What You Need to Know About Shopping for Olive Oil
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- Опубліковано 31 лип 2024
- Ingredient expert Jack Bishop shares tips for buying extra-virgin olive oil.
Read the review of supermarket olive oil: cooks.io/3rp2qN6
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the california is great, its like oh olive oil is supposed to have a taste, and the peppery notes take you by surprise
It's too expensive nowadays.
@@samtan4729 - You get what you pay for. The cheaper the oil is, the more likely it's been adulterated with non-olive oil.
I so enjoy these short little videos. They are so helpful and informative. Thank you.
I've been a fan of Test Kitchen for a long time and am grateful for the many, many tips and the volumes and variety of information you present. Thank you.
@georgianawhite412 - That's why I am surprised that they did not go into the adulteration that's happening.
I’m Greek descent - so I use a lot of olive oil, I tend to buy it in a 3 liter can. I usually buy mine at the Greek market. I like Iliada Kalamata Olive Oil. Greeks like different olive oils for different purposes. During lent when no animal products are allowed, they make baklava with olive oil. But for me, the Iliada is the best all-purpose. I wish they labeled olive oils here like they do in Greece and Italy - with the acidity level on the label.
This right here. I lived in Greece as a kid so finding a good Greek grocer who sells olive oil in the liter cans was key.
You don't have to Greek to recognize the value of buying olive oil in 3L tins, not only is it much more economical but as long as the oil is in the tin the oil is kept dark.
I'm always so envious of the fresh local produce (and olive oil!) you can get over in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Turkey...we have so many rules & regs here in the states, it's hard to find a real good outdoor or farmer's market for these items.
I buy only Greek olive oil its the best; cold pressed for sure
I have heard people mention that the metal cans can give a flavor if used for long-term storage. Personally, I would not expect that *but only because the cans are typically lined with "forever chemicals" and other chemicals that are not good for you.* They can leach into your food. What's your experience with flavor eventually getting affected by the metal can? I am guessing you have not seen this problem.
One of the biggest labeling things to watch out for, that Jack did not mention, when buying olive oil is when the bottle has Olive Oil Blend written on it, most of the time it is a blend of olive oil and a less expensive oil, like soybean oil, canola oil, grapeseed oil, or safflower oil. Usually what they do is they write "Olive Oil Blend" in big letters on the bottle, and then you have to get a magnifying glass to read "Blend of Olive Oil and Soybean Oil".
Another example of deceptive labeling I saw was a label on Iberia brand "Premium Blend" Olive oil. They wrote Sunflower Oil & Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a dark green label, and they wrote Extra Virgin Olive Oil in gold colored letters, and they wrote Sunflower Oil in black lettering which made Sunflower oil difficult to read against the dark green label.
Just to add, blending or "bait and switch" is extremely commmon in this industry even without the explicit "blend" labeling. Almost 80% of domesticly bottled / imported 100% EVOOs in US stores have been found to be a blend of more than 2 oils that are not from olives. Plus these food testing lab technolgies are usually a decade or so behind manufacturers', so you should expect the scam to be even worse today.
The only way for us consumers to know is to try the "real" 100 local stuff from a small estate in Italy/Spain/Greece etc, remember that taste, and compare it to anything store bought. Or look up "comparison taste tests" from the real experts. I have found Pasta Grammar and Vincenzo Plate videos to be particularly helpful.
😮 😢 Gotcha
Sicilian NOCELLARA DEL BELICE. Family production ua-cam.com/video/Y8yQ9w68-Y4/v-deo.html
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With so many choices on the shelves in stores it's good to know Jack's tip about only purchasing ones in dark bottles to avoid light. Also explaining the harvest date. Not buying one more then a year old or older.
Thanks, Jack-- this was a quick and helpful lesson in olive oil shopping. Thanks! I needed that 👍👏
I love the way you explain why And show us which products are good thank you
Very helpful information, presented in a way that even a novice can comprehend. Thanks!
