With the current abundance of olive oil on supermarket shelves, we are faced with the question, which one to buy? To understand a little in all the details, we have highlighted the most basic points that are worth paying attention to.
Pay attention to the container
The best packaging for olive oil is a dark glass bottle. light is bad for quality. Avoid plastic packaging.
Choose the variety you need
Decide what you need oil for and buy the appropriate variety, we will tell you a little about each of them:
Extra virgin is the most valuable and expensive cold-pressed oil, it has a greenish color and rich taste. This oil is produced from olives, which were collected in a certain place and at a certain time. This oil is used in salads and used for making sauces; it is not suitable for heat treatment.
Virgin – this oil is also produced by cold pressing, but a mix of olives collected in different regions and at different times is used for its preparation. This fact makes the oil in this category less expensive. This oil is used for dressing salads and making sauces and does not lend itself to heat treatment.
Pure olive oil is a mix of two types of oils – refined and natural. It loses in taste and does not contain all those useful substances that are in the first two varieties. This oil is used for cooking, i.e. this is the kind of oil you can buy for frying and stewing.
Pomace olive oil is an oil that is produced from olive oil cake by means of high temperatures and chemical solvents. This oil is tasteless and odorless and is used for cooking at high temperatures. By the way, in countries such as Greece, Spain and Italy – such oil is prohibited for sale.
Storage
Choose a dark place to store olive oil, because sunlight adversely affects the oil, it begins to oxidize. Air has the same effect, so always use a lid to minimize air ingress. Do not put oil in the refrigerator or leave it near the stove, this will reduce its usefulness.
Buy oil in small volumes, because after opening and contact with air, it will need to be used within 1-2 months.
Choose and store your oil responsibly, following these simple rules, you can get all the benefits of this wonderful product!