Top 10 Questions About Extra Virgin Olive Oil Answered by T. J. Robinson, The Olive Oil Hunter®

I’m always amazed at how much misinformation is still circulating about olive oil, and extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in particular. So, I was thrilled when Clean Eating magazine asked me to answer the top 10 questions people have about EVOO. And I’m equally thrilled to share my answers with you in this special edition of the Olive Oil Hunter Newsletter!

Q: What’s the real difference between artisan-produced fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oil and the oils available at the supermarket and even a local gourmet store?

T.J.: The words “extra virgin” have a very broad scope. Extra virgin means that the oil was made from the first pressing of the olives, which is a good thing. But if that olive oil wasn’t made by mechanical means only—that means without heat or chemicals—and if it wasn’t bottled and shipped right away, it won’t taste much better than a lesser grade and won’t have the high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols that give extra virgin olive oil its superfood status, not to mention the unmistakable taste of fresh-pressed olive oil. It’s wonderful to follow a Mediterranean diet, known for its brain, heart, and overall health benefits, but remember that people living in Mediterranean countries are eating the freshest olive oil—they have access to freshly pressed oil from their own farms or from small community farms, and that helps account for the benefits of their diet.

Q: How does olive ripeness at harvest time affect the taste, quality, and price of olive oil?

T.J.: Here’s a secret that I only found out when I got involved in the olive oil business. The highest quality, best tasting olive oil comes from olives harvested and pressed when they’re still green and contain only 10% oil—low yield but maximum flavor. Fully ripe olives that have turned black produce three times as much oil but have nowhere near the taste. These fully ripe olives are what many mass producers use to get more product. Yes, you pay more for fresh-pressed olive oil, but you benefit in many ways. This oil has the highest levels of various nutrients that keep the oil fresher longer in the bottle and that prevent oxidation when you cook with it.

Q: How does the olive variety play a role in the taste of an oil?

T.J.: It’s a huge component! The same way that a chef combines herbs and spices for the perfect dish, I bring together different varieties to create flavor profiles, using the best of what my network of small artisanal growers harvest each season. I might choose just one variety or use up to three to create the three oils for each of my collections—one mild, one medium, and one spicy.

Q: Should I buy a blend?

T.J.: I want to clear up any confusion regarding what I do when I create a blend of artisanal olive oils from one of the family farms I work with and what’s in some supermarket bottles of olive oil labeled as a blend. Independent investigations in the past have revealed that many off-the-shelf bottles contain olive oils from an unidentified country of origin. There are also oils from unidentified countries that were blended and bottled in yet another location. Still another issue is that some olive oils were found to be diluted with a lesser oil, like canola. Not only do these low-quality oils taste unappealing, you’re also not getting the nutrients you were expecting. You’re most likely to find the word “blend” tucked away in a corner of the label on a store-bought brand whereas in the Pressing Report I include with every shipment I write in great detail about the varieties I choose for my oils.

Q: Is there any truth to using the “refrigerator test” to confirm that an olive oil is pure 100% extra virgin olive oil?

T.J.: The refrigerator test claims that a true extra virgin olive oil won’t solidify when refrigerated, but that’s a myth. A cold fridge will solidify any oil. Also, it can’t tell you the acidity of the oil or its nutrient level—it’s just not an accurate gauge. Let me clarify more label confusion. “Pure” olive oil is the lowest quality because it’s from the last pressing of the oil and uses chemicals to squeeze out the remains. “Light” olive oil is also highly processed, removing flavor and nutrients.

Q: What are your tips on shopping for olive oil for someone not in the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club? 

T.J.: Look for the harvest date on the label, not just an expiration date. You want to buy oil within 6 to 12 months of harvest. The expiration date doesn’t tell you when the olives were harvested. Buy olive oil in dark glass, which helps protect it from damaging light. Choose a store with high turnover and that lets you taste the oil before you buy it. Light, time, and temperature destroy olive oil. Keep in mind that a fancy cut-glass bottle and an arty label can’t make up for a pressing date that was three years ago.

Q: How can I educate my taste buds? 

