Choosing the Best Olive Oil

Make an Informed Choice

That’s, easy right? But here’s the thing: Not all olive oils are created equal. It turns out that there’s a lot to know about selecting and buying the best oil. The good news is if you can’t taste it first, getting a quality oil really just comes down to being able to read and understand the label.

Always Read the Label

The first thing we look for would be country of origin, to qualify as extra virgin olive oil, the highest grade, the oil has to pass lab analysis and sensory tests set by the Madrid-based International Olive Council. However, there is still room for deception along the production chain, as olive oil extracted in one country is often shipped to another, usually Italy, and then blended with olive oils from yet other places before being bottled and shipped off again. We highly recommend when choosing a quality olive oil at a minimum make sure that the olive oil is coming from the same country, check the label as blended extra virgin olive oil could be blended with oils from many countries, this could mean buying the cheapest olives from anywhere in the world but selling the product as Italian blended olive oil because it was bottled there. All our olives come from our own farm and by working with a cooperative of local farmers in our area, we do not purchase any olives from outside of the Andalucia region, this allows us to have consistency in the quality and taste of our oils. If you want to buy a true Spanish olive oil from Spain, then the olives must be grown and pressed in Spain.

Acidity

Always check the label for the acidity level of the olive oil you are purchasing, a low acidity level means there is the highest proportion of polyphenols which are the antioxidants in the olive oil that are so beneficial to people’s health. For olive oil to be classified as extra virgin olive oil the acidity level must be less than 0.8%. Our extra virgin olive oil, the acidity is only 0.3% guaranteeing a superior extra virgin olive oil with all the health benefits still in the oil. If a bottle of extra virgin olive oil does not have the acidity level printed on the nutritional information, I would be asking why?

Check the Date

Never purchase olive oil that is not showing the expiry date. The expiry date of extra virgin olive oil is approximately 18 months from the bottling date. However, if olive oil is stored well, a good Extra Virgin should maintain its freshness for up to 24 months from the production date. We would recommend when purchasing olive oil calculate what you would use over a 3 month period so you are always getting the oil as fresh as possible. Our extra virgin olive oil has the expiry date stamped on the bottle at the time of bottling and also has the lot number and a bar code for traceability of the olive oil.