You are the greatest time of all . Thank you for all these years.
What would be nice is a demo of both what to get and what NOT to get. Show the brands in the hall of shame.
They do that with the taste testings on full episodes. California oil tends to come out at or near the top of their ranking in recent years. I believe early next year, we'll begin to see full episodes from last season, I think hear on YT.
@@johnhpalmer6098 - From FDA testing, California oils still have incidence of adulteration, but a lot less that Italian. Apparently mobs have moved into the market.
Yay! Those are the two oils I've been buying! Thanks for the info.
Thanks, Jack. I always have Bertolli and a more expensive finishing oil or for sauces as in spaghetti Alglio, Olio e peperoncino.
Enjoyed this even though had already been buying for these very reasons what is good oil.'
Would love to see from you folks more common food options where you convert from frying to oven baking for more heart and diabetic friendly recipes.
I agree with Walter.
I love the insightful content you folks put out.
Nicely done, easy and straight to the point information.
oddly enough,
those two set
side by side, in my cupboard,..always.
I've tried all the rest,
but those two are my go-to's.
Really appreciate your input. I retired to Spain and Olive oil is used multiple times a day.. Huge selections with wonderful flavors.
With recent events we weren't able to find our usual brand so we started using the Target brand and we enjoy it.
I did a little looking at the oil I buy most often. Kroger's own EVOO oil. It does come in dark green bottles with a lid that closes and depending on my budget that day, it can be a smaller bottle, or a larger one, and right now, I have about half of a bottle of the 1.18Qt bottle sitting in the pantry, but I decant to a cruet that sits by the stove and that's poured into most dinners for cooking. I do that as one, it's easier to regulate how much I pour each time. The screw cap of the bottles, no matter the brand barely work once opened, so the threads are crap. That and they tend to glug more than they drizzle.
The cruet has a pour spout for that purpose. For a neutral oil, I use either Canola or veggie oil instead if not with butter, but usually drizzle a bit of olive oil to reduce the burning tendencies of butter.
It is cold pressed, EVOO and it has a cryptic code date for the regions the olives come from, which are several countries, and the current bottle has olives from both Tunisia and Spain. I'm guessing the olives were picked either last year, or earlier this year, with a best by date April of '23. Mind you, I'll be done with that oil long before then as I will refill the cruet every few weeks and this bottle was purchased I think last month if I recall.
I have also gotten Betrolli too, and maybe California a time or 3, depending on price/what's on sale. I find the Kroger not as biting as some in flavor, and I have had EVOO that was a bit more peppery or grassy and maybe one that had hints of butter notes in the past. I used to buy them by the large cans, often for $20 or so at a local importer shop when I still lived in Seattle. it was the same place to get a Lb of the real deal Parmesan Reggiano cheese for something like $15.99 a Lb, often can snag a 3/4 lb for $10-12.
I tend to avoid virgin and refined olive oils or anything with lite or light as either it's light in calories, or flavor, depending on the spelling and most of the time, it's left me wanting.
I have used the California Ranch brand since it came out. Love the taste
They've gone down recently. I think there's a California olive shortage because now they blend oils from around the world.
@@Eddie_the_Husky They actually sell both types: a global blend and 100% cali one. The cali one is more expensive because of the droughts in cali leading to less crop. The global blend was created to combat that.
@@falljoshthis is true. There is a reason they have two kinds, one to cook and one to top
Always good and valuable information. I enjoy and depend on you people a lot
Costco’s Kirkland olive oil is really solid, especially considering the price
This was what I was looking for. Thanks!
Good, straightforward information. Thanks, Jack.
Jack and ATK changed their tune a bit on EVOO. I recall just 2 years ago when Jack said it was a "very bad sign" if the label listed a bunch of different countries of origin. They said California Olive Ranch brand was their winning choice partly because back then it was sourced from and bottled in one single region. It's why I pay more for COR's "100% California" oil instead of buying the cheaper "Destination Series" oil.
