What is the best type of Olive Oil to pop popcorn using a Presto Microwave Power Pop Corn popper?
June 29, 2010
I had a Power Pop years ago, and used Olive Oil as my oil of choice.
I stopped using the popper because the bagged stuff was easier.
Now that I am middle aged, I am concerned about what I am putting into my body, so I bought another a popper.
When I went to the Olive oil section my jaw fell open. Plain Olive Oil, Virgin, Extra Virgin and I think I saw an Extra-Extra Virgin. They all had their uses labeled on the bottles, but none said anything about popping popcorn.
I quite enjoyed the slight taste of Olive Oil on the popcorn and want to replicate the experience.
Grin. I would buy them all but I just don’t want to have bottles and bottles of Olive Oil in my pantry.
The Presto microwave Power Popcorn maker makes the most wonderful popcorn 
In my microwave it takes only a minute and 29 seconds to pop.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL , IT WON’T GIVE IT A BAD TASTE.I USE IT FOR ALL COOKING
The Best Skin Products Contain Natural Skin Care Oils
June 29, 2010
You might disagree, but hear me out on this. Natural skin care oils are the safest and most effective. Mineral oil, the primary ingredient in most lotions, is not one of them. The name might make you think of minerals that are necessary for human health, but it is actually flammable petroleum based oil that is not similar to the oil produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands.
There are many beneficial plant-based oils that are very similar to the skin’s own. Here’s a look at just a few of them and what they can do for your skin’s health and appearance.
Avocado Oil
This one is a little too heavy for use during the day, but it makes a great nighttime moisturizer. It is rich in vitamins A, D and E, as well as potassium, protein and essential fatty acids.
Vitamin A and E are used to treat a variety of skin problems, including eczema and acne. As antioxidants, they provide anti-aging benefits by protecting the skin’s cells from damaging free radical molecules.
Potassium is one of the minerals that help to balance the skin’s moisture content. The amino acids in protein are the building blocks of collagen, elastin and keratin. Essential fatty acids are the primary component of the skin’s sebum. Of all of the natural skin care oils, it is one of the few that has been shown to increase the skin’s collagen content.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba was used by Native Americans to treat burns and other injuries. It is really more like a liquid wax. It is expressed form the plant’s seeds and is one of the natural skin care oils that is most similar to the skin’s.
It helps reduce wrinkles, stretch marks and the appearance of scars. It can be used, regardless of skin-type, because it is non-greasy and is also rich in vitamin E.
Grape Seed Oil
This one is light enough to use during the day. It makes an effective shaving lubricant and has a dual moisturizing effect. First, it hydrates, and then it locks moisture in, because it has a unique filming ability. The invisible film also keeps dirt, grime and make-up from clogging the pores. Like most of the natural skin care oils, it is also rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids.
Olive Oil
Although some people use the kind is designed for cooking purposes, I recommend an emulsification known as “OLIVEM 800″. In my opinion, the kind used for cooking feels too greasy. The special emulsion provides the nourishing qualities of olive oil, without causing a greasy feeling.
Everything that I have mentioned here, except for mineral oil, in the first paragraph, is a beneficial ingredient. But, you should know that there are some ingredients to avoid. The cosmetic industry is not very well regulated. Manufacturers are allowed to use practically anything in their products and they are not required to test for safety before-hand.
There are many ingredients to avoid, but if you shop for those that are free of artificial preservatives, sunscreens and added fragrances, and only include natural skin care oils, you’ll be headed in the right direction.
To learn more about vitamins for healthy skin, and other incredible natural substances for natural healthy skin care, visit my website today.
Laurel Levine
http://www.articlesbase.com/skin-care-articles/the-best-skin-products-contain-natural-skin-care-oils-695801.html
Using olive oil to fry is bad?
June 28, 2010
After reading the health benefits of olive oil, I started deep-frying stuff with olive oil, only to be told by a nutritionist that olive oil shouldn’t be heated.
She is wrong.
“Olive Oil, Lower Temperatures Less Toxic in Frying
Frying with canola oil releases more toxic fumes into the air than frying with olive oil, according to a new study conducted at the University of Dayton Research Institute. And frying at temperatures higher than 350 F, a common practice in American kitchens, releases higher levels of toxins –significantly higher levels from canola oil –than frying at the recommended 350 degrees.
