Types Of Olive Oil

Gabe

Gabe

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Nov 9, 2014
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There are so many types and brands to choose from these days, but I used to use it for frying some items but read that hot temperatures breaks down the oil structure. As a result it loses its nutritional value and can be unstable.

It's okay for flash frying but not for anything longer. I prefer to use it in pasta at the end and stir it in with the sauce or when pasta is cold and use it as a salad dressing. Sometimes a good quality olive oil tossed in pasta is enough and it keeps it flavor when used cold.
 
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There is a huge difference between the olive oil available for sale in the supermarkets and the one we can find in a local producer. I've got used to consume the olive oil from local producers and it's way more tasty and healthy than the other mass produced. In Italy I think it has to be an awesome experience looking for olive oil local producers, good to know the culture and to satisfy our palate. :)
 
I'm also a fan of using olive oil as salad dressing - I usually just mix it with some balsamic vinegar and it's lovely just like that. I also like dipping bread into olive oil mixed with balsamic and herbs - it's so delicious!
 
I have read ways to infuse herbs like basil to make your own olive oil rather than buy the expensive ones. I quite like a chili olive oil as that is great to drizzle on some pasta by itself and is light and tasty. I like my rich sauces, but sometimes an infused olive oil does the trick with ravioli or when I want a quick snack.
 
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Gabe said:
I have read ways to infuse herbs like basil to make your own olive oil rather than buy the expensive ones. I quite like a chili olive oil as that is great to drizzle on some pasta by itself and is light and tasty. I like my rich sauces, but sometimes an infused olive oil does the trick with ravioli or when I want a quick snack.
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Infusing your own sounds like a great idea - often those pre-infused fancy oils are quite pricey! I actually have quite a few different herbs growing in my garden, and sometimes I'm at a loss with what to do with them all (they grow quite quickly!) so this might be a good idea to both use up some of my herbs and have some interesting, delicious infused oils.
 
Never tried that and even if in theory seems a good idea, I do like the taste of the olive oil with nothing added, just what comes from the fruit. If it has some special infusion it might be good too, but I believe that might require another technology and that might lead the price to go up right?
 
I'd also never thought of trying to make my own olive oil by adding herbs to it either to be honest, but I don't see why it can't work.

As others have said the infused olive oil does tend to be a lot more expensive so I think it's probably worth a go.
 
Great link, and I'm sure it will help a lot of people out that have the time and inclination to give it a go.

I'll hand it to my wife because she loves anything like that, I on the other hand are the lazier type of person that just prefers to waste money on the pre packed versions!
 
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pwarbi said:
Great link, and I'm sure it will help a lot of people out that have the time and inclination to give it a go.

I'll hand it to my wife because she loves anything like that, I on the other hand are the lazier type of person that just prefers to waste money on the pre packed versions!
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Don't worry - I do that too, because sometimes grabbing it from the store is a lot easier! But I'm open to any ways to save money...I figure the money I save on small things like that can be added to my travel budget! And every little bit helps, right?! :)
 
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That's the problem these days, its all about convenience. Gone are the days I think when people would go home from work and then start preparing meals from scratch.

These days people are working longer and harder than ever before, so the last thing they want to do is then have to spend a couple of hours preparing and cooking the food for the evening.

During the week it all seems to be about ready meals or ingredients that are quick and easy to make, not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a shame the act of actually cooking seems to be dying.
 
Try to concentrate on the price/bottle size. If something is quite a good price/cheap and more than 1l then it should be a red flag. Try pomace olive oil, not virgin but much more healthier then canola oil.
 
I usually buy it in bulk from Costco when I use it for cooking, otherwise it can get expensive. However, I do splurge when I am making salad dressings and get the fancier ones from specialty stores. I love buying oil oil from local store and when I travel I usually try to look for specialty stores that sell different brands and oils infused with herbs. I've also experimented with bravado oil and grape seed oil, but in my opinion olive oil is best for salad dressings.
 
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