“Much of the Extra Virgin labeled olive oil sold is actually inferior quality ‘rectified oils’ blended with the better grades of oil so that the acidity is less than 1%.”

Extra Virgin

Most well-informed cooks think that olive oil labeled “Extra Virgin” comes from the very first pressing of just-picked olives, and if the words “cold-pressed” appear, so much the better. The notion evokes images of a sunny Mediterranean countryside, rustic baskets filled with shiny black olives, and green-gold oil running freely from an ancient press that probably dates back to the Romans. Such oil, unsullied by the modern industrial world, must be the best available.

It’s a beautiful dream, but the oil you buy , even the pricey stuff, is most likely the product of a high-tech continuous press. So just what does “extra virgin” really mean? In the European Union, the words can only be used if the oil meets both chemical and flavor standards (these last are called “organoleptic,” a term that encompasses flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel). The definitions for different grades of olive oil were established by the International Olive Oil Council in 1990. Only two grades of oil, extra virgin and virgin, are the result of simple pressing that, while technologically advanced, mimics the age-old methods of squeezing olives to get oil.

However, much of the Extra Virgin labelled olive oil sold is actually inferior quality ‘rectified oils’ blended with the better grades of oil so that the acidity is less than 1%.

Rectified olive oil is the result of two different processes. They’re called “rectified” because additional steps are taken to correct or rectify the flavor resulthing from its inferior quality.

The two different processes used to obtain ‘Rectified olive oils’

Process One: Oil labelled just as Olive oil (formerly referred to as “pure olive oil”) this is mostly oil pressed from inferior fruit so that the flavor is unacceptable or the acidity is more than 3 percent. This oil is refined to remove the undesirable characteristics, leaving a completely tasteless oil. A small amount of virgin or extra virgin oil is blended back in to provide some flavor.

Process Two: Olive pomace oil - The residue from the pressing process, called pomace (or sansa in Italy) undergoes additional chemical refining to extract the last fraction of oil. The process typically uses hexane or a similar compound to capture the oil, then the blend is distilled to remove the chemical. Sometimes water is used, but not often. A small amount of virgin or extra virgin oil is blended in to provide flavor, but pomace oils still have acid levels as high as 20%.

So how do you know what you’re getting premium quality Extra Virgin olive oil ?

Real good olive oil makes real good food a lot easier. The kind of rustic Italian cooking that just wouldn’t be the same without the distinctive flavor of olive oil. But not all olive oils are the same, and in fact most of the olive oil sold is relatively bland and flavorless.

Always check the label for a production date or year. Olive oil is best consumed within a couple of years from pressing. The words “estate bottled” usually mean that the oil comes from olives picked at a single farm, not blended for a uniform flavor like the big name brands. However, there are no label requirements or restrictions in the US, so buyer beware.

For drizzling, lower temperature cooking, and salads, get the best oil you can afford. It should be aromatic and flavorful, slightly bitter (but pleasantly so) with no greasy or fatty mouthfeel. You can expect to pay anywhere from £10 to £20 for a litre of real good extra virgin oil, but it makes simple foods taste so wonderful it’s well worth the cost.

Unless the olive oil producers or the big brands make their production processes clear most people have very little idea of what really is in their bottle of Extra Virgin olive oil

Thanks to realgoodfood.com

“Unless olive oil producers or the big brands make their production processes clear most people have very little idea of what really is in their bottle of Extra Virgin olive oil ”