As a result, researchers are recommending frying with olive oil whenever possible and adhering to the 350-degree frying temperature recommended by the International Olive Oil Council.
During a three-month visit to the University of Dayton Research Institute, Angel Carbonell Barrachina –a professor of food technology at Universitas Miguel Hernandez in Orihuela, Spain –worked with UDRI researcher Sukh Sidhu and visiting Fulbright Scholar Andres Fullana to collect and analyze emissions from canola oil and two Types Of Olive Oil –extra virgin and “lampante” virgin. Lampante, locally known as “regular” olive oil, is chemically processed to remove most flavors from the oil and is typically the most inexpensive of the virgin oils. It’s often the choice of chefs who appreciate the Health Benefits Of Olive Oil, but don’t care for the strong taste of extra virgin oil, Carbonell said.
The researchers focused on emissions of volatile pollutants, particularly the chemical compounds acetaldehyde and acrolein –both the subject of pollution studies by the EPA. The EPA has declared acetaldehyde a “probable human carcinogen” and acrolein “extremely toxic to humans” and “a possible human carcinogen.” (From the “National Air Toxics Program: The Integrated Urban Strategy Report to Congress,” 2000.) They cooked the oils for 15 hours at 180 degrees Celsius (or 356 F), and for seven hours at 240 degrees Celsius (or 464 F).
At 180 C, canola oil released twice the amount of acetaldehyde as extra virgin olive oil and as much as four times the levels of acetaldehyde emitted from regular olive oil. Acrolein levels emitted at this temperature were five and one-half times higher than from either of the olive oils.
At 240 C, canola oil released two and one-half times the amount of acetaldehyde as extra virgin olive oil and as much as five times the levels of acetaldehyde emitted from regular olive oil. Acrolein levels emitted at this temperature were as much as nine times higher than from either of the olive oils.
“Those are significant differences, especially at the higher temperature,” Carbonell said. “A lot of people fry at the higher temperature, especially when they stir fry. What’s important about this research is that we’re not talking about toxins being absorbed into the body by ingestion but by breathing them. So they can be harmful to the person who is cooking and others nearby. ”
Although the researchers used deep-frying techniques to test the oil, Sidhu –a senior research scientist in UDRI’s energy and environmental engineering division –said the emissions are just as harmful when using lesser amounts of oil, such as when cooking in a wok. In fact, the UDRI study was prompted by other studies released in the last decade that indicate the air in homes in China is often significantly more polluted than the air outside. Those studies also attribute toxins from burning coal and cooking oil to greatly increased rates of lung cancer in women in some areas of China.
Because of the common practice of cooking with olive oils in Mediterranean countries as well, Carbonell wanted to investigate the toxic properties of fumes from those oils in cooking.
“What really surprised us was that there was relatively little difference in the levels of emissions from the two olive oils, either the extra virgin or the plain,” Carbonell said. “And olive oil is actually healthier than canola and other oils.” The researchers theorize that the inherent antioxidant qualities of olives oils may have prevented fatty acids from breaking down and releasing toxins as quickly as canola oil.
Based on the research, Sidhu and Carbonell recommend using olive oil when frying. “It’s also very important not to fry oils at temperatures hotter than the recommended temperature of 350 F,” Sidhu said.
Carbonell, who visited UDRI through a summer faculty research fellowship funded by the Spanish Ministry of Education, said he plans to return to UDRI for additional studies on other types of oils and how different foods might effect emissions. “We’re also planning to study whether adding antioxidants to oils inhibits the breakdown of fatty acids and release of toxins as they do in olive oils,” Carbonell said.
Fullana, who just completed his first year of a two-year appointment at UDRI to study how pollution effects the food chain in his homeland of Alicante, Spain, helped conduct the cooking oil research. He and Carbonell specifically requested to conduct their research at UDRI. “Only about 10 research programs for heat and emissions exist in the world, and UDRI has one of the best,” Fullana said.”
is it ok to use olive oil instead of extra virgin? health wise?
June 25, 2010
i have this book called muscle chow..i really like this book it has good recipes and stuff but it calls for extra virgin olive oil in every recipe and i dont have any extra virgin olive oil left…alls i got is olive oil….is it ok to use instead?
for the diet and fitness section you people really dont know shit do you?
