Olive Oil

[RWebb]

"The modern American, with all his patent contrivances...will never know...a full tide of health until he returns to the proper admixture of olive oil in his diet. Until he again recognizes the value and use of olive oil, he will continue to drag his consumptive-thinned, liver-shrivelled, mummified-skinned, and constipated and pessimistic anatomy about...in a vain search for lost health."

- Dr P.E. Remondino, Olive Grower's Convention, California 1891.

[masraum]

And most of the OO out there is crap. A bunch of it isn't even OO.

I read a bunch of articles about OO a while back. It's amazing how much cheap, crappy OO is being sold as EVOO and how much of it isn't even OO. Apparently, high grade EVOO should tickle your throat and make you cough if you drink it. I wrote down a few brands of the stuff that tested good in the UC Davis report below and have been looking for them in grocery stores for a few years (not actively searching, just checking when I found myself in a new store with an extensive range of product). I finally found one of the good California growers' brands when I was in FL. I definitely has the chemicals to tickle your throat.

I got some arbequina oil made by "California Olive Ranch. Some of the other brands that I wrote down were Pianogrillo from Sicily, Vicopisano from Tuscany and La Mozza from Mario Batali. I think, IIRC, that the last one is a good one, but not a great one.

Lab tests cast doubt on olive oil's virginity - Los Angeles Times
the report

More than two-thirds of common brands of extra-virgin olive oil found in California grocery stores aren't what they claim to be, according to a report by researchers at UC Davis.

The result: 69% of the imported oils sampled and one of the 10 California-produced samples failed to meet internationally accepted standards for extra-virgin olive oil.

"Our laboratory tests found that samples of imported olive oil labeled as 'extra-virgin' and sold at retail locations in California often did not meet international and U.S. standards," the authors wrote in the report. The samples failed because of a variety of factors: heat, light exposure, age, adulteration with cheaper, refined olive oil, oils made from damaged or overripe olives, processing flaws and improper storage.

The report.
http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/news-events/news/files/olive%20oil%20final%20071410%20.pdf

Slimy Business: Counterfeit Olive Oil Ring Busted in Central Italy | Andrea Vogt

17 people and six commercial operations were brought under investigation on fraud-related charges Monday after approximately 5 tons of olive oil was confiscated by Carabinieri officials in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and Lazio regions.

. In fact the 5,000 liters of counterfeit oil confiscated by authorities was nothing more than low-grade sunflower oil with chlorophyll and beta-carotene added. Once chemically doctored to give it color, flavor and the right smell, it was being sold to producers for distribution to restaurants, door-to-door sales and other large scale commercial operations. It is unclear how many producers (if any) were aware that the oil they were being sold had been doctored. Approximately 2,500 liters were found in garages in Tuscany and Lazio, where the fraudulent oil was being bottled. Another 5000 litres was located in silos. According to the Caribinieri news release about the operation, police also confiscated 73 kilograms of Chlorophyll and 4 jars of beta-carotene, enough to doctor 500,000 liters of oil that could have gone into circulation, for an estimated market value of over 500,000 euros.

A similar bust in southern Italy in 2008 led to the arrest of 60 people and closure of 90 farms and plants. But it is a scam present across the Mediterranean. Two Spaniards were sentenced to prison time in Cordoba late last year for selling hundreds of thousands of litres of “extra virgin” olive oil that actually was 70-80% sunflower oil. In today’s case, Caribinieri officials confirmed a link to Spain and northern Africa, where the chlorophyll and beta-carotene originated. In Italy, many of the top brands advertise their olive oil is made with “100%” olives of Italian origin, since quality controls may be different in Greece, Spain and other olive-producing Mediterranean countries. But where there is potential for profit, there’s potential for corruption.

[Rot 911]

Uh huh, just fry up that cast iron skillet chicken in olive oil and see how it tastes.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Uh huh, just fry up that cast iron skillet chicken in olive oil and see how it tastes.

Or make some brownies with OO. The wife tried that once a long time ago, BLECH!!

[R K T]

Best we've ever had.....from Croatia.

[Zeke]

I scrambled eggs with just a dash of olive oil and it didn't ruin them. I hardly knew it was there, but if I didn't tell you, you would say something is a bit funky.

I can do funky.

I can do the funky chicken.

[dan88911]

Look for Calif. olive oil with the the California olive council certification.
I like the oil from Corto Olive Co. from the central valley. I am sure there are some other good ones. I think the extras are for dipping & saute. Too much heat alters the oil.