T.J.: Once you try really fresh-pressed olive oil, you’ll notice the difference right away. It’s easy and fun to do a taste test, and I recommend it if you don’t have someone like me who can curate oils for you. Here are the simple steps to take:

At a market, there will probably be disposable paper cups for sampling, but when possible use a blue glass so that your eye won’t trick you into liking an olive oil based on its color. Yes, if it’s very green, it’s from very green fruit (which is good), but that’s not the only indicator of quality. Pour about one tablespoon into the cup. Put the cup in the palm of your hand and swirl the oil around to warm it and release all the aromas.

Inhale deeply. There are many notes that define an oil’s fruitiness—it may smell grassy, herbaceous, fresh, and clean. Depending on the olive varieties, you might notice hints of grass, mint, and oregano, among many others.

Now taste. Put a scant teaspoon of the oil on your palate and chew on it a bit. You should taste fruitiness, but also bitterness (this tells you it’s from green fruit), and spiciness. You might get a taste that reminds you of arugula or black peppercorns or fresh ginger. It should tickle or pinch the back of your throat as you swallow it.

Q: Is it true that really high-quality olive oil makes you cough?

T.J.: Yes! In Italy, they often refer to great olive oil as a one-, two-, or three-cough oil—the more the better! The cough reaction actually tells you how high the oil is in healthful polyphenols (high is a count of 300 or more, and for a low-quality oil, it’s closer to 150). This is the type of testing I do on my oils, but you’re not likely to find any number indicated on oils sold in retail stores.

Q: What are your tips for storing olive oil so that it stays fresher longer?

T.J.: Most important is to never keep your bottles out on the counter, near a window, in a cabinet above the stove, or any area that’s warm. The bottom shelf of a pantry cabinet is excellent. On the other hand, do take it out and use it—don’t save it for special occasions. In our house, when we set the table, we take our olive oil out of the cabinet and put it alongside the salt and pepper—it’s a “sauce” that Mother Nature has made for you, so enjoy it.

Q: Can I use extra virgin olive oil for high-heat cooking?

T.J.: Yes, cook up a storm! Olive oil is wonderful for so much more than salads and other cold dishes. In fact, it’s a myth that you can’t use olive oil for high-heat cooking. The same antioxidants that help high-quality extra virgin olive oil stay fresh also help keep it from oxidizing during sautéing and frying. Of course, olive oil is too expensive for the large amounts of oil needed for deep frying, but if money’s no object, go for it!

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Apricot Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata, Spotlight on Apricots and Stone Fruits, Danger with Refined Grains and Exercise for Your Mind

One of the most amazing benefits of traveling around the world and working with farmers for the Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club is being able to sample many fruits right off the vine—and the tree. Among my favorites are apricots, sweet and brimming with flavor. This week’s recipe was inspired by apricots I enjoyed on a trip to Chile, a country known for its prolific fruit production. In fact, the Chilean stone fruit harvests, which typically begin in December, inform the timing of the olive harvest (olives are a stone fruit, too)—if the cherries and peaches are running a week or so late, I know that the olive harvest will as well. My olive scouts on the ground there are currently sending me photos of the olive groves overflowing with beautiful fruit for this May’s harvest!

Apricot Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata

• Apricot Salad with Prosciutto and Burrata

  In the US, I love to shop farmers markets for the freshest produce, usually picked when ripe, so much tastier than fruit (and veggies) trucked across the country. Look for apricots in the next few weeks—May is the official start of the season in the northern hemisphere. As spring turns to summer, ripe peaches or nectarines are delicious replacements for the apricots in this visually stunning salad. Feel free to change the fruit to whatever favorites of yours are available seasonally where you live.

  Ingredients

  For the vinaigrette:

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon white-wine or sherry vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground pepper

  For the salad:

  • 6 ounces baby arugula
  • 4 ripe apricots, preferably freestone
  • 8 ounces burrata or fresh buffalo mozzarella
  • 16 very thin slices prosciutto
  • Small fresh basil leaves
  • Coarsely ground pink peppercorns

  Directions

  To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. To compose the salad, arrange a bed of arugula on a platter, or divide among four plates. Pit the apricots and slice into wedges, leaving the skin on for extra fiber. Drain the cheese and tear into bite-size chunks. If using burrata, tear directly over the platter or plates to catch any cream. Arrange the fruit, cheese, and prosciutto on the arugula. Drizzle with the vinaigrette, sprinkle with the basil and crushed peppercorns, and serve immediately.

