We've come up with the best practices for selecting a great, authentic extra virgin olive oil:
-Value Freshness/Insist on a Harvest Date
- Know the harvest date. Ask your retailer for the harvest date. EVOO consumed within 12-14 months of the harvest date is best.
- Fresher is always better
- EVOO loses its flavor and health benefits over time
-Taste your EVOO
- Find a retailer who will offer complimentary samples
- Smell the oil-should smell like green fruit or vegetable notes
- Taste should be green, grassy, herbaceous
- Finish should have a lingering pepper finish
- If you cannot taste, do not buy
-Look for the Chemistry/Quality Seal
- A quality supplier or retailer will always provide you with the chemistry of their oils
- FFA standard <.08
- Peroxide Value standard <20
- A Quality Seal indicates the producer or supplier has met the chemical standards for Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Bottling/Storage/Dark Bottles
- Look for a supplier or retailer who offers EVOO in dark glass or food safe containers to protect the oil from UV light. Exposure to light over time will turn the oil rancid quickly.