What Makes Olive Oil Virgin, Extra-virgin, Organic Or Not?
May 30, 2011
The merits of extra virgin olive oil have been talked about everywhere, from Oprah to the Sunday paper. But when you go to the store to buy it, the range of products and prices is astounding. How do you choose?
Let me make it easy for you. Here is the explanation of what makes olive oil extra virgin or not.
First we have to consider the quality of the olive itself. If the olive is picked while still green, the oil will be bitter. Using an olive that is too ripe will result in a rancid tasting oil. Great care is used in choosing olives that are ready to become oil. The words “hand picked olives” on the label indicate that great care was used.
Organic means that the olives are certified to have been grown without the use of pesticides, an important point.
Extra-virgin olive oil is produced by the old-fashioned way of slowly grinding the olives into a paste, allowing the oil to form naturally, and not letting any heat build up in the process. Too much heat will produce an oxidized oil that loses its health giving vitality. Extra-virgin olive oil must be cold processed and cannot be adulterated with any refined oils. I agree that this olive oil has a superior taste.
Virgin olive oil is slightly more acid with a less pronounced taste. Some literature says that it is the second pressing of those olives. There may be a little bit of heat building up as the process continues.
The second way to produce olive oil is by using a centrifuge process which is considered to produce an olive oil of lesser quality because it can result in a build up of heat.
Refined olive oil has been chemically treated to neutralize those “strong” tastes. This can result in a taste-less oily product that most olive oil lovers avoid.
Labels that read “100% Pure olive oil” or “Made from refined olive oils” or “Light olive oil” indicate that this product was made from inferior oils or chemically processed.
The best olive oil labels should include these phrases like “from hand-picked olives” or “first cold pressed” or “organic” to insure the most nutritious and delicious oil.
One of my favorite things is to taste test the olive oils at Whole Foods Market. A few drops can be dripped onto small pieces of bread for a quick taste test. The best olive oil should please your taste buds. If it burns your throat, that oil is not for you. It might be rancid or there could be other personal concerns. I avoid clear bottles or plastic bottles and choose oil in dark green or brown glass bottles to insure freshness.
If you love the taste of it, do not choke when you see the price. Really great nutritious olive oil should taste absolutely delicious! You just need a little bit daily on your toast or salad to reap the nutritional rewards.
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From Martha Rather – The Holistic Cookie – Enjoy Nutritious Time-tested Recipes Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martha_Rather |
Spanish Olive Oil – Its Origins
May 22, 2011
I was asking myself the other day: How did humanity come to discover olive oil? Most historians are in agreement on where and when it was first produced, how it spread all over Europe and North Africa, which countries embraced planting massive orchards of olive trees and producing this amazing and beneficial liquid gold. But nobody knows how they discovered it, or who was the first to think about crushing an olive to get the oil out of it. Who invented olive oil?
I am an avid researcher for the origins of most everything, and invariably come to the same root, no matter what I research:
The Greek Mythology says that Athena the Goddess of Wisdom, was the one to introduce the olive oil to mankind, after winning a heavenly contest between the gods for presenting Zeus with the most practical gift to man. Hercules stomped his foot on the ground and out popped an olive tree.
The Egyptians believed to be the goddess Isis who taught mankind about its cultivation and secrets. Anphors of this oil were found in pharaoh’s tombs and other Egyptian graves.
The book of Enoch tells us that the Nephilim, the fallen angels and their offspring the semi-gods, where the ones who took to themselves the task to teach humans all kinds of trades, secrets and mischief. Apparently these heavenly beings mixed themselves with the daughters of men and tried to impress them with their superior knowledge, teaching them all kinds of things. No matter what you research, soon enough Mythology comes in stating that the Gods brought it down to man somehow, no matter what country in the world. This is something to consider.
Olive oil was not only used as food, but also as cosmetics, fuel for lamps, medicine, mystical anointing of kings and priests, etc. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the production went down for awhile during the dark ages in Europe, but surged again during the moors occupation of Spain.
The Franciscan monks took with them olive trees when they went to evangelize the Americas in the 1700s and they spread it through the New World.
Nowadays, Spain is the first producer of olive oil in the world, followed by Italy, Greece and California. The almost 300 different varieties of olives that grow in Spain, make for a rich array of all kinds of tasty and fruity Spanish olive oils that are very valued and priced worldwide.
| Rose is an expert on the field of extra virgin organic oils and natural healthy foods. Original from Spain, she has a first hand knowledge of the benefits of Spanish olive oil. Read her articles and visit her website for more information. spanish olive oil
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Gagnon |
Olive Oil And Child Development
May 10, 2011
Olive oil plays a major role for a baby’s development since conception.
Its high content in antioxidants, help prevent the destructive effects of the substances that are harmful to our bodies. Its fatty acids are very important for our health, because they support the hormones and help assisting in the cell membrane development.
- Mothers who consume it during their pregnancy, they have better chances of having healthier children.
- Olive oil contains linoleic acid (omega-6 fatty acids), are the healthiest foods for newborn and growing children. Such a deficiency in linoleic acid, results in retardation and many skin problems.
- The extra virgin contains polyunsaturated fats at a similar level to human milk. It is a very sufficient source of these acids, that are very important and can not be drawn from the human body.
- It is a major contributor to the development of a baby’s brain and nervous system before and after birth. It is the only oil that is recommended for mothers and mothers to be, by experts.
- The high content of vitamins E, A and K in it, is very important for contributing to the development of bones in children and maintaining the bone strength in adults.
- The vitamin E is very crucial element for the growth of the fetus and it lasts beyond pregnancy. During pregnancy the vitamin E in the mother’s blood, concentrates in the breast glands and when breast feeding, the vitamin E is supplied to the baby.
- It has the most beneficial effects on the bones by producing calcium and prevents calcium loss. The more the olive oil intake, the better the strength of the bone.
- French researchers say that it is necessary during the growth of a child and later in adulthood, to avoid calcium loss.
In some places in Greece, when a child is born, an olive tree is planned. That tree will grow and develop as the child does. The tree will start producing the olive fruit about six years later, when the child starts school. Along with the child grows the tree, only the tree will have a much-much longer life then the child.
| My name is Mary Dimitropoulos and I was born and raised in Sparta, located in the Southern part of Greece, the Peloponnese Peninsula. It is known for its olive orchards and olive oil production. I come from a family of olive oil producers. Olive oil has been the irreplaceable food for thousands of years for the Greek people and the olive oil production is a family affair with only one goal: to produce the perfect olive oil. http://www.theolivesgift.com/about/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mary_Dimitropoulos |
