Essential oil

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Posted at 12:11PM, 14 July 2010 by Carol Wilson - Food writer

A recent survey by The Office for National Statistics has revealed that the UK now consumes 28 million litres of olive oil each year. I think it's wonderful when research proves that something so delicious and enjoyable is actually good for us too. Olive oil is beneficial because it's chock-full of monounsaturated fats - believed to be partly responsible for the low incidence of heart disease in Mediterranean countries.

Olive oil is like fine wine, there are a multitude to choose from

Mediterranean, and especially Spanish and Italian cuisine, would be unimaginable without olive oil. Like fine wines, there are a multitude of oils to choose from, each with its own distinctive flavour and unique character. The flavour depends on the type of olive (there are over 200 varieties), the soil and climate of the region. Whenever I go abroad I make sure to visit at least one small artisan olive mill. It's fascinating to watch the olives being crushed and pressed and you can taste the oil for free before deciding if you'd like to buy a bottle.

Personally, I prefer a single estate rich, fruity olive oil, although it's a matter of personal choice which type you favour - soft, sweet and mild; light and fruity with herbal notes; rich and grassy or full-bodied, intense and peppery. Generally, the earlier the harvest and greener the fruit, the greener and stronger the oil. It takes around 5kg of olives to produce just one litre of oil. Unopened bottles will keep in a cool dark place for up to two years. If refrigerated, the oil will become cloudy as it chills, but will become clear again when it returns to room temperature.

It's best to buy extra virgin olive oil for the best quality and flavour. Oil labelled 'First Cold-Pressing Extra Virgin', can be single estate or a blend of oils from several producers. 'First cold-pressing' tells you that this is the first squeezing of the olives and that the oil contains less than 1% acidity. The acidity in olive oil is determined by the season's harvest and helps to determine its quality: the lower the acidity the better the oil. The oil may be filtered (clear) or non-filtered, which is often cloudy and has a slightly more robust flavour.

Extra virgin oils lose much of their character if heated, so are at their best just as they are. I serve really good olive oil in small bowls for dipping bread and also for dressing salads and drizzling over fish, meat or cooked vegetables.

What's your favourite olive oil?

Comments

LannyLee

15 July 2010, 12:12PM
LannyLee

Saying it is best to purchase 'extra virgin olive oil' is slightly mis-leading as it depends on what you will use it for. I agree that for salad dressing etc where the taste of the oil the extra virgin is the best oil, however if you are using it to shallow fry or roast vegetables then a less expensive would work just as well.

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LannyLee

15 July 2010, 12:13PM
LannyLee

Sorry above should be " where the taste of the oil is important" extra virgin is best...

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robert

15 July 2010, 8:18PM
robert

I love those dark green peppery olive oils - the stronger the better! Delicious for dipping bread and pouring on risotto.

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halle butt

16 July 2010, 9:06AM
halle butt

We spend 6wks a year with my relatives on the Croatian Island of Hvar, they are farmers and fishermen, we drive back with our estate car full of goodies. They have about 500 olive trees, so we bring back about 40 litres of commune pressed oil, 5 litres of lavender oil, the best ewe's milk cheese in the world from the Island of PAG, 5 kls of hand cut dried porchini, a leg of my wife uncle's home cured air dried ham, 10 ltres of lavender honey, 10 ltres of Proscec(pudding wine) they have about 10 acres of grape vines, The Croatians dont like chemicals or Mcdonalds.

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Cassandra Amy Rose

16 July 2010, 9:07AM
Cassandra Amy Rose

I don't like the taste of olive oil (or olives) at all. I use it for cooking but if I am making a salad I prefer to use rapeseed oil for a dressing, as it doesn't taste of olives and is good for you as well.

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smitty

17 July 2010, 12:02PM
smitty

Is a supermarket a good place to buy a really good olive oil or should I buy from a specialist shop?

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dunny888

28 July 2010, 2:54PM
dunny888

We produce our own single estate olive oil from our groves in Western Crete and can recommend a delicious dip : About half a wineglass of oil in a bowl, scrape in the soft inside flesh of 2 large tomatoes (beefsteak type best) mix roughly then squeeze in the juice of one lemon. Add sea salt to taste and mix. Dip in fresh crusty bread. It is delicious!

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Jane

3 August 2010, 2:22PM
Jane

Have just returned from Mallorca where we had the most delicious olive oil served with bread in a restaurant. Wish I'd tried to buy some. It was so delicious I could have drunk it by the glassful! Where can I try good quality oils before buying? As the top quality ones seem to be VERY expensive.

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