[E38Driver]

I get some of mine from these guys. No affiliation just good oil. Their balsamic's are good too.
Temecula Olive Oil - California's Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Temecula Olive Oil Company

Dave

[masraum]

I scrambled eggs with just a dash of olive oil and it didn't ruin them. I hardly knew it was there, but if I didn't tell you, you would say something is a bit funky.



I can do funky.



I can do the funky chicken.

Depends on the oil too. Some olive oils have a very strong sharp flavor/aroma and some are much more mild.

[sc_rufctr]

I use organically produced olive oil in most of my cooking. It's grown locally and it's expensive so I buy it in bulk. You really can't skimp on OO.
If you can't find good stuff locally produced then buy the good stuff from Spain, Italy or Greece.

Green is good. Virgin and fresh... When it goes off colour towards brown it's old.
Don't use too much but you can make great salad dressings with a bit of imagination. It doesn't go rancid after heating.

It's chock full of vitamins and energy. Not high carb but useful slow burn energy for daily living.

[944Larry]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I scrambled eggs with just a dash of olive oil and it didn't ruin them. I hardly knew it was there, but if I didn't tell you, you would say something is a bit funky.

I can do funky.

I can do the funky chicken.

That's a hoot Zeke! I haven't thought about the "funky chicken" in 20 years!

[944Larry]

Originally Posted by RWebb

"The modern American, with all his patent contrivances...will never know...a full tide of health until he returns to the proper admixture of olive oil in his diet. Until he again recognizes the value and use of olive oil, he will continue to drag his consumptive-thinned, liver-shrivelled, mummified-skinned, and constipated and pessimistic anatomy about...in a vain search for lost health."

- Dr P.E. Remondino, Olive Grower's Convention, California 1891.

Uhhh, like I didn't have enough to worry about, now I've got bogus OO to contend with.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

If you can't find good stuff locally produced then buy the good stuff from Spain, Italy or Greece.

After a lot of reading back when I read the articles about the counterfeiting, apparently, the US and especially California are making some very good OO. It's biggest problem is that people are used to thinking that good OO has to come from Spain, Italy, Greece, etc..., so they don't think Cali product is as good.

I would guess that one of the benefits of the Cali product would also be that it should be fresher when we get it because it doesn't have to ride on the slow boat over from EU.

[RWebb]

Puglia -- the new Tuscany

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by masraum

After a lot of reading back when I read the articles about the counterfeiting, apparently, the US and especially California are making some very good OO. It's biggest problem is that people are used to thinking that good OO has to come from Spain, Italy, Greece, etc..., so they don't think Cali product is as good.

I would guess that one of the benefits of the Cali product would also be that it should be fresher when we get it because it doesn't have to ride on the slow boat over from EU.

Do you know someone with a Greek, Italian or Spanish background?

Ask them if you do. They'll recommend what they use. Local is the best.

EDIT: I know some local Greeks and they put me onto the organically grown local stuff.

[Bill Douglas]

THere was a documentary on TV here and to cut a long story short virgin olive oil has lost it's virginity by the time it gets to New Zealand. It goes off over a short period of time and by the time it gets here it's rubbish. I'm not too impressed with the (award winning) local ones either so I use rice bran oil.

[jyl]

I use olive oil almost exclusively in cooking, and don't get too fussed about how extra virgin it is. By the time it's been heated in the sauté pan, soaked into broiled toast, drowned a fish, or mixed with vinegar and garlic, I can't really tell if it is first press, California, extra, whatever. Since I don't actually sip my olive oil from tasting glasses, I don't care about that level of taste and nuance.

[masraum]

Since I don't actually sip my olive oil from tasting glasses, I don't care about that level of taste and nuance.

But how would you feel if you found out that it was actually canola oil with coloring and flavoring added to make it seem like olive oil?

[intakexhaust]

All good comments. There's lots of misrepresented product out there and just as many are nasty. We've been buying for years Filippo Berio 'Extra Virgin' OO imported from Italy. Gold and green can 3 liter runs over $30 but we stock up when its on sale $14-18 can. Big difference when you have the extra virgin and quality product.

[jyl]

I'd be pissed because a large part of why I use it is for the good monounsaturated fat which canola etc oil doesn't have. Yeah, I definitely want to be getting actual olive oil, even if I'm not all connoisseur about it.

Quote

Since I don't actually sip my olive oil from tasting glasses, I don't care about that level of taste and nuance.

But how would you feel if you found out that it was actually canola oil with coloring and flavoring added to make it seem like olive oil?