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Suspekt Device
Jan 9, 2017
According to 60 minutes the Italian mafia has corrupted the industry to the point where no olive oil is to be trusted. I have probably been cooking with garbage this entire time. Please tell me which brand to buy or what to look for.

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ryanrs
Jul 12, 2011

Buy California olive oil instead of Italian.

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat
The exception is Costco/Kirkland brand, it's Italian and it's legit.

Otherwise, California Olive Ranch is excellent.

Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 13:26 on Jan 21, 2017

22 Eargesplitten
Oct 10, 2010



Rub it on your gums. If they tingle and then go numb, it's legit.

Jose
Jul 24, 2007

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer
don't buy italian olive oil

mindphlux
Jan 8, 2004

by R. Guyovich
don't buy olive oil unless it's in a 3L+ tin, to begin with. you should be paying between $20-40 for a 3L tin.

I have seen some great spanish olive oil being sold in the states - but also california produces great stuff too. I'd say stay away from Italy, but the brand I have been buying recently is italian, San Giuliano, and it's legit

https://www.google.com/shopping/pro...A0QnBUIgQEoADAC

google says it's 40, but I think I pay $28 at my farmer's market.

edit: I have never researched anything about this brand beyond just buying it and liking it, but in googling it just now, apparently mario batali endorsed it or something too? dunno, but it passes the mindphlux test anyways.


to come up with your own standard, just loving taste a ton of olive oil. after tasting several dozen different types, you start to get a feel for what makes a good olive oil vs a hohum one. I'm sure it's different for everyone - but some olive oil just tastes like loving vegetable oil, and some has some body and character - and you'll want to use the different types in different ways. for instance, if I'm going high temperature with a dish or making a delicate salad dressing, I'll go 50/50 with my good olive oil and some veg oil to change the smoke point and get a more neutral flavor.

taste food a lot, and you'll know when it's legit - and you won't need to ask a bunch of nerds on the internet!

mindphlux fucked around with this message at 08:47 on Jan 22, 2017

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Huh? What's wrong with Italian olive oil?

Babylon Astronaut
Apr 19, 2012
Almost all olive oil that comes out of Italy is olive flavored vegetable oil.

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Babylon Astronaut posted:

Almost all olive oil that comes out of Italy is olive flavored vegetable oil.

Well poo poo. I didn't know that. Sadly, I don't think there's any foolproof way to check your olive oil's quality except for trusting your taste I guess. If you try some actual, fresh olive oil the taste sort of stays with you and after a point you just know that something's off.

Wrestlepig
Feb 25, 2011

my mum says im cool

Toilet Rascal
Olive oil has a really low smoking point, right? Maybe you could test by cooking some stuff with it in a hot pan and see if the smoke alarm goes off.

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat

Babylon Astronaut posted:

Almost all olive oil that comes out of Italy is olive flavored vegetable oil.

Actually I think the actual studies that were done on olive oil by UC Davis and... I forget who did the other one... didn't find that they were necessarily counterfeit oil, but mostly that they didn't meet quality standards on the labeling. More often than not, Italian olive oil that was labeled extra-virgin did not meet the standards for being extra virgin for various reasons (one of which may or may not have been adulteration with other oils)


Edit: https://1.oliveoiltimes.com/library/ucd-2010-report.pdf

Steve Yun fucked around with this message at 08:05 on Jan 23, 2017

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Steve Yun posted:

More often than not, Italian olive oil that was labeled extra-virgin did not meet the standards for being extra virgin for various reasons (one of which may or may not have been adulteration with other oils)

For that matter, it's extremely unlikely that you will find actual extra-virgin olive oil anywhere. When a farmer takes their olives to the mill, the mill withholds a percentage of the oil they produced from that particular farmer's olive crop. The farmer can then either keep the rest of the oil for himself to sell or whatnot, or just sell it directly to the mill. Most oil mills (in a non-industrial scale) will generally crush the olives at significantly higher temperatures to increase yield, and then mix up the various olive oils they've pressed that season and bottle the mix.

Cold pressed, extra-virgin olive oil is REALLY hard to produce in profitable volume. For example, my olives crop this year was just over 1 ton, 1080kg. I don't sell my oil, I just keep it for home consumption so I asked the mill guy to press it at a cold temperature, generally around 12-15°C. That left me with about 120kg of olive oil, just around 10%. That low a percentage is pretty hard to make a profit off of, so most producers push the crushing temperature up to juuuuust about the limit where it can still be labelled extra virgin or just exceed it or mix it up or whatever. It's actually pretty common knowledge in most olive oil producing countries.

Not to brag, but look at that colour

Steve Yun
Aug 7, 2003
I'm a parasitic landlord that needs to get a job instead of stealing worker's money. Make sure to remind me when I post.
Soiled Meat
Sure, but since you're not selling yours at any groceries, the gist of all this is that the highest quality affordable and available oil will be from California

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Steve Yun posted:

Sure, but since you're not selling yours at any groceries, the gist of all this is that the highest quality affordable and available oil will be from California

Sure, I guess? As long as California has laws etc in place to make sure the content is what's on the label it probably is.

