LOCATION AND CLIMATE

 

As you might expect, olives grown in cooler areas where there is more moisture (rainfall and dew) exhibit leaner, more restrained characteristics.  This doesn’t however mean that great oil can now be made in Iceland – you need a minimum amount of sunshine to make your Extra Virgin Olive Oil taste remarkable, similarly to tomatoes or stone fruit.

Olive trees are sensitive to winter freeze (the Casaliva cultivar is more resistant to cold, hence being grown in the Garda region).  It is also easier to farm organically where the climate is more stable and less chemical sprays are required to keep the trees healthy.

OLIVE MATURITY

 

Here’s the thing – all olives are green.  When they become fully mature, they turn black.
Olive maturity at the time of harvest is a major factor in flavour and quality: olives harvested earlier (green olives) feature more bitter, grassy characteristics, with lower yields and with the highest anti-oxidant content.  The oil is a much more intense green colour and has a longer shelf-life.  In terms of production, milling can take longer with green olives (a longer malaxation - the action of slowly churning milled olives to release droplets of oil - is needed and can be more complicated) but the results are far superior!  Don’t choose olive oil from over mature fruit: it lacks all the potential goodness and flavour.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL IN GROVE AND MILL

 

People who care passionately about what they make and follow it personally every day have the capacity to create products with far higher quality, with integrity, and that taste of where they come from.  They are also able to do this by caring for the environment they inhabit.

FRANTOIO DI RIVA BOX

This box contains 6 bottles of extra virgin olive oil made exclusively by Frantoio di Riva from groves on the banks of lake Garda.

Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO green label x 3 bottles (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO organic white label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO blue label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, ULIVA Garda Trentino DOP x 1 bottle (50cl)

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September 20, 2023 In EVOO, Health

Top 10 Olive Oil Myths

There are many myths surrounding extra virgin olive oil and there’s a huge deal of misinformation out there, so we thought it was time to set the record straight.

 

1. You can’t cook with extra virgin olive oil.

One of the most widespread myths regarding extra virgin olive oil is that you can’t cook with it, however this is false. You can and should cook with extra virgin olive oil – it is one of the safest and most stable oils to cook with.  While many believe that the smoke point of an oil indicates its safety for cooking, research has shown this to be false. Instead, the concentration of antioxidants and the fat profile of an oil are more likely to predict its stability when heated. Extra virgin olive oil is high in stable monounsaturated fats and is also full of antioxidants making it suitable for all domestic cooking including deep frying, roasting, sautéing and baking.

 

2. ‘Light’ extra virgin olive oil is lower in calories.

All types of oil have the same number of calories – around 681kJ (163 calories) per 20mL tablespoon. ‘Light’ refers to the flavour profile of the oil and indicates that the flavour will be mild or delicate rather than robust and peppery. Due to its milder flavour, ‘light’ EVOO works well as a substitute for butter in baking, or for dishes where you want a more neutral flavoured oil.

 

3. You should only have a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in your diet.

Some people believe the amount of fat in the diet should be minimised; however, this is not the case. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a healthy fat, and research shows that benefits come from consuming around 2-4 tbsp (25-50mL) per day.

 

4. You can’t use extra virgin olive oil with non-stick pans.

There is a common myth that EVOO can’t be used with non-stick pans, however there is absolutely no evidence to support this.

 

In 2019, the Modern Olives Laboratory conducted an assessment on the suitability of EVOO and other oils for use on Teflon coated pans. The research found no significant difference between the oils for the volumes of metal released from the pans, suggesting no impact on the pan’s quality or integrity upon cooking with EVOO.

 

5. Extra virgin olive oil can’t be used in Asian-style cooking.

Extra virgin olive oil is most commonly associated with Mediterranean style cooking; however it is suitable for all types of cuisines, including Asian style dishes.  I’m going to go in to this further in the weeks ahead, so watch this space.

 

6. Heating extra virgin olive oil ruins its health benefits.

Heating extra virgin olive oil does not ruin all its health benefits. Heating any oil will reduce the antioxidant content, as antioxidants are sensitive to high temperatures. However, it’s important to consider the loss relative to other cooking oils. Since EVOO contains much higher quantities of antioxidants than most other cooking oils, even after heating the antioxidant quantity will still be higher than other oils.

 

7. Extra virgin olive oil doesn’t go off.

Extra virgin olive oil does have a long shelf life when it is stored correctly however all cooking oils oxidise over time, and extra virgin olive oil is no exception  Good quality EVOO should last for around 12-18 months unopened, but once the bottle is open it’s best to consume within a couple of months.  That’s not to say the oil will be rancid after 6 weeks, but it will lose some of the flavour and health properties after this time.

 

In order to keep your olive oil fresh, try to keep it away from heat, light and air.  Dark glass helps a lot, but you should avoid direct sunlight and temperature fluctuations, so don’t keep it next to your cooker.

 

8. Heating extra virgin olive oil creates trans fats.

Trans fats are generally created via partial hydrogenation in industrial kitchens.  This process doesn’t happen in domestic or commercial cooking, so there no trans fats produced when heating extra virgin olive oil during home cooking.

 

9. The colour of extra virgin olive oil indicates the quality.

You may be surprised to hear that colour is not an indicator of quality in extra virgin olive oil. EVOO will vary in colour from yellow through to green depending on the variety of olive, the climate and the maturity of the fruit when harvested.  This is why we use dark glass when tasting typically, so that the colour doesn’t influence the senses.

 

10. Pure olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are the same thing.

Olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are often used interchangeably, with many people thinking they are the same thing, but they are truly different.  Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest grade of olive oil and is simply freshly pressed juice of the olive.  Pressed mechanically and unrefined, it is high in antioxidants and plant compounds that are highly beneficial for your health.

 

By contrast, olive oil, including ‘pure olive oil’ is lower in quality and has been refined – during this process most of the antioxidants and plant compounds are stripped out so the resulting oil is quite different.