Chefs Choose California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
By Sharron Cantu
California is a landscape of microclimates, cool and wet by the ocean, dry and hot inland. Different varieties are harvested at varying degrees of ripeness, adding to the array of flavors. Over 100 cultivators grow a variety of olive types in a variety of soil types. You can be sure California extra virgin olive oil is the very best in taste and quality.
For top quality, buy only product sold with protective packaging or protective green glass bottles. Olive oil goes rancid when exposed to heat, light, oxygen. To keep fresh and flavorful, keep in a cupboard or pantry, a cool and dark place, or tightly wrap the glass bottle in a sheet of aluminum foil. Shelf life is one year.
When you buy California, you buy produce subject to stricter regulations than those set by the International Olive Oil Council. The California Olive Oil Council requires mechanical extraction without the use of chemicals. Buying cold pressed means that no heat was used during the crushing process. Unfiltered oil has a minimally higher antioxidant content and slightly longer shelf life. The choice is really just a matter of preference. Producing high quality takes times. Expect to pay more for the best.
California oils are known for their fruity taste and aroma. Taste is very much personal preference so the best way to find your favorite oil is just to experiment. Do a little research then buy a few brands and do some cooking. Use is an important factor in choosing among delicate, medium, or robust flavors.
Robust intensity adds flavor to robustly flavored meats like lamb and steak. Or use in salad dressing for an arugula salad. Medium intensity adds just the right amount of flavor to grilled veggies, poultry, salad dressing. Use a delicate flavor for cooking and garnishing fish or any dish where light flavor is preferred.
Flavor is best and healthiest when the oil is uncooked. Use the minimum amount necessary for cooking, then garnish the meal with fresh oil from the bottle. Frying should be done at a temperature around 360 degrees. Maximum temperature should be 380 degrees. Cooled oil can be filtered through a coffee filter and reused for frying 2 or 3 times.
Virgin means the oil was produced using mechanical means only with no chemical treatments. Extra means virgin production with no more than . 5% free acidity, and judged to have a superior taste. Extra virgin oil is the best for cooking. It has the least taste defects, and is healthier with potent antioxidants and monounsaturated fats to protect against heart disease.
Antioxidants protect against many cancers, including breast cancer. High density lipoproteins reduce heart disease. Monounsaturated fats also help control insulin levels, as well as lower cholesterol. All in all, olive oil is know to have a preventative effect against stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcerative colitis. There's some evidence it helps to stave off depression and Alzheimer's. Containing vitamins A, K, E, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, it's good for cognitive function, the immune system, eyes, skin, and bones. Go ahead and enjoyed fried food. Frying with olive oil results in no increased risk for coronary heart disease.
For top quality, buy only product sold with protective packaging or protective green glass bottles. Olive oil goes rancid when exposed to heat, light, oxygen. To keep fresh and flavorful, keep in a cupboard or pantry, a cool and dark place, or tightly wrap the glass bottle in a sheet of aluminum foil. Shelf life is one year.
When you buy California, you buy produce subject to stricter regulations than those set by the International Olive Oil Council. The California Olive Oil Council requires mechanical extraction without the use of chemicals. Buying cold pressed means that no heat was used during the crushing process. Unfiltered oil has a minimally higher antioxidant content and slightly longer shelf life. The choice is really just a matter of preference. Producing high quality takes times. Expect to pay more for the best.
California oils are known for their fruity taste and aroma. Taste is very much personal preference so the best way to find your favorite oil is just to experiment. Do a little research then buy a few brands and do some cooking. Use is an important factor in choosing among delicate, medium, or robust flavors.
Robust intensity adds flavor to robustly flavored meats like lamb and steak. Or use in salad dressing for an arugula salad. Medium intensity adds just the right amount of flavor to grilled veggies, poultry, salad dressing. Use a delicate flavor for cooking and garnishing fish or any dish where light flavor is preferred.
Flavor is best and healthiest when the oil is uncooked. Use the minimum amount necessary for cooking, then garnish the meal with fresh oil from the bottle. Frying should be done at a temperature around 360 degrees. Maximum temperature should be 380 degrees. Cooled oil can be filtered through a coffee filter and reused for frying 2 or 3 times.
Virgin means the oil was produced using mechanical means only with no chemical treatments. Extra means virgin production with no more than . 5% free acidity, and judged to have a superior taste. Extra virgin oil is the best for cooking. It has the least taste defects, and is healthier with potent antioxidants and monounsaturated fats to protect against heart disease.
Antioxidants protect against many cancers, including breast cancer. High density lipoproteins reduce heart disease. Monounsaturated fats also help control insulin levels, as well as lower cholesterol. All in all, olive oil is know to have a preventative effect against stroke, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcerative colitis. There's some evidence it helps to stave off depression and Alzheimer's. Containing vitamins A, K, E, iron, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, it's good for cognitive function, the immune system, eyes, skin, and bones. Go ahead and enjoyed fried food. Frying with olive oil results in no increased risk for coronary heart disease.