Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Olive Oil

We typically see three grades of olive oil on grocery store shelves in North America: regular, virgin olive oil, and extra virgin. While each derives from the olive fruit, they are very different. Learn a bit about their varying flavors and uses from Skyler Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani. Mapes and Morisani are the founders of EXAU, an olive oil company whose offerings come from Calabria. They’re also the authors of The Olive Oil Enthusiast: A Guide from Tree to Table, with Recipes, published by Ten Speed Press. They shared their olive oil knowledge with us, and you’ll never look at it the same way. 

Skylar Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani stand in front of a pair of French doors.
Skylar Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani. Photo courtesy of Skylar Mapes.

How Is Olive Oil Made?

First, let’s break down how regular olive oil is made. The fruit of the olive tree is harvested and made into lampante oil. Lampante goes through several refinement processes such as decolorization and deodorization which transforms it into refined olive oil.

Regular olive oil is made with a mix of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil making it a highly processed fat. It has a free fatty acid count of below 3.3% and a very neutral taste.

Virgin olive oil is made with fruit that has fallen due to the natural ripeness into nets placed below the trees and then milled. Free fatty acid levels are below 2%. This product can be high in undesirable flavors, aromas and textures.

Extra virgin olive oil is produced with olives that are freshly picked from the tree and milled into oil at a temperature below 80.6 degrees. It has little to no flavor problems and should be bottled in either a dark glass or metal container to preserve the quality. It has a free fatty acid level below 0.8%.

Prices

Now that we’ve broken down the types you’ll find on a grocery store shelf, it’s important to take things a step further to better understand why there is such a big price range among extra virgin olive oils. This is because of the differences between ordinary extra virgin olive oil and specialty extra virgin olive oil. The former is usually from larger companies that grow olive trees in high-density industrial farming which isn’t the best for the environment as it requires the replacement of trees every twenty years. This is a sad reality, as olive trees can live for thousands of years.

Specialty extra virgin olive oil, while more costly, is an artisanal product and a true labor of love. Highly studied pruning and harvesting methods are used to maximize the yields from trees each year, however, this must be done in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the plants. Specialty extra virgin olive oil is usually produced by smaller farmers. These farmers follow more environmentally friendly farming practices, such as planting the trees further apart to allow the trees to mature and have full lives.

In addition, specialty extra virgin olive oil tends to be a higher quality product with increased antioxidant levels, lower free fatty acids, and overall more complex and interesting flavor profiles. It’s challenging and more costly to produce. Honestly, it’s an art and should receive the same respect we give to great winemakers. The higher price tag for the product is very much earned.

Storage 

Think of olive oil as a vampire which should be stored in a cool, dark, dry place. Keeping the product on the counter next to the stove or oven is convenient because it’s within arm’s reach when cooking. Also understandable, if the bottle has a beautiful label then you probably want to show it off. However, the olive oil shouldn’t sit where it’s exposed to artificial or natural light.

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Once a bottle of EVOO is open, try to consume it within 45 days to experience the best flavor profiles. Olive oil begins to oxidize when exposed to air. This process isn’t immediate but the oil will begin to fall flat the longer the bottle is open. So, make sure to always close the top when you’re not using the product.

How to Choose the Right Olive Oil

If you had to choose one grade of olive oil, extra virgin is without a doubt the best option for everyday use. It’s incredibly versatile and can be used for everything from eggs to salads to soups or steak. Extra virgin is really good for cooking and shallow frying foods like zucchini fritters, breaded mushrooms, or chicken cutlets. However, it’s not ideal for deep frying.

As a general rule, if you need to use more than ¼ or ½ cup to fry something, choose a less expensive oil. EVOO can be used for drizzling over salads or bread and charcuterie boards, and even in baking. We have an incredible olive oil brownie recipe in our book, The Olive Oil Enthusiast.

Tips for Shopping for Olive Oil

When shopping for oil at the grocery store, look for extra virgin olive oil in a dark glass bottle or metal tin. Turn the bottle around and look for a harvest date. You’ll want the most recent harvest date. In the northern hemisphere, we harvest and mill in the fall, from September – December. A harvest date of 2024/2025 is what you should be purchasing right now.

Next, look for a single country of origin such as Italy. It’s even better if you can find a single region of origin. For example, at EXAU we exclusively grow and mill olives in the southern Italian region of Calabria. It’s best to buy from smaller producers who are transparent about their harvesting practices, own their trees, and overall have more agency over over the production.

Smoke Point

Don’t worry about smoke point unless you’re using a wok. Olive oil, especially a specialty extra virgin, has a very high smoke point. What we perceive to be the smoke point when cooking at home is not the actual one. When scientists run these tests, they are doing so in a controlled environment. They heat the oil and test it at a continuous temperature for an extended period of time. None of us are boiling oil at home for six hours straight. Use EVOO to cook your steak. It will be okay.

Health Benefits

The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil seem to be nearly never-ending. It’s rich in antioxidants which is incredible for overall health as well as antiaging. The health benefits include but are not limited to the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis. The product also has antibacterial and antiviral properties, as well as anticancer effects.

Story by Skyler Mapes and Giuseppe Morisani
Styling by Anna Franklin
Photography by Dave Bryce

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