Proper storage of olive oil is essential for maintaining its quality, with ideal temperatures between 14 °C and 18 °C, away from light. Frying with olive oil is safe and recommended, especially when kept below 180 °C. The shelf life is best within a year of harvest, and clarity in olive oil does not always indicate superior quality. Rich in nutrients, olive oil supports heart health, while its higher price reflects the complex extraction process. An upcoming edition of ‘Merum’ will spotlight top Italian olive oils.
Proper Olive Oil Storage
Refrigerating olive oil is not advisable as the low temperatures can cause it to partially solidify. Instead, the optimal temperature range for storing olive oil is between 14 °C and 18 °C. It’s crucial to keep olive oil away from light, as exposure to sunlight or artificial light can deteriorate its quality.
Specialty retailers understand this and typically do not display premium oils in direct light; only empty bottles may be shown. This is because light, heat, and oxygen can quickly diminish the oil’s quality.
Frying with Olive Oil: Is It Safe?
Frying with olive oil is not only permissible but also recommended! Due to its single double bond, olive oil is less prone to oxidation compared to oils that contain multiple double bonds. The polyphenols found in high-quality extra virgin olive oil further enhance its stability against oxidative damage. The German Society for Fat Science advises keeping frying temperatures below 180 °C, ideally between 160-175 °C. For centuries, people in Mediterranean regions have demonstrated that olive oil is excellent for cooking. It’s commonly drizzled over pasta, meat, and vegetables, and used for frying, deep-frying, and baking.
Olive Oil Shelf Life
Olive oil, derived from the juice of olives, is best enjoyed shortly after production when its flavor and beneficial properties are at their peak. It is advisable to consume olive oil within a year of its harvest before the new oil arrives in the fall.
Understanding the Best Before Date of Olive Oil
There are no strict regulations on best before dates (BBD) for olive oil. Instead, the year of production and the bottling date provide more relevant information. Quality producers usually label these dates on their bottles.
The Truth About Cloudy Olive Oil
Cloudy olive oil often indicates a more natural product. However, natural does not always equate to better. Cloudiness in olive oil, aside from freshly pressed varieties, does not necessarily enhance health benefits or quality. In fact, it can lead to a quicker loss of flavor, color, and nutritious compounds. The cloudiness primarily consists of water and dissolved particles that can impact the oil’s quality. For this reason, high-quality olive oil is typically filtered promptly after extraction.
Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Olive oil is a highly nutritious fat, rich in monounsaturated oleic acid, antioxidants, vitamins, and other essential nutrients. Studies have shown that incorporating olive oil into your diet can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, combat free radicals, and reduce other health risks when it replaces less healthy fats.
Why is Olive Oil Priced Higher?
Extracting oil from olives is inherently more complex than processing seeds harvested by machines. Even in fully mechanized olive groves focusing on mass production, the extraction process is still intricate.
In traditional high-stem systems that demand significant manual labor, the production becomes even more complicated and costly. Additionally, creating high-quality olive oil requires swift processing and state-of-the-art facilities, further driving up costs.
Meet Andreas März
Andreas März serves as the editor for ‘Merum’, a magazine that features a special edition spotlighting the finest olive oils from Italy. Available in stores since April 20, 2024, for 9.90 euros, this edition includes a curated selection of 140 top oils from the latest harvest in Italy. These oils were chosen through a blind tasting process from a pool of 307 candidates and are categorized into three quality levels. Alongside the oil ratings, the guide offers practical tips and background information.