TV host and comedian David Letterman has his Top Ten List. I’m starting my own list. Mine aims to set the record straight on olive oil. Below are my Top Five Olive Oil Myths:

1. All European extra virgin olive oil sold in the United States is true, certified EVOO. Wrong! California has adopted strict tasting and testing standards for what can be sold as certified EVOO in the Golden state, while the International Olive Council has set its own standards for what’s sold overseas. But the U.S. government hasn’t set nationwide certification standards. Consequently, foreign producers can ship olive oil to the states and label it “extra virgin” – even though it isn’t true EVOO. “They can, and they do,” says Nancy Ash, a trained olive oil taster and owner of the consulting firm Strictly Olive Oil.
2. Light olive oil is lower in fat and calories. The fat and calorie levels in “light” olive oil are the same as any other type of olive oil. Light olive oil is made from refined olive oil that’s light in flavor, color and aroma. The term is a marketing ploy.
3. To make EVOO, olives are crushed with heavy mill stones. That was the case many years ago. But hammer mills largely have replaced donkey-powered stone mills. The modern hammer mills use a motorized system that’s much like a meat grinder: Arms, or blades, spin at a high speed and crush the olives and force them through a stainless-steel screen.
4. You can tell an extra virgin olive oil’s quality by its color. Color isn’t a good indicator of quality. But color will tell you other things. Olives harvested early in the season, for example, are naturally very green and therefore produce a greener oil. “Olives picked early in the season tend to make green colored oil as they contain higher levels of chlorophyll,” notes Australian olive oil expert Richard Gawel. “Olives harvested late in the season will typically produce more golden colored oils due to a higher level of natural occurring levels of carotene-like substances. Both oils may be technically equivalent in quality but very different in style.”
5. You can’t cook with EVOO. This belief mistakenly assumes EVOO has a low “smoke point” – that’s the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and smoke. A high-quality EVOO has a higher smoke point than other oils, making it very suitable for many forms of cooking, such as frying.  “Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is generally given as 410 degrees Fahrenheit, which gives plenty of room for the 250-350 degrees Fahrenheit that covers most cooking,” says Karen Collins, a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research, a nonprofit which funds cancer-prevention research.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

I was asked recently how we literally keep tabs on our olives – from the time our harvesters pick them, to when they are freshly crushed and the oil is bottled at the mill. You can see the evidence yourself if you look at the back of a bottle of Olio Nuovo extra virgin olive oil.

Below the “harvest” and “best by” dates are some numbers (see photo at left below). They identify a particular batch of oil based on the exact location of the grove of trees.

It’s called “traceability.” We rely on a computerized system that tells us the date and time the olives were harvested, the ranch where they were grown, and the block of trees that produced the fruit. A block ranges from 10 to 100 acres.

Grape growers in the wine industry have long used such a computerized system. Lettuce and spinach growers have introduced the technology in response to food safety issues. California Olive Ranch is the only U.S. EVOO producer using the system.

The equipment isn’t cheap. It cost us more than a quarter of a million dollars to install and operate.

Why go to the trouble and expense?

Several reasons:

• We can identify which olives produce great oil and which produce good oil
• We can learn more about the growing conditions and farming practices that produce the best olives, and spread that knowledge among our growers
• If there’s a problem with a particular batch of olives, we can isolate the resulting oil in a particular storage tank so that one bad olive, so to speak, doesn’t spoil the entire bunch
• Knowing which olives produced the oil stored in various tanks allows us to better blend the oil once we bottle it; that way we maintain a consistent quality
• And by coding each of our bottles and boxes, we can keep track of who’s buying our EVOO once it leaves our mill – a particular grocery chain, for example, or a big restaurant operation

Here’s how we do it.

When a truck loaded with freshly harvested olives prepares to leave a ranch and head to one of our mills, a worker scans a bar code accompanying the olives and hands a bar-coded stub to the driver. The stub identifies the date, ranch and block for those particular olives.

At the mill, the driver hands one of our employees the stub as the olives are loaded on the conveyor belt to be cleaned, pressed, and turned into oil. The stub is scanned so we know the time and date the olives entered the mill.

We continue to track the olives via computer as they are: crushed; put in malaxation tanks where the oil is separated from the fruit; spun in a high-speed centrifuge to further separate any fruit particles from the oil; and pumped into storage tanks.

The information about each batch of olives ultimately is coded on every bottle and box of our EVOO.