Hi, you’re right, most people in this section really don’t know shit.
Google is more reliable.
But I think I can give you an answer.
Extra virgin olive oil is from the first cold press, which makes it richer in flavor than regular olive oil, and gives it a deeper color. With each press, olive oil gets lighter and the nutrients change. Extra virgin olive oil is not made with heat and is unrefined, therefor making it of higher quality than regular olive oil. However, all olive oil is healthy. I think you can safely substitute the standard olive oil you have at home for the extra virgin olive oil required in the recipes in your book. You might lose out on some nutrients, but I’m not 100% sure. Either way, whatever you cook will still taste fine. I doubt that the average person would even be able to tell the difference. I’m not going to guarantee that everything I have told you is completely true, but I’m pretty sure I’ve given you accurate information.
You Don’t Have To Be A Chef To Read An Olive Oil Label
June 21, 2010
Olive oil has been with us for almost as long as the olive, which is at least 6,000 years. It is mentioned numerous times in the Christian Bible, singled out as holy by Mohammed the Prophet of Islam, and celebrated by the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Considered the best of all oils, it is the traditional oil for anointing kings, bishops, and temples in western culture.
Olive oil is easy to digest and helps our bodies assimilate vitamins and minerals. It aids the digestive system by stimulating the gall bladder. Olive oil is cholesterol free and is made up of 70% monounsaturated fatty acids, which reduce bad cholesterol (LDL). It contains chlorophyll which aids the metabolism, stimulating cellular growth and speeding the healing process. And it contains no trans fats.
The olive tree flourishes in Mediterranean-type climates with hot, dry summers and cool winters. Spain, with over 300 million olive trees, is the number one producer of olive oil with 44% of the world market. Much of Spanish olive oil production is shipped to Italy, both for consumption and to be repackaged for sale abroad as Italian olive oil. The region of Andalucía accounts for 75% of Spanish olive oil production.
Selecting the right olive oil can be a daunting task – the terminology used on labels is sometimes confusing and often misleading, and the differences between oils are usually not made clear. Here is everything you need to know to choose the right olive oil for your table or kitchen:
Grades – Olive oils that come from countries that are members of the International Olive Oil Council (of which Spain is, of course, one) adhere to strict regulations regarding labeling and packaging. The grades defined by the IOOC are as follows:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, has an acidity of no more than 0.8%, and has been judged to have superior taste. Extra virgin olive oil can contain no refined oil.
- Virgin Olive Oil has an acidity of less than 2% and has been judged to have good taste. Virgin olive oil can contain no refined oil.
- Pure Olive Oil is a blend of virgin olive oil and refined olive oil, and has an acidity of no more than 1%.
- Ordinary Olive Oil is also a blend of virgin and refined olive oils, and has an acidity of no more than 3.3%.
- Olive-Pomace Oil is very rarely found in markets, but is sometimes used in restaurant cooking. Made from the residue of the production of higher grade olive oils, olive-pomace oil is fit for consumption but not very tasty.
It is important to note that these grade definitions apply only to olive oils manufactured in countries that are members of the IOOC, which means that American olive oils may or may not meet these criteria. The USDA doesn’t recognize any of the above terms, instead using terms like “fancy” and “choice” as they have been since 1948, so you could put the words extra virgin olive oil on a tub of strawberry pudding and still be legal in the US as long as the ingredients list is correct.
Notice that taste is only a consideration for classifying extra virgin and virgin olive oil. These are the only two grades you would want to use when the flavor of the oil is important to the outcome of the dish.
Other things you may see on an olive oil label
- 100% Pure Olive Oil – This is a bit misleading if you don’t know what it means. Pure olive oil is actually the lowest grade available in retail stores, though the word pure might lead some to believe it’s the highest. No question, pure olive oil is an excellent choice for some uses, which we will get to shortly.
