How to choose olive oil

Olive oil is a product much appreciated by fans of healthy eating. It is really good for health, because it contains phenolic compounds that have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticoagulant properties, monounsaturated fats and vitamins E and K. the oil To bring maximum benefit, you must correctly select it.

Varieties of olive oil

There are three basic types of olive oil. In the bottle labeled Pure, contains refined olive oil is the least healthy, as the cleaning process not only reduces the acidity of the product, but also removes antioxidants and vitamins.

Virgin oil is a secondary product of the pressing of olive pulp. It has nutrients, but in smaller quantities, besides, it can greatly bitter.

Oil Extra Virgin will cost more than all the other varieties of olive oil, but it is the most fragrant and useful. This type of oil drained from the young olives with low acidity within days after harvest. It has no dyes and preservatives, it is rich in various nutrients.

Light, lite and extra-light is not a kind of butter, and advertising terms invented by marketers.

The Extra virgin oil is subspecies unfiltered. It is an unfiltered oil with a certain amount of pulp of olives. It is believed, despite the muddy appearance and a shorter shelf life, most suitable for those who are looking for the most useful product.

The origin of olive oil

The widespread belief that there are certain regions which produce the best olive oil is wrong. You can buy very good California olive oil and a bad – Tuscan. In addition, often on the bottles indicated, for example, Product of Italy and the consumer assumes that this oil from Italian olives, but actually it can be pressed from any imported fruit, but in Italy. High quality oils that are pressed from olives only one region necessarily marked with signs, AOC or DOP currencies. The first is the abbreviation for French products, controlled the place of origin, the second is produced in the EU.

If you are going to fry in olive oil, remember that when heated to 200oC, it loses the useful properties.

What to look for when buying

Buying olive oil pay attention to storage conditions. Expensive and quality product store in a cool, dry place, protected from light and heat. It should not stand in a brightly lit showcase. A good oil manufacturer will never make in transparent packaging. If olive oil is sold in bottles of UN-shaded glass, then it is chemically processed and the manufacturer is not afraid that it will lose color and flavor, and it is these troubles occur with organic oil under the influence of these factors. Packing of stainless steel is considered to be less aesthetic, but more suitable for a good oil, as it protects from oxidation.

Be sure to pay attention to the expiration date of the oil. Expensive brands necessarily indicate or to what number oil suitable for food or the production date of the product. Good olive oil is stored no longer than 18 months, so if you don't use this product often buy a small party, as much as you can spend for six months to a year.

Good olive oil has a pleasant aroma similar to the scent of fresh fruit. Its color ranges from light Golden to Golden-green. Taste the olive oil, pouring it on a piece of white bread Black has its own characteristic taste, which can confuse you. Quality product a little bitter, but pleasant, not heavy and not greasy.