That way, we know where the oil came from – and you will, too.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

A topic we see fluttering around in cyberspace revolves around cooking with extra virgin olive oil and EVOO’s “smoke point.” It may not be the sexiest topic. But it’s a hot topic, so to speak, loaded with misinformation.

A cooking oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which the oil begins to break down and smoke. A high-quality extra virgin olive oil has a higher smoke point than other oils, making it very suitable for many forms of cooking, such as frying.

So it’s wrong to say EVOO isn’t suitable for stir-frying or frying. This belief mistakenly assumes extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point.

First, let’s clear up the misinformation about whether it’s OK to sauté, fry, roast and even deep fry with extra virgin olive oil. As I’ve noted before, cooking doesn’t destroy an EVOO’s healthful polyphenols.

“Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is generally given as 410 degrees Fahrenheit, which gives plenty of room for the 250-350 degrees Fahrenheit that covers most cooking,” says Karen Collins, a nutrition adviser for the American Institute for Cancer Research, a nonprofit which funds cancer-prevention research

Chefs, to be sure, probably have to be a bit more alert than home cooks. The burner system on a professional restaurant stove typically puts out more BTUs than your average home stove.

It’s also worth noting some extra virgin olive oils are more susceptible to burning than others.

“If your oil is cloudy in appearance that will mean particulate matter, and that will burn first,” says Nancy Ash, a trained olive oil taster and owner of the consulting firm Strictly Olive Oil.

With exception of our Olio Nuovo, which we bottle immediately after the olives are pressed, our EVOO is first placed in storage tanks.  The oil sits for a few months to allow Mother Nature to suck any remaining fruit particles to the bottom of the tanks, where any solids can be removed so they don’t go in the bottle.

Chemistry also plays a role in the smoke point. A cooking oil’s smoke point depends on the amount of “free fatty acids” in the oil.

High-quality EVOO, by the way, has low levels of the acids.

“The lower the free fatty acid content, the more stable the fat, and the higher the smoke point,” food expert Harold McGee writes in his book, On Food and Cooking (Scribner, 2004).

To be certified as genuine EVOO, the International Olive Council’s guidelines require that an olive oil must have a free fatty acid content of less than 0.8%. The California Olive Oil Council’s standards are stricter, saying a true EVOO must have an acidity level of less than 0.5%.

Our EVOO’s acidity comes in at less than 0.3%, according to lab tests.

“So pay more for a well made extra virgin olive oil with a lower acidity and it’ll reward you with significantly more degrees of heating potential,” says Australian olive oil expert Richard Gawel.  “In fact, the natural preservatives called polyphenols you find in EVOO protect it from heat degradation.”

Lasty, Gawel offers this advice when cooking with any type of oil:

“Breathing in the smoke from burnt oil (no matter what type) is a health hazard,” he says. “So watch that temperature and keep those exhaust fans on.”

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

A friend thought my pair of  olive oil tasting cups would make perfect candleholders. She might just have a point.

We recently saw a “Tweet” about the cobalt blue vessels: “Research shows that the blue EVOO tasting glasses don’t even work!” Australian olive oil expert Richard Gawel declared in a message, or Tweet, on Twitter.

I’ve used the stemless glasses to sample extra virgin olive oils. Trained olive oil tasters use them when judging oil and evaluating whether a particular oil should be classified as “extra virgin” or some lower grade. The tasting cup’s blue tint is meant to mask the oil’s color so it won’t influence a taster’s judgment.

But a recent study in the Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society suggests black would be more effective.

In the study, researchers from Spain performed high-tech color measurements on 18 blue-tinted tasting cups. They used 10 commercial olive oils in the process.

“Our main goal was to test whether traditional blue-tinted cups effectively conceal the color of virgin olive oils,” the researchers wrote.

It’s an interesting question. To be certified “extra virgin,” an oil must pass a barrage of tests – some conducted by lab technicians, and others done by a panel of professional olive oil tasters.

It’s the taster’s job to analyze the aroma, taste, and pungency of the oil to see if it passes muster. Color doesn’t indicate the quality of the oil. Hence, the blue-tinted cups.

The Spanish researchers found the cups aren’t fool-proof. It turns out you can tell the color in certain instances, according to their tests.

“Blue-tinted olive-oil-tasting cups reduce, but do not completely conceal, oil color,” the researchers concluded. “The use of opaque tasting cups with black walls is suggested.”

