How to Buy Olive Oil
There are hundreds of extra-virgin olive oils on the market from different Italian regions, and most of them are quite good.
But how do we choose one bottle over another? How many of us are buying a product because of its price or packaging rather than its content?
Labels can say anything at all--and are sometimes misleading embellishments or contain outright false statements.
It's very important to choose a good quality olive oil if our goal is to dress food and highlight its character and distinctiveness.
Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age. It should be consumed within its first year before it loses all its sensory qualities.
To be sure of its freshness, check the harvest year, which should be printed on the label.
Each olive oil has different characteristics, depending on where the trees were planted, the type of cultivar (tree) planted, how ripe the olives were when they were picked, how they were picked and how they were processed.
Among the chief producers of extra-virgin olive oil are Spain and Italy. Other Mediterranean countries like Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Algeria and France are also large producers. Argentina, Australia, Chile, the United States and South Africa all grow olives as well. All Italian regions produce excellent and varied olive oils, with the exception of the Northern regions, which produce no oil.
Olives picked early in the season yield a fruity olive oil, while olives picked in the middle of the season yield an olive with harmonic flavor. On the other hand, olives harvested late in the season tend to yield a gentle olive oil.
Some of us prefer fruity olive oils, others are partial to milder ones. There is no right or wrong: the only thing that matters is quality.
Of course, different olive oils are better suited to different dishes, so that a fruity olive oil on a steamed fish might be a little excessive, and a mild olive oil on a sauté redolent with garlic would be overshadowed.
Olive oil should be stored in a closed container, away from heat or light. Correctly stored, good oil has a shelf life of 12 to 18 months. Do not store oil in the refrigerator, however. If you do, it will congeal and acquire a gel-like consistency. Just leave it at room temperature for half an hour, and it will return to its previous texture.
Sample different oils every month with our Italian Olive Oil Club.
Want to buy gourmet olive oils? Check out our store.