olive oil facts

"All oils, especially extra-virgin olive oils and other unrefined oils, are best kept away from heat and light."

"The best storage tanks are made of materials to protect the oil from air and light, and are kept at relatively constant temperatures."

The following is courtesy of Colavita.com. Thanks Colavita for making excellent olive oil!

Are all extra virgin olive oils the same?
No. Like wines, extra virgin olive oils can vary dramatically in taste, depending upon the type and quality of the fruit that is pressed, the time of harvest, the weather during the growing season, and the region from which the olives were produced.

Connoisseurs generally use the following adjectives in appraising extra virgin olive oils: mild, semi-fruity and fruity, depending on the flavor of the olive that can be detected. Further, some oils, such as the finer oils from Tuscany and Southern Italy, have a peppery finish that many appreciate. COLAVITA is proud that its extra virgin olive oil is the choice of many of the finest chefs--both in restaurants and in home kitchens--around the United States.

Olives are fruit, grown on the olive tree, olea europaea. Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years, and were already plentiful during biblical times. Plucked from the tree, the olive is extremely bitter, and virtually inedible. Prior to eating, olives are typically cured, either in brine,water or in oil. (Some prefer tocure them further--in the bottom of a martini glass!) Freshly picked olives can also be stir-fried to remove some of the bitterness before eating.

Where are olives grown?

Major olive producers in the world include countries which border the Mediterranean Sea (e.g., France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey), as well as California and in South America. It is reported that Thomas Jefferson tried
but failed to cultivate olive trees in his native Virginia.

How is olive oil produced?

The traditional method of extracting olive oil from the fruit is virtually the same today as it has been for thousands of years. At harvest time, which varies from region to region, olives are harvested by hand, and collected in nets placed around the foot of the tree. A day or two thereafter, the olives are taken to the mill. Giant stones weighing several tons are used to crush the olives and pits into mash.

The olive mash is then spread onto thin mats. These mats are stacked, and placed into a machine "press." As the press applies several hundred pounds of pressure, oil and water from the mash seep out of the mats, and drip into collection vats. In the traditional method, no heat is applied in the pressing--hence the term "first cold pressed." The oil is allowed to settle, and any vegetable water is removed either by centrifuge or decantation.

Oil extracted from the mechanical pressing of the olive is described as "virgin" olive oil, because it is pure, unrefined and unprocessed.

Olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place. Properly stored, olive oil can keep for at least two years. It is, however, at its peak within a year of production, and is its most flavorful for the first two months. Olive oil should not be stored in the refrigerator. If chilled, olive oil will become cloudy and eventually solidify or crystallize. Should this happen, the oil is perfectly fine; just leave the oil at room temperature for a time to restore it to its natural state.