All you want to know about Olive Oil
Olive oil is lauded for its health benefits as often as for its unique flavor. Not all olive oils are alike, however. Most olive oil aficionados insist that the best olive oils came from Greece, Italy or Spain. Olive oils from France and California have gained also recognition for their flavor profiles.
Learn about different types of olive oils and how to buy, store, and use this delicious oil below.
Olive Oil Health Properties
Olive oil is mainly made up of 8 monounsaturated fatty acids and void of cholesterol. It also contains antioxidants and vitamin E. Learn more about the health benefits of olive oil.
Olive Oil Grades
Olive oil is graded based on how the olives are processed and the acidity level of the final oil. For the maximum flavor and health benefits, buy extra virgin olive oil. Learn more about Types of Olive Oil.
How to Store Olive Oil Heat, light, and air all affect olive oil in a negative way. Olive oil is best stored in sealable metal tins or dark glass bottles to protect the oil from the light. These darkened containers should then be kept away from light and heat. That glass bottle of olive oil next to the stove? The smart bet says that oil is rancid. How to Taste Olive Oil Professionals taste olive oil plain, from a spoon or small cup. They smell it first, noting aromas before tasting it. They then sip the oil and let it coat their mouths, noting levels of acid, pungency, and fruitiness.
At home, feel free to taste olive oil by dipping a piece of plain white bread into the oil (baguette or ciabatta works well) or do as the professionals do and simply slurp it plain. If it's turned rancid, as olive oil left in heat or light does quite quickly, it will have a sharp bite that isn't the desired pungency. It will make your mouth pucker instead of the kick to the back of your throat that more pungent olive oils tend to have.
Cooking Uses for Olive Oil
When you go to the trouble and expense of buying high-quality olive oil, use it where it can shine: to dress salads and drizzle on dishes. Lesser quality olive oil can make a good cooking oil.
While olive oil gets used in scads of recipes, here are a few where the flavor and even the unique texture of olive oil plays an important role:
Marinated Baby Artichokes are cooked in a vinegar bath before being "cured" in jars of olive oil
Smoked Paprika Soup and Fava Bean Soup both get a hit of flavor and soothing smoothness from a swirl of olive oil as a garnish.
Skordalia is a mixture of potato, almond, and olive oil used as a dip or a spread and full of olive oil flavor.
Aïoli is a garlicky homemade mayonnaise made primarily from olive oil.
Spanish Gazpacho depends on olive oil to soften the acidic edge of tomatoes.
Baked goods made with olive oil stay fresher longer, just be sure to look for olive oil-specific recipes, since the flavor of olive oil needs to be balanced out more than does vegetable oil or butter.