The Greeks and Romans used it make their athletes glisten. It was used in food, medicine, rituals and as a base for soap. Historically olive oil has had significance in numerous religious texts, including the Old Testament, wherein olive oil was used to anoint God’s chosen and was used as fuel for the Menorah.
Today olive oil tastings, like wine tastings, are in vogue. Frixa Olive Oil exclusively provides the olive oil to the Athens Café in St. Augustine, where they sometimes hold tastings. Visit frixaoliveoil.net for more details.
They say that extra virgin olive oil is the best for everything, but that actually depends on what you’re using it for. There are basically three grades of olive oil: extra virgin, virgin and pure olive oil.
For marinades and uncooked uses, you’ll want to stick with extra virgin. Extra virgin olive oil comes from top grade olives and has less than 1% acidity. The oil itself will be darker in color and bolder in flavor. There’s no need to use this more expensive stuff for frying or sautéing, as it will lose most of the character it’s so prized for during cooking anyway. Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first select pressing of the olives, using a cold press with no chemicals. It’s called “extra virgin” because it’s handled the least and is closest to its most natural state.
Use pure olive oil (which is actually the lowest grade) for heavy duty frying. Pure olive oil is more processed and lighter in color than virgin and extra virgin. Virgin is one grade down from extra virgin, with a 2% or lower acidity.
In general olive oil can be used for frying, but it’s better in baking and as a salad dressing. High temperature frying isn’t a good idea, but if it’s the primary fat in sautéing or frying, use pure olive oil.
Light olive oil is a largely unregulated classification, so don’t bother buying it. It does not mean that the oil is “lite” and has less fat. Often light olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils to lower production cost.
Make sure you store your olive oil in a cool place. If you have dark, airtight container you can pour it into, you should, as light and oxygen decay olive oil. Olive oil takes on the characteristics of what it’s stored in, so materials such as plastic and wood are to be avoided. Glass is best. Olive oil soaks up flavor and smell readily, which is why it’s a great flavor carrier. Place dried herbs in the oil container for an olive oil infused with flavor.
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