It's fine if Jack and ATK change their mind about traits they think we should be looking for in a product, but at least address why they changed their mind. Why is it now okay to buy oil that is blended from several different sources when it wasn't advisable just 2 years ago?
California olive oil is just a reputable company I assume. My good Italian friend told me to buy this brand lol
The article literally starts like this: "There have been lots of changes in the olive oil world since we last tested supermarket olive oil-our previous winner swapped its source due to shortages, some brands have addressed quality in a new way, and a new trend of robust oils has hit the shelves."
the California sourced California Olive Ramch is better.
@@virtualflashbacker Thank you
For those wondering, the article mentioned above is linked in the video description. It's a good companion read to the video.
Thanks for setting the record straight. ❤️
Cool video.
Quick and full of simple information.
Good stuff.💪👍🥃
The California brand is well-deserved. The olive oil I buy at Greek festivals always have amazing flavor.
What brand do you get at the Greek festivals?
i like a few of the bottles at Trader Joes. for the expensive stuff, i can quaff it at my local farmers markets and tell which one suits my taste, plus it tends to be very fresh, with loads of spice and green grass notes.
Yay. The 2 brands I use. Thank you.
Super informative. Thank you!
You are correct! We should push for single origin oil ! It makes a difference !
Thank you for helping us out with this issue! I love Costco’s evoo, the price is doable.
This was a great basic vlog post. I finally found a great evoo from Sicily, sold here in NYC that is my cooking and finishing oil but should they run out, this is helpful.
We've never expected "light" olive oil to have fewer calories. It's pretty clear that it's light tasting. We use it in recipes that call for "vegetable oil" where we don't want a lot of olive oil flavor. We use extra virgin olive oil when we want the flavor (and where high heat isn't going to destroy the flavor).
Unless it's significantly cheaper in your area, you're still better off buying a good blended EVOO like stated in the video or else going with something like Avocado oil if you don't want smoke at high temps.
Adam Ragusea did a video a while back that examined the current food science of EVOO and debunked a lot of popular beliefs about cooking with it.
I’ve known plenty of people that think that. It’s good for cooking and baking, but just use something different. It’s just unflavored grease.
As opposed to other forms of "unflavored grease" like canola oil or safflower oil?
Sometimes you want your grease unflavoured!
@@CowTaurog - And that's a good thing. Sometimes I even want *shortening* or *lard*! Gasp!
Heres what I do🤷🏾♀️
I buy only unfiltered extra virgin olive oil in a dark bottle with a tight cap..
I dutifully check for expiration dates and where it came from..
I also check to see if it is cold pressed..which is what I like.
Finally, when I get home, I check for taste, that is if im trying a new brand and not sure if ill like it..😊
Got straight to the point thanks
We use the California Olive Ranch Robust because it is the only grocery store olive oil we've found that has that peppery flavor which we love. Their everyday blend is a little too mild for us.
Probably because the blend used fake oils. Avoid blended oil.
Thank You !
Thanks for sharing that was great 👍
Thanks Jack I needed to know that.
Happy to see a brand I already use here.
Hooray! I use Bertoli too, good stuff! I also get "local" Texas based EVOO whenever possible First Texas wines, now olive oil. Who knew?
Just don't buy the West Texas Crude First Press!
Thank you, good info.
California Olive Ranch , 100% California. Not too expensive and great flavor.
I Really Learned Alot fromYou On Olive Oil, & I Really Hope To Learn More To Come, Because I Find You Very Interesting!!!! My Name is Polly Burkett, I'm 60 Years Old, Single I've Been Married Before, I Have 2 Grown Children & They Have Children Of Their Own & They All live in Texas & I live in Arkansas!!!!
Wow! Thanks to Jack, ya'll can get the truth about this special accoutrement of cooking!
I bought a dark bottle from our local grocery store, its label says only from Italy, cold pressed, but only an expiration date not a harvest date. I’ve tried it, it seems very fresh, grassy, a bit of a back throat tingle, I drink two half shots with a squeeze of a lemon 🍋 on my tongue as a chaser, daily!