- Made from refined oils – The word refined is often associated with increased purity, but in the case of olive oil it means that the taste and acidity were altered by artificial means. Refined oils invariably start with lower quality olives, and suffer from a lack of the true taste of the olive. They undergo thermal and chemical treatments to reduce acidity, subjected to an extremely fine filtration process to remove any residual chemicals, and then fortified with a small amount of virgin or extra virgin oil to give them some flavor and color. The agricultural equivalent of making a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
- Lite Olive Oil – or Light Olive Oil. All olive oils have 120 calories per tablespoon, lite olive oils included. Lite olive oils are refined olive oils that have not been fortified with virgin or extra virgin oil, and therefore lack any semblance of taste or color. This type of oil can be used for baking or other forms of cooking where you don’t want the oil to flavor the food at all. Just don’t expect it to help you lose weight.
- From hand-picked olives – There is no evidence that manually picking olives produces better oil than the traditional tree-shaking method. The implication is that there are no olives picked off the ground (“windfall olives”) used in the making of the oil, which is a very good thing since windfall olives increase the acidity of the oil and require more washing of the olives before pressing, and that the olives are hand selected after being inspected by the picker – also a very good thing.
- First cold press – You will see this on many bottles of extra virgin olive oil, because EVOO comes from the first cold press by definition. If you don’t see it, don’t worry about it as long as you trust the brand and believe them when they say the oil is extra virgin. First press means that this oil came from the first press of the olives – some companies use a second press for lower grade oils. Cold means no additional heat is applied during pressing.
- Estate Grown – All the olives in the oil come from the same grove. This typically means less time to transport the olives to the mill, which means less time from picking to pressing, which results in superior oil.
- Unfiltered – Most olive oils are filtered to remove sediments that occur naturally during pressing. Some, however, retain the sediment in the final product. This is thought by many to strengthen and improve the flavor of the oil, and some connoisseurs seek out oils with the most sediment in the bottle. If nothing else, unfiltered oils undergo one less step in processing and are therefore one step closer to being an unadulterated product. The sediments can go rancid over time, so use unfiltered oils within 3 – 6 months of purchasing them and store them in a cool, dark place.
- Blended Oil – The olives in a particular grove can change in flavor from year to year. In order to achieve a consistent flavor, manufacturers will blend oils from different types of olives. Sometimes olive oil will be blended with canola or vegetable oil to improve the flavor or for marketing purposes. These oils should be clearly labeled.
- Flor de Aceite – Flower of the Oil in English. This is a process where the olives are crushed but not pressed, and the oil is decanted through gravity alone. It takes twice as many olives per liter to produce oil in this way, which is one reason this method is rarely used.
There is also the matter of the bottle itself. Some olive oils come in clear bottles, others in green bottles or even cans. Why is this? One reason a manufacturer may choose not to use clear glass is that there is some evidence that this may enhance shelf life – same reason some beers come in dark bottles. Unfortunately, this prevents you from seeing the oil before you buy it. Using green glass also gives the appearance of deep green colored oil, which many see as a sign of higher quality.
Which brings us to color. Green oils are from olives picked early in the harvest and have a peppery, fruity, ripe flavor in addition to higher levels of antioxidants and polyphenols. Gold oils are from later in the harvest and tend to be smooth and mellow. Green oils have a shorter shelf life than gold oils – figure around 8 to 9 months instead of 12. Color isn’t an indicator of the quality of the oil, though it does have a value all its own.
So, which olive oil should you choose? Depends on what you are going to use it for.
Unfiltered oils are great for salad dressings, dipping, or to drizzle on soups or pastas. They should never be used for cooking, because the sediments reduce the smoke point to a very low level and you are likely to wind up with a burnt taste to your food.
Use virgin or extra virgin oil for dipping, garlic toast, to finish sauces, anywhere you will be able to taste the oil.
While the rule of thumb is to only use expensive virgin or extra virgin oils in cold dishes or right at the end of cooking, you can also use them to sauté. They cost more, but many of us only have one bottle of olive oil in the house at a time. Keep in mind that these oils have a relatively low smoke point, so keep an eye on them.
Refined or light olive oils are great for baking. Their lack of flavor is actually a plus in baked goods, and you get many of the health benefits of unprocessed oils.
And use pure olive oil for deep frying – its higher smoke point (410 degrees) and less intense flavor make it perfect for this type of cooking.
Store your olive oil in a cool, dark place and pay attention to the date on the bottle. Olive oil is fresh food and can and will go rancid over time, especially if not stored properly.
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Matt Wasserman Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Matt_Wasserman |
