Can someone educate me on olive oil?

[mariegray]

I am totally dumb about Olive Oil.

I have tried many brands.

I don't particularly LIKE olive oil, it always seems to have a musty flavor to it, is that normal?

What's a good brand that won't break my bank, am I looking for virgin? extra virgin? should i buy one for drizzling and another for cooking?

Help????????????

Thanks,

Marie

[Suzy]

Ooh, you asked the right person. Well, you didn't ask me specifically, but here goes.

For drizzling, salad dressings, and really most cooking, you will want to use an extra virgin olive oil. This has the most delicious flavor and more concentrated antioxidants for health. There is no difference, in this day and age, in extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil. Back when we used to extract oil in a press, extra virgin oil is from the first pressing. Now, olive oils are extracted in a giant centerfuge, with the first extraction considered virgin.

Light olive oil is what's extracted after virgin olive oil has been extracted from the olives. It has a higher smoke point for cooking, which means you can heat it to a higher degree and it won't burn as readily. The virgin oils will burn at a much lower temperature. Light olive oils are good for baking and roasting, but also good for when you don't want to taste olive oil as much, such as in a mayonnaise recipe.

[Renee Lee]

Well...EVOO only has "the most delicious flavor" if you like olives. Personally, olives are way too strong for me and I can't handle EVOO in salad dressing. It's way too overpowering for me.

I'm a big fan of light olive oil though!

Although light olive oil DOES have a higher smoke point, I wouldn't really cook with it. It's still an unsaturated fat, so it's much more fragile at high temperatures than other, more saturated fats. Stick to animal fats or other saturated fats when cooking over medium on your stove (or in your oven) and leave the olive oils for dressings, mayo or light sautes

[mariegray]

Thank you both.

I do not LOVE olives either though I tolerate pitted kalamatas...i know they are a healthy fat source so I'm trying to eat them.

What is with the musty flavor? I experience the same thing in macadamia nuts....always musty.

I think I'll mostly stick to coconut oil, and see about scoring some hunks of meat from which to render some animal fat.

Thanks thanks thanks! (Before I decided to try WHole30, I bought a bottle of Walnut Oil. I used it once or twice. So sad.

[Suzy]

I buy a high quality virgin olive oil, which I find doesn't taste like a jarred olive. It tastes more like delicate tender green things than olives. The cheaper the oil, the more it's going to taste like gasoline. Gross! Trader Joe's California Estate olive oil just got written up in Consumer Reports. It's only $5.99 at the store where I work. Love it. We ran out of it for 2 weeks after the report came back!

And aren't some nut oils ok? I would think you would be able to use some walnut oil.

[Renee Lee]

You can use walnut oil, but sparingly and definitely NOT over heat. It's just higher in n6s, but it's not explicitly excluded.

[Susan W]

I buy a high quality virgin olive oil, which I find doesn't taste like a jarred olive. It tastes more like delicate tender green things than olives. The cheaper the oil, the more it's going to taste like gasoline. Gross! Trader Joe's California Estate olive oil just got written up in Consumer Reports. It's only $5.99 at the store where I work. Love it. We ran out of it for 2 weeks after the report came back!

And aren't some nut oils ok? I would think you would be able to use some walnut oil.

I love this olive oil. AND lucky you working at a TJ's.

[xoLauren]

LOVE me some EVOO! I typically buy COLD pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil and get it from Costco.. not sure it's a giant deal there, but it's not a wallet buster either.