Olive oil has already settled in almost every kitchen. But many housewives still treat it with some caution. We decided to devote this material to the questions that are most often asked about Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
What is the best oil grade?
Virgin is a mechanically pressed oil from selected olives. This is an absolutely natural product and the best oil. It is used for salads, sprinkled with main courses, sandwiches.
Extra virgin is the very best in the virgin category. This virgin oil is obtained at a temperature not exceeding 27 degrees. Its acidity is less than 1 per cent. Extra virgin DOP or IGP is a branded olive oil made from olives from a specific region. Virgin olive oil or Olio di oliva Vergine – cold-pressed from lower quality olives.
Refinado is refined olive oil. To improve its taste, it was subjected to industrial processing. You can cook, fry in it.
Pure olive oil or olive oil is a mixture of refined and unrefined oils.
Pomace olive oil – oil of the second extraction. It is made from cake and mixed with a small amount of virgin oil.
Lampante oil – olive oil not intended for human consumption. It is used for industrial needs.
How to store olive oil?
Cool it in a cool dark place. In the refrigerator, the olive oil thickens and precipitates. Subzero temperatures do not affect the taste, the danger is that the oil can absorb the smell of other products.
What color should a quality oil be?
Olive oil comes in various shades of yellow and green. Moreover, it cannot be said that the best among them is green, or vice versa, yellow oil. But you must know that the taste does not depend on color.
Can I cook with olive oil?
When asked if it is possible to fry in olive oil, the answer is unequivocal: yes. Olive oil is one of the best for frying – it can heat up to very high temperatures (170-180 degrees) without splitting and losing its valuable properties. In order for food fried in such oil to go for the good of the body, you need to understand all the intricacies of the process.
What oil is better for frying, extra virgin or refined
Extra virgin olive oil of the highest grade (first pressing) retains the maximum useful properties. It is better to add it to salads as a dressing.
The heating temperature of this oil allows you to fry foods with high water content, such as vegetables, without harm. They are cooked at 130 ° C-140 ° C. Foods cut into pieces or instant food, such as egg dishes, potatoes, meatballs, semi-finished products, dishes in batter or bread crumbs, are fried at a temperature of 160 ° C-180 ° C. They can also be fried in this oil.
Refined olive oil is more suitable for frying food at high temperatures (up to 230 ° C-240 ° C). Remember that foods cooked with a crispy crust are no longer healthy. Besides frying, there are other cooking methods such as stewing, baking, or steaming. They are more suitable for a healthy lifestyle.
Whichever oil you choose, make sure it doesn’t burn in the pan. In this case, it forms harmful substances with carcinogenic properties.
Can I fry eggs in Extra virgin olive oil?
Yes, because it helps preserve the egg’s special flavor and aroma. The omelet will turn out juicy and tasty both on a vegetable ingredient for frying and on a mixture of creamy and olive products.
Whether you can use a mixture of two fatty ingredients or fry eggs strictly in one olive oil depends only on the taste of the chef and his family and guests. You cannot overdo it with the amount, there should be a little fat in the pan, the mode should be medium.
When cooking for kids, nutritionists recommend using olive or coconut ingredients for frying. Young mothers, and not only in the age of the popularization of various oils, sometimes do not know whether it is possible to fry, for example, cheese cakes in olive oil. Experts say that it is not at all contraindicated, and it will not harm children in moderation and with proper use.
Egg dishes go well with extra virgin olive oil. Whether or not it is possible to fry eggs in the not very expensive olive oil category, especially for frying oil, is a matter of preference, but chefs usually appreciate such combinations. In cookbooks, there are many recipes for eggs with tomatoes or other additives, where it is best to use products made from olives, and not seeds, as people are used to.
How to distinguish a fake?
If there is any doubt about the authenticity of the olive oil, pour a little into a small bottle with a tight lid and refrigerate. After 10 minutes everything will be clear – a natural product at 0 ° C will quickly thicken and become similar to dense fat. If you mix any vegetable oil (palm oil, for example) this will not happen.
At room temperature, the oil in the experimental vial will quickly return to its previous state, its taste and quality will not change.
How to store?
Ideally, the olive product should be stored in the dark at +12 .. + 15 ° C in an airtight bottle. Below +7 ° C for oil – the limit, it will begin to grow cloudy, become bluish. One word – southern product.
Does food during frying will become more high in calories?
Extra Virgin Olive oil contains about 900 kcal per 100 ml. But at the same time, it is almost entirely composed of unsaturated fatty acids.
Unlike saturated ones, they are well absorbed by the body. It is believed that the main component of olive oil – oleic acid – helps to reduce the level of “bad” cholesterol and increase the level of “good”. In addition, it improves digestion and metabolism.
Due to the high heating temperature, olive oil cooks food faster, which means it retains more nutrients. The protective layer formed on the surface by proteins prevents large quantities of olive oil from penetrating inside.
As a result, foods do not become more fatty, and vitamins and minerals are preserved. Thus, the calorie content of the dish does not increase, but the benefits remain.
We have discussed some useful questions. But this is not an encyclopedia you can ask more questions in the comment section. We will try to provide you answers.
Have a nice day!