How To Get The Most From Your Olive Oil
In the past, our Olive Oil specialist have shared some incredible tips on how to purchase and taste Olive Oil. But all that will not make any difference if you do not know how to use Olive Oil properly. Here are five easy ways to learn how Olive Oil can be used to get the maximum benefits and all the unique taste that come along with it.
1. Olive Oil Is Best Used Fresh
Olives are fruit and Olive Oilis best when it is fresh. Best by dates generally are about 18 months to 2 years after harvest, but the simple fact is that you should use your Olive Oil in a much shorter period than that. In a perfect world, use Olive Oil within one year of harvest.
That is a little bit different though from once you actually open a bottle of Olive Oil. An open bottle of Olive Oil should be used within 3-6 months or less, so our Olive Oilexperts suggest that you make sure you purchase as much as you need for that period of time.
In addition, do not get huge bottles that you will not use for months, always remember air and time eventually lead to loss of antioxidants and flavor. So our Olive OilExperts advise that you make sure you use the Olive Oil in a fairly short time. If it is part of your daily diet you will not have a problem with storing as you will be using it routinely.
2. Olive Oil Is The Main Source Of Added Fat
We know that one of the main characteristics of the Mediterranean diet is using olive oil as the main source of fat. While here in Greece we use quite a bit of olive oil, studies show that minimally you need 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil a day.
The average amount consumed in the U.S. is 1 teaspoon a day
They think it is too much, or that they will gain weight. But when the Olive Oil consumed within a Mediterranean style diet, you will not gain weight. That means that you will be eating mostly vegetables as a main course with a bit of bread and cheese resulting in average calorie level.
3. Olive Oil Is Not Only Great For Salads
When our Olive Oil experts state that olive oil is the main fat, we do not mean only in salads but as you can see it is used for most cooking needs.
Yes you can fry with olive oil, as the smoke point is high enough for home frying needs, and you will not even reach the smoke point which is about 410 degrees F for Extra Virgin Olive Oil. By lightly sautéing, you may lose a small amount of antioxidants but will retain most, so you are definitely still getting the benefits.
4. You Should Not Re-Use Olive Oil
A variety of individuals re-use Olive Oil after they have fried with it, that is a big no-no. Obviously this used oil will not taste as good, or fresh and the heat oxidizes it as well. While frying or sautéing the first time with Olive Oil will cause a small loss of antioxidants, repeated use more than once or twice will cause greater loss of the nutrition and flavor qualities.
5. Recycling Olive Oil
Make sure you dispose leftover olive oil (after frying) correctly. Ideally you want to recycle it. If you do not have that choice to make with Olive Oil, then you can pour it in non-recyclable containers that close well and throw it in the garbage. Our Olive Oil experts suggest that you do not pour it down the drain and rinse with hot water. This can cause backups in your drain.