Cold Pressed Olive Oil Selection Tips

By Jerry Reynolds


The word "cold pressed" has been used as a label describing olive oil. Its use is generally unregulated. Should you walk into any supermarket today, the shelves are filled with several kinds of extra virgin oils, and given that you have no benefit to taste any, you may not get the taste of their quality unless you learn to read their labels carefully. In this way, you will be able to distinguish cold pressed olive oil from the brands that do not offer the real deal.

To begin with, the word "cold-pressed" simply indicated that heat was not used when extracting the oil from olives. In order to get a increased quantity of oil from the olives, the producers typically use heat in the process of extraction. This, however, destroys the delicate flavors and aromas that are highly priced. Any temperature not exceeding 80.6F qualifies to be cold-pressed.

In addition to these, most stores do not offer their customers an opportunity to sample different tastes, and you may have to use your eyes when making the choice. However, you might be lucky to find a store where you have the chance to sample several brands. This can be useless unless you are aware of what taste you are looking for.

Unlike most other products, it is not always straightforward to judge these oils with their color. The good quality ones may have colors ranging from yellow gold to grass-like green or bright green. Unlike most other liquid products, rich, deep color does not mean higher quality or better flavor.

With regard to the origin, it is important to certify that the product you are buying was grown, pressed and bottled in the same country, and if possible, by the same company. In most cases, a packed with reading "product of Italy" to indicate that it was packed in Italy. This helps make a good choice, particularly is the region had a bad year.

Regarding the origin, there are regions that are known to produce top quality olives. This may help you make a good selection. A product with a label, "product of Italy" is not enough as this may only indicate that is it packaged in Italy, but the origin may be any other part of the world. As such, try and determine the real place of origin.

The heat-treated olives usually give a neutral flavor and are more popular for baking and deep-frying given that it has a higher smoking point. They still offer the health benefits such as lowering the cholesterol level. They, however, lack the antioxidant benefits associated with the cold pressed option.

In summary, the fastest way to select the right oil is to consider if it has DOP certification in addition to specifications such as the date of harvest (should be fresh), the region of origin (give an idea of the taste and quality), and the container used for packaging. In this regards, a dark tainted glass bottle is the best container. The environmental elements like heat, light and air are great enemies of these oils and storing them in a clear bottle of plastic containers expose them to photo-oxidation making them taste bitter or rancid.




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