Bob Morales
Aug 18, 2006


Just wear the fucking mask, Bob

I don't care how many people I probably infected with COVID-19 while refusing to wear a mask, my comfort is far more important than the health and safety of everyone around me!

Pooper Trooper posted:

olive oil stuff

What do they do with the crushed olives sans oil?

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Bob Morales posted:

What do they do with the crushed olives sans oil?

Lots of things, it can be used as livestock feed for example or for soap making. I remember my grandma used to make green soap from the sediment in the bottom of the oil containers and lye. She'd flip the kitchen table upside down and use the support frame as a mould wherein she would pour the lye and dreg mixture, and after it had set she'd cut it into thick bars.

The olive cores can be further processed to produce a different kind of oil, kind of greenish brown, not sure what it's called in English. Google translate says it's "pomace". They also grind the cores down and turn them into pellets for heating. I'm sure there's more uses to it, nothing goes to waste.

Bald Stalin
Jul 11, 2004

Our posts
A lot of California olive oil now comes with a pressed/bottled date so you can see how fresh it is. That poo poo coming from Italy is probably old and has been exposed to poor shipping/storage conditions.

But yeah, look on the bottle for the pressed date. The more recent it is, the better. The first time I had proper fresh, green extra virgin that had this almost 'burning' sensation... magic. I picked it up at a olive grove storefront in Napa.

Bald Stalin fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Jan 23, 2017

Jose
Jul 24, 2007

Adrian Chiles is a broadcaster and writer
What does your stuff taste like since apparently I've had nothing like it

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

Jose posted:

What does your stuff taste like since apparently I've had nothing like it

pm me your address and I'll send you a care package

Croatoan
Jun 24, 2005

I am inevitable.
ROBBLE GROBBLE
I'm pretty sure I mostly use fake stuff. I just buy what's on sale at Kroger. So it sounds like I'm missing out? I mean really, is it THAT big of a difference? Honest question.

The Midniter
Jul 9, 2001

Croatoan posted:

I'm pretty sure I mostly use fake stuff. I just buy what's on sale at Kroger. So it sounds like I'm missing out? I mean really, is it THAT big of a difference? Honest question.

For most, no. I don't care all that much because I don't use a lot of olive oil in a raw preparation; the Kirkland Signature brand cold-pressed extra virgin bullshit from Costco tastes good enough to me when I do make a salad dressing or some hummus or dip some bread in it or whatever. I have had some incredible olive oils from a place that focuses just on oils and vinegars, but they were eye-poppingly expensive compared to what I normally get.

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

mindphlux posted:


to come up with your own standard, just loving taste a ton of olive oil. after tasting several dozen different types, you start to get a feel for what makes a good olive oil vs a hohum one. I'm sure it's different for everyone - but some olive oil just tastes like loving vegetable oil, and some has some body and character - and you'll want to use the different types in different ways. for instance, if I'm going high temperature with a dish or making a delicate salad dressing, I'll go 50/50 with my good olive oil and some veg oil to change the smoke point and get a more neutral flavor.

This doesn't happen, and I don't know why people think it does. At best you're diffusing the burnt flavor of the lower smokepoint oil's flavor. You're not altering the smokepoint by mixing two things together like that.

Do like a normal person and cook with a high smokepoint oil (higher than the temp you're cooking with) and finish by sprinkling the lower smoking point oil for flavor if you like the taste of that one.

mindphlux
Jan 8, 2004

by R. Guyovich

Drifter posted:

This doesn't happen, and I don't know why people think it does. At best you're diffusing the burnt flavor of the lower smokepoint oil's flavor. You're not altering the smokepoint by mixing two things together like that.

Do like a normal person and cook with a high smokepoint oil (higher than the temp you're cooking with) and finish by sprinkling the lower smoking point oil for flavor if you like the taste of that one.

this makes sense, and I've honestly never thought much about it beyond "oil smokes less at X temperature if I mix it" :downs:

in other news, russia hacked our election!!!!!

Bald Stalin
Jul 11, 2004

Our posts

mindphlux posted:

this makes sense, and I've honestly never thought much about it beyond "oil smokes less at X temperature if I mix it" :downs:

in other news, russia hacked our election!!!!!

mindphlux accepting something contrary to his original opinion? Now I've seen it all.

Side note, it appears GWS is going hog wild without any moderation so please, go forth and wreak havoc in the crock pot and chili threads

mindphlux
Jan 8, 2004

by R. Guyovich

Ranter posted:

mindphlux accepting something contrary to his original opinion? Now I've seen it all.

Side note, it appears GWS is going hog wild without any moderation so please, go forth and wreak havoc in the crock pot and chili threads

I almost did at ground floor, now it's past its prime and I'm just hoping they die or get gassed.

what happened to bartolimu? someone should probably moderate this forum...

