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 bottles to protect the oil from UV light. Exposure to light over time will turn the oil rancid quickly.