It’s good for yall
I like using Napoleon’s olive oil made in Portugal infuse it with garlic I’ve never seen it in plastic bottles just dark green glass bottles
Thank you!
I buy that California Olive Ranch olive oil too. However, I don’t appreciate the fact they use “California” in the title but have a blended version of several different countries. It can be misleading. They’ve gotten better with the labeling over the years but I remember when the “global” version first came out, it was difficult to distinguish the oil that was solely from California from the one from multiple sources. You really had to pay attention which was hard to do when you’re in a rush grocery shopping.
Back in 2019 when ATK named COR as their favorite olive oil, Jack said it was harvested in a single region or at least the "Everyday" variety was. I was surprised and confused when I last went to buy a bottle and saw the "Destination Series" oil instead of the "Everyday."
@@jase_allen - Ah, yes. When I first saw “Destination Series,” it sounded extravagant. It took me a good minute to really peruse the bottle and notice its camouflaged font to see the concealed marketing. It should say “Multiple Countries” instead but that wouldn’t sell as many bottles.
They have olive oil sourced from California; I think that it tastes better.
I avoid any EVOO that has the word “blend” on it. They use inferior oils, to save money, and I do note a difference in my cooking.
True California EVOO has a certification seal on it (there are two actually) and I buy 365 brand in a dark green GLASS bottle, with the harvest date as well. It has both certifications. I don’t trust European imports anymore.
@@jase_allen - "Destination Series"? Oh, that's some rich marketing there. As if you're traveling to other countries. :-D
Loved this!!
I'm happy to see that I use the same California Olive Oil that Jack uses. I had watched on one of your "way-back" programs, a comparison or maybe it "was a what NOT to buy", like Jack just did here, but I learned then to look for Olive Oils in dark bottles. Your programs have been helping me in the kitchen for years! Thank you! I'm now learning to cook for one and it's turning out pretty good!
Thanks Jack!!! ❤️
I watched a couple videos a couple years ago, and they put Cali Olive Ranch and believe it or not Kirkland Costco brand olive oils at the top or nearest the top. It's the specific Kirkland one, there are two in the store. I purchase the Cali one more than the other one, however both taste great. The Cali one has a very characteristic spicy bite at the back of the throat. Very nice. I only get the non-blended one because I heard blended ones are made with whatever kind or age of oil they can get. Doesn't sound very appealing to me.
That Kirkland Organic is excellent olive oil!
I use California Olive Ranch, great taste for the money.
The cans of olive oil can be delicious. Get them fresh, from a store that moves a lot of them.
Thanks Jack!
Thanks Jack.
Checking my olive oil harvest date ASAP
The best grocery store EVOO, I've tasted is Sparta Gourmet Greek olive oil. Great for bread dipping, but expensive. $8.99 for a bottle the size of an A1 bottle. But the taste.... Mmmmmm.
I went to both Sprouts and Whole Foods. The ONLY EVOO with a harvest date that wasn’t at least two years old was Cobram Estate and it is not organic but I bought it anyway.
I Love my olive oils thanks for sharing this tip.😘😊
Would you please do one of these videos for the best white wine for cooking
I watch you on CreateTV all the time! Yay!!
Ahna
You can freeze EVOO and it will stay good-as-new. It turns into a beautiful buttery consistency. So when you find some that's really good, you can buy a lot, and fill jars as full as you can and freeze it. If you want to find out if your EVOO is really EVOO, put a bit in the fridge, it should turn cloudy. That's not the only, or the best test, but it's the easiest and cheap oils will fail. Other oils, such as peanut oil will cloud, but pure EVOO definitely will get so cloudy you can't see through it- so if it doesn't get cloudy- it probably doesn't even have EVOO in it.
