Secrets of olive oil

Secrets of olive oil

Avicenna called olive oil the product of longevity and health. Well, people are still surprised when they open its endless useful properties. However, not all products in the cherished bottle are equally useful and have benefits for our health. Oil can be extracted from the freshly picked fruits or flax seed, which fundamentally changes its properties. So, which olive oil is the best and how to find it? Let’s find out.

Refined or non-refined?
It is wrong to think that refined product is better. This action means that oil was exposed to the thermal or even chemical treatment. However, non-refined product, i.e. virgin olive oil is obtained only mechanically. It is considered as “gold” and very appreciated in the world market for its healing and flavoring characteristics.

Attention to the label
Olive oil is not wine, so the aging only spoils it. The qualitative and expensive product has relevant markings. Therefore, when you take the bottle, pay attention to the following indicators:

Date of bottling;
Country of production (the best ones are Greece and Italy);

Place of bottling. The good oil is bottled directly by the manufacturers;

The inscription “Extra Virgin” means that the oil belongs to the highest sort and prepared by means of cold pressing.

How to check the quality?
Olive oil doesn’t stand low temperatures. If you put the product in the fridge or freezer, you can see how the white flakes appear on the surface. Don’t be afraid, as this is the sign of quality. When heated to the right temperature, all “excesses” will leave the bottle. Oil can’t change its structure under the thermal impact. The same applies to cooking.

What is the color of the quality product?
It is very difficult to determine the quality by color, as the product is usually sold in the black bottles. It is important to understand that this characteristic is influenced by many factors- from the place of harvesting to the way of processing of olives. From the green fruits you can obtain the product with grass shade, from slightly ripe ones – yellow, and from very ripe– amber, with the shades of violet. Most manufacturers make certain blend of different sorts, which allows optimizing the taste of oil.

So, you should trust the taste and smell. By the way, the qualitative oil can’t be cheap.