You came to Frantoi because you were interested in the quality of your Extra Virgin Olive Oil, where it has come from, how it has been made. You are also interested in its magical high polyphenol powers. If we haven’t yet spoken in person, welcome.

This is not just relevant for those who are new to Frantoi this year, it’s important for us all to remember that Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a highly seasonal product and is simply freshly pressed juice, no additives, no preservatives, other than its natural polyphenols.

Because of this, your oils will go on a gradual journey of ageing… it happens to the best of us. In the case of extra virgin olive oil however, this isn’t really what we want because when they age, the polyphenols also drop back. So, for this reason here are some key hacks to keep in mind.

• Open your oils as soon as possible. They are intensely good for you now, at the start of the season.
• Open a few bottles at a time. If you are new to Frantoi, you might think this sounds like a crazy idea, but each oil you receive is made from a different olive cultivar and therefore tastes slightly different (think of different grape varieties and how different the resulting wine can be – that is also true of great extra virgin olive oil).
• Once open, your bottles will be good for 3-4 months, so you have plenty of time to enjoy the oils. Use them lavishly, there is no downside to their benefits.
• Store your oil carefully. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is sensitive to light and heat fluctuations, so the worst thing you can do is to keep the bottles near to the window or next to the stove. Instead, find a corner of the kitchen that is stable in terms of light and heat, or keep them in the cupboard or pantry. Unopened bottles should also be stored upright, not on their sides.
• Experiment with your oils, add them to different dishes and see what works best and what you like most!
• I’m often asked about drinking the oils neat – of course you can do this, but you don’t have to. In actual fact the best way to enjoy them is to integrate them into your daily diet. It raises your cooking game significantly, but it also has the benefit of raising the nutritional value of everything you serve the oils with. So both for personal enjoyment and for health, I would suggest incorporating them in to your meals, rather than purely drinking them.
• The shelf life of your oils is 18 months from now, so there is no worry, they will be good to carry you through until the next harvest.

Each box we send to you has a QR code inside. Please open this with your telephone to find out more about the specific oils you ordered as well as some recipes. And finally, don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions at all, we are here to help.