What’s the Difference? Really!
Misleading labels and missing information makes it next to impossible to make an informed decision when choosing an extra virgin olive oil in our grocery stores…
Choosing an Extra Virgin Olive Oil - The Basics
I’ll cut right to the chase… If you’re reading this blog post, you’ve won half the battle, because you’re already asking the important questions: How do I choose an extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)? Is my olive oil authentic, pure and fresh? What is the deal with all of the “fake” oils I hear about on the news? What is the difference between the myriad of choices on the shelves? In the current state of today’s food industry, these questions are hugely important,…especially for extra virgin olive oil. The quality and integrity of extra virgin olive oil products in the USA is a very complex subject, worthy of several blog posts. As an overview, I’d like to start with some main points which I will later expand on in subsequent more detailed posts.
WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?
HARVEST DATE
ORIGIN OF THE OLIVES
COLOR
THE BOTTLE
What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
According to the International Olive Council (IOC), olive oil is classified under the following criteria and categories…
“Virgin Olive Oil is defined as the oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, including thermal conditions, that do not lead to alterations of the oil, and have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration.” Virgin Olive Oil can be sub-categorized even further by testing the free acidity content (oleic acid). For our purposes, we will list the following three…
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - free acidity is not more than 0.8% (highest quality designation)
Virgin Olive Oil - free acidity is not more than 2.0%
Lampante Oil - free acidity more than 3.3% (not fit for consumption)
An increased free acidity level is an indicator of any unwanted alteration of the olive oil via excess heat, light or oxygen during extraction and storage. Therefore, it is a great piece of information to look for on the label. Unfortunately, there is no requirement in the USA to disclose this data. It is solely up to the producer. Also, terms such as cold pressed, first cold pressed…etc, are merely marketing terms and are redundant if the olive oil is already listed as extra virgin.
Look for a harvest date.
Everyone knows that wine gets better with age. Think of EVOO as the opposite of wine. The best time to consume EVOO is immediately after it is harvested and extracted. Once the olive is picked from the tree, the oxidation process begins and it continues at varying rates through the production and storage phases. So, always look for a harvest date that is as recent as possible, ideally within one year. For the same reason, it is also a good idea to consume your EVOO within a few months from opening it. In Italy, the harvest is usually in the autumn, so for most of 2024 the most recent harvest date would be for example: November 2023. If you’re wondering about the Best By Date, it’s my opinion that this is a useless piece of information without the harvest date, because it is measured from the date of packaging. Many store bought EVOOs are stored first in bulk, transported and then blended with other oils which can take some time after the actual harvest. This brings me to my next point…
Where are the olives grown? Where are they traveling to?
You may notice that many store bought olive oil labels contain the following information…
This is a common practice which basically means that the olive oil may or may not consist of oils that have travelled a long distance before final bottling. Just because the bottle says, Made in Italy or Produced in Italy, it does not necessarily mean that the olives were grown in Italy. It may have only been bottled in Italy, but containing non-Italian ingredients. Ideally, look for extra virgin olive oils which are grown on a single estate, then immediately extracted and bottled on the premises or at the local mill. Learn as much as you can about the producer and their methods. The really good ones are often very willing to share information with their customers.
What color should my EVOO be?
This might be considered a trick question. There is a common misconception that a higher quality, or more authentic, EVOO should be more green in color. This simply is not true. If the olives are harvested when they are less ripe, they will be green and the oil will reflect this color. If the olives are more ripe, they will be more black and the oil will be more golden in color. The taste may also become more mellow or smooth, but the quality is the same. When a proper EVOO tasting is performed, it is often done in a cobalt blue glass to mask the color because color is not an indicator of quality. It is just a matter of preference.
What type of bottle is best?
The 3 enemies of EVOO are heat, oxygen and light. EVOO must avoid these at all costs as they contribute to the oxidizing process. As a consumer, you have little control over heat and oxygen until after you buy the product. But, you can definitely choose an oil that is already in a protective container that blocks external light sources. Avoid any EVOO that is stored in a transparent container, unless the bottle is packaged inside some sort of box that will block the light. The most widely acceptable bottle color is the dark green, opaque bottle which blocks the harmful UV light.
Now you’re ready!
I hope that this has equipped you with some basic EVOO info, and that it will help you to choose a fresh and authentic extra virgin olive oil. If you are used to grocery store bought olive oils, I promise, you will find it difficult to ever go back!
