High Quality EVOO

[phathod]

Hey guys. Does anyone know of any good quality brands of extra virgin olive oils that I would be able to easily obtain? I live in a small town in the Midwest so there are not many cooking specific stores or places to find many high quality ingredients. So out of the small amount of places I have locally, (shop n save, County Market, Schnucks, and a few other place,) does anyone know a good brand of EVOO that is high quality and not diluted with other oils? Thanks

[CanMan]

I wouldn't stress about it. They are all good for you and the labeling in the US is not going to properly distinguish any product as being better or different from the other, nor will price.

I've never come across a product that was "diluted" with other oils unless it said so on the bottle so I don't think there is a concern.

If you are looking for an absolute oil that is better for you, try looking for Grapeseed Oil which is even better overall that Olive Oil.

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

If you are looking for an absolute oil that is better for you, try looking for Grapeseed Oil which is even better overall that Olive Oil.

Hi CanMan can you give me some more info on this?

[CanMan]

Do a Google search on Grapeseed Oil for more information, but here is most of the information:

"Grapeseed oil is a polyunsaturated oil and can be used to fry, bake, sauté, or use in salad dressings. It is actually made from the seeds of grapes (Vitis viniffera), and this byproduct of winemaking has become a sought-after oil for cooking because of its high smoke point (320ºF.) and its clean light taste some call neutral, others find nutty. It blends well with herbs, spices, garlic, and shallots. Most grapeseed oil is imported from France, Italy or Switzerland with a few brands now emerging from the U.S. winemaking areas.

High amounts of Omega 6 (linoleic acid) appear in grapeseed oil (69-78%) and help the body burn fat and increases energy. The oil contains modest amounts of Omega 9 (oleic acid) and traces of omega 3 (alpha-linolenic acid, GLA (gamma-linolenic) fatty acids, and there are trace amounts of vitamin E, vitamin C and beta-carotene. Health reports indicate that HDL levels can be raised and LDL levels reduced by including grapeseed oil as a regular part of one's diet.

Look for "cold pressed" oils: this process will not compromise nutrients, and many (myself included) believe the taste of the oils to be crisper and cleaner. "

[Cook Chatty Cathy]

Thank you for the info. CanMan,

I am actually (since Thurs. a week ago) began following the Flat Belly Diet from Prevention and I have had great results so far (7 lbs. lost in 1 week) and it calls for incorporating a Monounsaturated Fatty Acid in each small meal you eat. So in your 4 meals daily you are ingesting a fat that is good for your heart and supposedly helps our bodies loose belly fat better than conventional diets. I do have grape seed oil and use it occassionally, but after reading your post (and I will go on-line and do further research) I may just be needing to use more that I currently do.


Thanks Again!

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Hmmm... the mid-west? So perhaps you mean, Illinois, then phat? If so, I am in Bloomington/Normal.

As CanMan offers- brand name isn't really all that important to quality, necessarily. I have used olive oils from Aldi's brand to Kroger's, Jewel, Schnuck's and Wal-Mart, and they've all been pretty good.

If one MUST be brand loyal "Pompei" is always a good brand. From my many years in commercial kitchens, Pompei was used regularly as it was always available to us in volume one gallon and 3 gallon tins. In Alaska we also often used a good brand received from purveyours in BC which was called "Fruit Tree".

[CanMan]

What I meant was that the USA has not adopted the International Rules for labeling for such things, so the term “extra virgin” is not regulated so some products can be called such but not have the quality.

How To SpeaK Olive Oil

[chubbyalaskagriz]

Another thing that many folks are not aware of is just what calssification terms like "extra virgin", "fine virgin", "semi-fine virgin", and "ordinary olive oil" actually mean.

Olive oil is produced from pressing olives to extract the oil. The first or "virgin" pressing extracts a dark product rich with particles of the olive (these little "floaties" tend to burn fast when heated in a pan and can sometimes negatively affect the taste of the oil and the food product). This oil has incredibly intense flavor, however, some folks don't realize it but this one is best used raw for vinaigrettes and salad dressings- and not for cooking.

The later 2nd, 3rd and 4th pressings produce slightly lighter, less intense products respectively, that contain fewer tid-bits and particles of the actual olive. These fewer "floaties" help make these oils more suitable to using with heat, since there are fewer "floaties" to cinge and burn, and taint flavor.

There are exceptions to every rule, and every cook is different... some use extra-virgin for all uses. But a general rule of thumb is extra-virgin for raw use only... and 2nd, 3rd and 4th pressings for actual cooking.

[The Ironic Chef]

phathod, I use Bertolli Olive oil here. It's sold nation wide and comes in several varieties. I have even bought it in Walmart stores that sell food items.

[jglass]

I use Bertolli. I get the 3 liter jugs of the extra virgin at Sams for around $22.
I go there about once every couple of months and get it.