DjErichB
May 15, 2009

Pooper Trooper posted:

For that matter, it's extremely unlikely that you will find actual extra-virgin olive oil anywhere.

Huh. I have some locally produced (within 60 miles or so) "extra virgin" olive oil that is bright green, and i figured from the price ($18 / 500mL) it was the real thing (press date of November 2015). Is this realistic, or do i have a sham product?

PhazonLink
Jul 17, 2010
Donnie is going to kill the FDA/all gov regs so California olive oil is only good for a few months before they to race to the bottom and sell olive flavored posion so you should stop caring if your food oil is good or even safe.

PhazonLink fucked around with this message at 09:40 on Jan 25, 2017

Pooper Trooper
Jul 4, 2011

neveroddoreven

DjErichB posted:

Huh. I have some locally produced (within 60 miles or so) "extra virgin" olive oil that is bright green, and i figured from the price ($18 / 500mL) it was the real thing (press date of November 2015). Is this realistic, or do i have a sham product?

Yep, completely realistic, don't worry. My photo was taken the day after the pressing so there was a lot of stuff floating about. It's much clearer now.

The one true heezy
Mar 23, 2004
mofos trying to cook with olive oil. yall need to find jesus

Test Pattern
Dec 20, 2007

Keep scrolling, clod!
It was mentioned in passing above, but Spanish olive oil apparently doesn't have this issue, and is my personal preference anyway, followed by good California oil, then Greek. Given the relative price points and ease of acquisition (Costco sells California Olive Ranch for about $10/L) that means most of my good stuff is from California nowadays.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying http://www.aceitequintasanjose.com/index.php/productos/item/296 when I was in Spain, it blew me away and is apparently not exported.

PT6A
Jan 5, 2006

Public school teachers are callous dictators who won't lift a finger to stop children from peeing in my plane

Test Pattern posted:

It was mentioned in passing above, but Spanish olive oil apparently doesn't have this issue, and is my personal preference anyway, followed by good California oil, then Greek. Given the relative price points and ease of acquisition (Costco sells California Olive Ranch for about $10/L) that means most of my good stuff is from California nowadays.

I'm still kicking myself for not buying http://www.aceitequintasanjose.com/index.php/productos/item/296 when I was in Spain, it blew me away and is apparently not exported.

Spanish olive oil is my personal preference, followed by Portuguese at the moment.

Next time I go to Spain, I'm filling up a suitcase with olive oil to bring back. It's ridiculously inexpensive over there compared to Canada (apparently there's less of a difference in the US, by the prices I see mentioned, but it'd still be a good savings)

SymmetryrtemmyS
Jul 13, 2013

I got super tired of seeing your avatar throwing those fuckin' glasses around in the astrology thread so I fixed it to a .jpg
I've been recommended Croatian olive oil very highly. Granted, it was a recommendation by a diehard Croatian nationalist, so I'm not sure if that recommendation can be trusted. Any thoughts, since this is apparently the Olive Oil Megathread?

Reiterpallasch
Nov 3, 2010



Fun Shoe
i don't know what's in it but the trader joe's house brand of spanish olive oil is pretty drat good, and costco-level cheap; if you want to spend like infinity dollars on olive oil i really like the seka hills brand.

e: it's been mentioned up-thread but california olive ranch is broadly available even at lovely grocery stores, at least in california, and a pretty good value for the price too

mindphlux
Jan 8, 2004

by R. Guyovich

SymmetryrtemmyS posted:

I've been recommended Croatian olive oil very highly. Granted, it was a recommendation by a diehard Croatian nationalist, so I'm not sure if that recommendation can be trusted. Any thoughts, since this is apparently the Olive Oil Megathread?

if a balkan national strongly suggests a course of action to you, you politely decline and back away slowly without breaking eye contact

Fo3
Feb 14, 2004

RAAAAARGH!!!! GIFT CARDS ARE FUCKING RETARDED!!!!

(I need a hug)
Aussie olive oil is pretty good, otherwise for cheap stuff I get spanish oil. So it's like you guys buying californian or spanish if you're in the US.
What do the Italians know about olive oil anyway? Even in roman times they imported it from Spain.

Bald Stalin
Jul 11, 2004

Our posts
Italians keep all the good poo poo for themselves, much like the French. The poo poo stuff is what they export.

Water777
Mar 19, 2015
taste it.

Water777
Mar 19, 2015
anyone can cook

encouraging people to work hard at getting better is based on their commitment.

Water777
Mar 19, 2015
olive oil comes from whoever provides you with it. In canada I use Sysco.

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Irradiated Haggis
Dec 20, 2010
I don't know how relevant this will be since it's a little stale (2 years old), but America's Test Kitchen had a nice segment in one of their podcasts on the olive oil industry.

https://soundcloud.com/americastestkitchen/103-how-to-buy-olive-oil

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