I heard this a long time ago and forgot about it. My neighbors were trying to clean up their diets, one has Celiac and was trying very hard to eat extremely clean food because they didn't know she had Celiac until she was in her fifties and had a lot of digestive tract scarring and residual health issues (celiac disease caused her to get very bad arthritis in her hands) the biggest being anything that was remotely inflammatory would cause flare-ups in her arthritis and GI tract. I learned a lot of oils can be someone inflammatory or at least just irritating to the intestines and some of those are the worst offenders with Blended / diluted olive oils that aren't labeled as being blended!
Not true. Some EVOO will cloud up, some will solidify and others will remain perfectly clear, including some very expensive boutique oils. It proves nothing at all as to the quality of the oil.
Funny, I hadn't thought about that when I made a large batch of EVOO and balsamic vinaigrette (so I could have some left-overs), to be stored in the fridge. It was a disappointment the first time I went to pour it out and realized I might have to eat my salad without dressing. :-b Fortunately, running warm water over the bottle melted the contents.
Thanks for uploading. Jack is always so helpful. Thank You so much
Thank you❣️😘
I buy the Bertolli. It is fairly inexpensive and has a nice flavor.
Forty five years ago, I bought the cheapest oil in the supermarket. It was jade green and the kitchen was filled with the smell of olives. Good or bad oil? I remember a friend saying that as a kid, his parents got olive oil from relatives in Italy and that is how he described it.
Kirkland organic olive oil is all you need to know. It's a big bottle so my neighbor and I split it. I don't use olive oil for cooking much anymore. I've mostly switched to avocado oil for the much higher flash point but still use it for salads and roasted vegs and such.
Actually, the Kirkland 100% Italian is the better oil. The organic can be a mix of oil from several countries.
That may be I haven't tried it. I do know though that the organic has won some competitions. I'll take your advice and try the Italian.
Light and extra light olive oil have a higher smoke point than extra virgin. They also have a very light flavor, which makes them great for searing and frying where you don’t want your oil to affect the flavor of what you’re cooking.
I love California Olive Ranch, but not the "Destination Series." They do still have a version that's made from 100% California olives, and I buy that instead!
Bragg olive oil has a great flavor; it's expensive, but worth it. Hard to find in grocery stores. I have to get it at a specialty store; although I believe Giant is selling it.
I always get the California Olive Ranch one
Costco imported organic Italian EVOO 2L is very good,IMO.
Bertolli for me love the taste
Awesome thx!🤘
This was helpful!
I love how they're in shot glasses... that's exactly how I imagine the America's Test Kitchen staff parties! Half the kitchen is pounding shots of olive oil and shotgunning 22oz cans of crushed tomatos and the other half is studiously taste-testing vodka and sherry for some upcoming sauce recipes.
Love Jacks videos, always very informative.
Yes I loved to cook with bertolli
First of all I am Italiano on both sides of my family . I grew up on a farm on L.I.N.Y.. I am very used to fresh vegetables and have a gourmet palate when it comes to fine foods. I love America's Test Kitchen and never miss a show. I also buy their books for gifts. Now when it comes to EVOO it is as critical to a masterful meal as the main ingredient. On all the tests I've seen and read about, I have never seen any with my favorite from Italy "OLIO CARLI" EVOO. I've read/watched tons of reviews and listened to the top picks and went out and bought them only to be disappointed even with the most expensive ones. I suggest ATK to get their hands on a bottle of "OLIO CARLI" EVOO (only online orders) which is bottled in dark green GLASS not crappy plastic which reacts to oils. I wouldn't use the oils you've shown in the most desperate situations if I had to use them. I would just skip the meal 😲!!! Get on it Jack and try this oil 😉...
Nice explanation
great info
I use Bertolli. It consistently gets high marks, and it’s available everywhere.
The Califronia Olive Ranch olive oil that is from California is better than the Destinations brand, What do you think?
Yay the one I use is approved!! Thank you.
Yeah I noted olive oil is usually blended but if it just says extra virgin olive oil then we're most of the way there. It's funny olive oil from Publix is in clear bottles. But WalMart has it in dark green bottles,
Can you make a video about finishing oils?
