Olive Oil A Cooking Staple

In most modern kitchens, one of the essential items you will often find is olive oil. We use it in many dishes, and the right choice of olive oil can make the difference between a decent meal and a spectacular one. However, many of us have never considered what to look for when choosing our olive oil.

Olive oils used to be an expensive speciality item, but now they are available many places, but our favorite is our store in Lemoyne and also through our online store. Although olive oils can range greatly in cost, there is more to look for than the price tag when you search for the right olive oil. It all depends on how you plan to use your oil, and with many options to choose from, you are sure to find the right type for your cooking needs.

Good Oil Starts with the Olives

There are over seven hundred different kinds of olives, which make for thousands of different kinds of oil. Olives are stone fruits, like cherries and plums, and olive oil is fresh-squeezed juice from these fruits. Authentic olive oil is made by crushing the fruits and extracting their juices through a few simple steps, making it a considerably healthy addition to any meal.

Olive Oil Storage

Unlike wine, olive oil declines with age, and it is best as fresh as possible. Olive oil is perishable, and it declines rapidly once it has been exposed to air. After the bottle is opened, the olive oil inside needs to be consumed within six to nine months.

If the olive oil crush date on a particular bottle is within a year of the current date, the oil is likely to be quite fresh. Tastealotta olive oil unopened and stored properly is good for up to year and will retain all it’s wonderful attributes. Tastealotta olive oil has no preservatives like many olive oils available in your supermarket.

What To Look For In Olive Oil Selection

Areas with Mediterranean climates, like Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal, and California, are the highest producers of olive oil. While you might be interested to learn about where your olive oil is from, you should not worry too much about its country of origin when it comes to quality. Olive oils come from all over the world, and the most sought after varieties are often the highest priced.

One of the main questions you may have is whether or not you should be concerned with the difference between a glass or plastic bottle. The bottle type that the olive oil comes in does not matter too much, but the color of it does. Dark glass or dark plastic with oxygen barriers are best for keeping light out, which helps you maximize the freshness of the oil.

Speaking of color, that of your olive oil itself isn’t necessarily a determinant of quality. Good oils come in all shades, from vivid green to gold to pale straw. Instead, try focusing on how it smells. Every extra virgin olive oil should smell fresh, like newly cut grass, herbs, or ripe tomatoes. If it smells musty, like stale peanuts or moldy cheese, or like nothing at all, then it is likely rancid. Don’t be put off by bitterness or pungency because these are usually indicators of the presence of healthful antioxidants, anti-inflammatories and other components of high quality olive oil.

Olive Oil Uses

Once you’ve chosen the right bottle of olive oil for you, you might be wondering for how long you should keep it. This depends on the freshness of the oil, with the freshest being able to stay potent unoped for a year if stored properly. You may have to try a few different kinds to find the one that will be your favorite. Remember, once you’ve considered all the important factors when buying the oil, make sure to smell it regularly to get a sense of its freshness.

Ideally, you will end up finding a selection of olive oils to use for dipping, sautéing, baking and more. At Tastealotta we focus on supplying fresh high quality olive oil and putting your cooking and health needs first. With the right olive oil, it won’t be long before you experience the taste and health benefits it can provide and are trying many of our wonderful recipes. Be sure to try some of our wonderful infused olive olis to take your culinary experience to a whole other level. Bon appetit!