  Yields 4 servings.

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

Apricots

Apricots belong to the group popularly known as stone fruits because of a hard pit inside—the “stone” actually provides support while the fruit is on its tree. Apricots’ juicy cousins include peaches, nectarines, plums, and cherries. When you see the word “freestone,” it means that the flesh is easier to remove from the stone than from “clingstone.” In general, stone fruits are good sources of potassium, vitamins A and C, and, if you leave on the skin, fiber.

Cherries are the earliest of the stone fruits and come in classic deep ruby red and in variations such as the blush-skinned Rainiers. They should have their stems on and be firm, plump, and free of blemishes. If you can’t eat them right away, cover them loosely and store in the fridge for a few days.

Other stone fruits may need to ripen before you can eat them. Keep them at room temperature on a kitchen counter, placed stem end down. You shouldn’t refrigerate them before they ripen, but you can place ripe fruits in the fridge although for no more than a few days.

There are literally thousands of varieties of stone fruits—more than 2,000 of plums alone—plus an ever-growing array of hybrids. Plumcots are equal parts plum and apricot, pluots have a 3:1 plum-to-apricot ratio, and apriums are the reverse, with a 3:1 apricot-to-plum ratio. Experiment to find your favorites.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Stone Fruits

While stone fruits are wonderful as they are, I also love them grilled, roasted, poached, and sautéed. Have an abundance? Purée them to use as a sauce or in mixed drinks like the classic Bellini—I love mine with equal amounts of champagne and peach (or nectarine!) purée. The best part is that you can freeze stone fruit purée in ice cube trays. Once frozen, pop the purée cubes into a freezer bag for storage and defrost as needed—they’ll be a real treat next winter!

To make a fast purée, first peel the fruit—a 30-second dip in boiling water makes this a snap (the same technique used to peel tomatoes). Then halve the fruit, remove the stones, and process the flesh in a high-speed blender, immersion blender, or food processor.

For Your Best Health

Danger with Refined Grains

There’s more news about the harms of refined grains, from packaged white bread (the refined grain people eat most commonly) to standard breakfast cereals. A global study published in the BMJ found that eating a high level of refined grains was significantly associated with a higher risk of death, major cardiovascular disease events, and stroke, and that the more you eat, the higher the risk.

The problem with refined grains is that you’re not getting much in the way of nutrition. They’re low in fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and phytochemicals—all great to boost health—because the nutrient-dense outer bran layer and the endosperm of the grain are lost during processing. This, in turn, means that the body digests refined grains too quickly, leading to insulin spikes, high blood sugar, and possible weight gain and belly fat.

There was one surprising exception in this study: white rice, which is a refined grain. One explanation could be that any negative effects of eating white rice are mitigated by the foods eaten with it, especially in Asian countries—think stir-fries high in veggies and sushi with healthy fish. Still, the researchers offer no green light to eating large amounts of white rice.

Fitness Flash

Exercise for Your Mind

You already know that exercise can keep body and mind healthy, with many studies showing it protects cognitive function—your thinking ability. New research found that it also protects against dementia. Researchers from the University of Queensland followed 16,700 people between the ages of 54 and 75 for over 13 years, measuring individual changes over time and using statistical techniques to suss out the impact of physical activity on cognition. “Our research determined weekly moderate physical activity increased older people’s cognitive function on average by 5% for men and 14% for women,” said Sabrina Lenzen, a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland School of Economics and Centre for the Business and Economics of Health in Australia. “If a person scores 12 out of 20 in their cognitive function test and then started doing regular moderate exercise, we could see scores increase to 12.6 for men and 13.7 for women.”

The increase was even higher for those also doing higher-intensity physical activity, according to Professor Brenda Gannon, PhD, study coauthor and the school’s director of research. “We saw an increase in cognitive function of 8% for men and 15% for women if they were both moderately and vigorously physically active every week. Ultimately, we have found that physical activity has a potential, direct protective effect on cognitive decline and dementia, and women benefit more than men,” said Dr. Gannon. Think of moderate physical activity as a brisk walk and vigorous physical activity as a run. The researchers hope that these findings encourage people to be active from an early age in order to potentially prevent dementia rather than try to manage the disease when it’s “too late.”

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