I like Colavita the best. I’ll use just about anything.
Plz make more posts like this on oil related 🙏
Trader Joe's EVOO, and you get a pourer spout with it too! Dark bottle it never lasts long enough to go rancid because I use it everyday. It's delicious!
THANK YOU….I immediately bought a FREEN olive oil dribbler bottle and retired my clear glass one…thank you !!!! L 👍😎👍
Good news for me. People should see my collection of Olive oil bottles, in the right colors. I can't grasp the thought of getting rid of them. Lucky I have a large window in my walkout basement. Very interesting video.
I use Greek or California olive oil for extra virgin uses. An independent testing firm found that over 85% of extra virgin olive labeled as Italian were adulterated with cheaper oil from Spain and North Africa. This included some high end olive oils.
California oil is crap compared to authentic Italian and Spanish oils.
@@megamaser Just like Italian or Spanish oil it depends on which oil you get. I lived in Italy for two years and as a chef for over 18 years I can say that the best Italian and Greek oils overall are the best IMO. There are some good Spanish oils and you can get some excellent oils from North Africa as with California. It all depends on the flavor profile you favor but to say that all California oils are crap and all Italian and Spanish oils are superior is just wrong.
@@mysticwanderer4787 if it all depends then nothing is just wrong
@@megamaser No just your characterization that Italian and Spanish olive oils are always better than California oils and that all California oils are crap which was your original point. In the chefs world there are cooking oils and finishing oils. You don't want to use a super high end extra virgin olive oil to cook with because cooking destroys the flavor profile. Conversely you don't want to use cheap oils that tend to be flavorless from anywhere as a finishing oil or to dip your bread in. In the battle of quality versus price I prefer Greek olive oils. As another poster said, the knowledgeable cook or chef matches the flavor profile with the desired end result. I find olive oils from Kalamata and Corfu to be of uniformly superior quality. Of course I am of neither Greek, Italian, or Spanish decent so no nationalistic pride or family familiarity comes into play for me.
@@mysticwanderer4787 I never said anything about oil from one country "always" being better than oil from another country. I've usually been disappointed with California oils because I've had so many from Italy, Spain, and Greece that I preferred to my favorites from California. It's ironic that you say it's a question of taste, then you say my opinion is flat out wrong, but you express your opinions as fact. You even go so far as to tell me what I want. Of course neither of us are expressing objective facts. There's nothing inherently wrong with cooking using finishing oil. But yeah it's more expensive, so I understand that the cost is rarely going to be justified in a professional kitchen. This is not relevant to anything I was saying of course.
Unfiltered first press evo is best.
We know what to buy in the supermarket, but would love it if you did a tasting comparing the the better oils. I have little experience with these, but bought a $12 small bottle of olive oil at Alpha Beta back in the 80;s, and oh boy what flavor. It was so good you could drink it from the bottle. I've had just that one experience with superior oils so I doubt most have ever experienced an upper grade oil. It would be a great service to all of us to get some professional guidance on these, and your pick for the bargain oil. 👍✌
You can find exceptionally good extra virgin olive oil if you buy it where it's produced. Imported expensive olive oil is sometimes old and rancid. I suppose it doesn't sell well. When I'm in Spain I always bring some good olive oil back with me. At home I always buy the freshest and cheapest extra virgin olive oil. It's Spanish and when I open the bottle I always drink a bit to taste it. The one I have in my cupboard was harvested last month!
@@fuglbird I wonder if that new Graza we've been seeing advertised everywhere is good? I doubt it at the price point, but likely it's better than the major brands at the supermarket. I suppose even an oil that is a grade or two better than the worst is still going to offer a better experience. I think I'll try that Graza as the price isn't bad, and it must be better than Pompeian? 😁👍😎✌🗽
We use Bertolli light olive oil to make mayo because we don't want the taste of olive oil to overwhelm. Is light olive oil still good for you (or at least better than canola)?