pomace or refined oil to make olive oil soap because of their lower price and better saponification properties. If you use a virgin olive oil, make certain that the oil is relatively fresh, otherwise, your soap may develop DOS, aka the Dreaded Orange Spots. The orange spots show up on the soap bars a few weeks after they are produced if the oil is too old, even if it looks normal and does not smell or appear rancid.

TO BURN IN AN OIL LAMP

People have used olive oil with cotton or linen wicks to cleanse the air around them and to keep flames burning for light for thousand of years. Use pomace oil or any kind of cheap olive oil.

IF IT SEEMS TOO CHEAP…

It is important to understand that many things can be done in the process of making olive oil to decrease production costs and increase yield.  Most of these result in lowering the quality of the product.  You will see a wide difference in the price per ounce of extra virgin olive oils on the shelf. While there seems to be no upper limit to what some producers charge for their oil, it is definitely the case that extra virgin olive oil is not cheap to produce.  A very rough rule of thumb is that, if the oil is less than $14.00 for a 500ml bottle (like a bottle of wine), the chances are high that the oil is not extra virgin!