Olive oil--messing up a good thing

[BirdBrain]

Just when I think we are on to a good thing, along come the scam artists...
http://realfoodblog.com/stranger-than-fiction/your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-is-probably-neither/

Ack!!!

 

[Wannabefree]

Lovely considering I react to soybean oil. What a bunch of greedy money hungry jerks

 

[~gd]

Just when I think we are on to a good thing, along come the scam artists...
http://realfoodblog.com/stranger-than-fiction/your-extra-virgin-olive-oil-is-probably-neither/

Ack!!!

I have known this for years. To be truthfull I didn't much care for the taste of EVO until a old Navy buddy bought a olive grove in CA and gifted me with a pint of his hand made oil. He wrote about the scam and pointed me to just PURE olive oil, relatively cheap because it was made from crushed olives that had been pressed already for EVO on farms in the CA area. The farm presses are not very good at extracting oil! Much more oil can be recovered with industrial methods but it doesn't have the taste and can not legally be sold as EV oil. The new thing is oil infused with natural flavors (like garlic or peppers) and sold as 'dipping' oil. These can be more pricy than EV oil because of the lack of competion and it does take time for the flavor to infuse into the oil. Guess who makes his own at Home? I make a chille key lime oil that I really like.... And that is the beauty you can try anything that you think you might like. A teaspoon of 'Italian seasoning' in 12 ounces of pure olive oil makes a great oil for salads or Sub sandwiches [with vinegar] ~gd

 

[SSDreamin]

Does this apply to ALL olive oils, or just EVO? I am like gd, I buy just pure olive oil. I honestly didn't like the inconsistency in taste of EVO, and now I know why :/
I was in the store and saw 'Garlic Infused Olive Oil' - for $14.95 for a small bottle! I can drop cloves of garlic in a jar of olive oil at home for practically free! Plan to try the herbs too - I have sweet and Italian basil, thyme, sage and oregano growing like crazy in my herb garden right now - maybe I should search for some nice jars/bottles, to start some for Christmas gifts?? Of-course, that would make them HM, and both DH's and my family's are allergic to HM

 

[so lucky]

So how can we know that we are getting EVO or just pure olive oil, and not something cut with soybean or canola? Apparently it doesn't matter what the labels say anymore............I don't have a friend with an olive grove.

 

[~gd]

Does this apply to ALL olive oils, or just EVO? I am like gd, I buy just pure olive oil. I honestly didn't like the inconsistency in taste of EVO, and now I know why :/
I was in the store and saw 'Garlic Infused Olive Oil' - for $14.95 for a small bottle! I can drop cloves of garlic in a jar of olive oil at home for practically free! Plan to try the herbs too - I have sweet and Italian basil, thyme, sage and oregano growing like crazy in my herb garden right now - maybe I should search for some nice jars/bottles, to start some for Christmas gifts?? Of-course, that would make them HM, and both DH's and my family's are allergic to HM

I could be wrong, but pure olive oil is cheap enough that it isn't worth faking it. EV oil will vary by taste even year to year for olives from the same grove and when you consider all the locations/varieties etc. It becomes like the wine trade though I haven't seen any bottles labeled with the vintage year etc.
Lucky you have fresh herbs My oil just had a jar mix like you buy at the supermarked. My chille-key lime was made with fresh fruit. The first batch used whole fruit and I don't think it has matured yet [5 months] the second batch I smashed the fruit in a mortar with oil to mix with the oils and dumped in a jar to age. Checked after a week and it was rocket fuel with a layer in the bottom consisting of fruit and water based juice. Decanted the oil and diluted to suit my taste. Love to fry an egg in the morning with just a trace of oil gives it a whole new zip [ I used to use hot sauce ] I also brown meat in it for chille use filtered the solids and placed in a mesh bag [really used a well washed nylon, but that is our secret] and placed in another batch of oil [flavoring nicely after 1 month] the juice I diluted 1:1 with Everclear 151 proof grain alcohol which I am using like bitters a tiny dash brightens up many mixed drinks and a lot of lawnmower beers [like Bud lite-lime]
HM = Home Made? My family is big on Home Made One sister gives gallons of sauce which I have never manged to duplicate. My other sister has Grandmothers original pickles and I can count on a 6 pack of pints [If I return the jars]

 

[Hinotori]

The news has had reports of the olive oil adulteration off and on. Testing of brands and everything.

Somewhere I'd had an article saved that listed the commercial brands that were good but I can't find it now. Mom was all worried after they had it in the news there a few months ago. I told her to just get the Kirkland brand since they were one of the good ones listed and she shops Costco regularly.

I have Kirkland olive oil that I use as well. I'd love to grow my own olives, but it's not a crop that can be raised here.