You be the judge. But I’m guessing it won’t be the last we hear on the matter.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

We go to great lengths to ensure our extra virgin olive oil can last as long as possible when you store it in your kitchen, or wherever. We bottle our EVOO in dark glass and boxes, for example, to protect the oil from the negative effects of light.

It’s also a good idea to keep the oil away from heat and to minimize its exposure to oxygen.

Which brings me to a question we field frequently: “How to store extra virgin olive oil?”

For starters, olive oil doesn’t get better with age. Just the opposite.

“Unlike wine, olive oils do not get better with age,” writes Australian olive oil expert Richard Gawel in an excellent FAQ. “Extra virgin olive oils are best consumed young as it is at this time when their fresh olive like aromas and flavors, and the health giving polyphenols are at their peak.”

The bottom line: Avoid saving a special bottle of EVOO for use at some future occasion years down the road. Instead, the oil should be used sooner versus later. We recommend using the oil within 30 to 60 days once it’s been opened.

It’s also important to remember olive oil is a form of fruit juice. It’s perishable. Exposing an oil to air will speed up the oxidation process and will eventually cause the oil to go rancid.

In general, you want to store your extra virgin olive oil in a cool, dark place.

Olive oil has four key enemies:

1. Time – The time from tree to crush to fully produced oil must be as brief as possible.
2. Temperature – The optimal storage for olive oil is 60 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Oxygen – Exposure must be minimized or eliminated during storage.
4. Light – Exposure must be minimized or eliminated at all times.

Here are some suggestions and thoughts to keep in mind:

• Store olive oil in a dark cupboard and away from direct light. Ultraviolet rays can break down an olive oil over time.
• Try to store olive oil in a cupboard away from any heat source. It can get damaged if exposed to warmth or heat from a nearby stove or oven.
• Avoid refrigerating your olive oil. It can damage the oil. “Each time the bottle is removed from the cold, condensation can form on the inside of the lid and drop into the oil, introducing oxygen,” writes olive oil expert Fran Gage.

As I mentioned, we bottle our oils in dark colored glass to guard against light . Our larger bag-in-box packages – which many chefs use – also protects the EVOO from light. The boxes have the added advantage of preserving the oil’s flavor longer. That’s because the  the bag inside collapses as the oil is dispensed. The oil doesn’t come in contact with oxygen because the bag is flushed with nitrogen.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

Chemistry wasn’t my specialty growing up, although I was interested in the topic. But over the years I’ve developed a greater appreciation for chemistry – especially now that I’m working for an extra virgin olive oil maker.

We all know EVOO tastes great. What many people probably don’t know about is the chemistry of olive oil, and how it potentially can contribute to good health.

Take polyphenols, the chemical substances found in plants that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. The word is a mouthful, I know. But bear with me.

Because it’s unrefined, extra virgin olive oil contains more polyphenols than other olive oils – including much of the olive oil imported here from Europe.

Polyphenols are a potent antioxidant – one that can decommission an especially nasty molecule in your body, the free radical. Free radicals contain at least one unpaired electron. They can gyrate wildly inside your body and damage good cells.

In her book, The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009), Fran Gage describes the work of polyphenols this way:

“These antioxidants circulate in the body, hooking up with free radicals, unstable compounds thought to play a role in more than 60 different health conditions including cancer and atherosclerosis, as well as aging.”

Nutritionist Lisa Sheldon, author of Olive Oil Baking (Turner Publishing, 2007), notes polyphenols “are vital to cellular health because they prevent damage from free radicals.”

Polyphenols, in other words, can nip some pretty serious problems in the bud.

Other foods rich in polyphenols include: onions, apple, tea, red wine, strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries.

Olio Nuovo – pressed right after the olives are picked – also happens to be a good source for polyphenols.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

It’s harvest time at our olive ranches in northern California. And while we’ve been putting a “Best By” date on all of our bottles of extra virgin olive oil, we’ve just begun including the “Harvest Date” as well. It’s done to give you as much information as possible about what you’re getting.

Each bottle of our new Everyday California Fresh now shows the month and year when the olives used to make the oil in the bottle were harvested. We typically harvest in the months of October and November. All the oil we sell during a particular year is made from olives picked in the most recent harvest year.

The “Best By” date is the date by which we recommend the consumer use up the oil they purchased. This date assumes the bottle has NOT been opened. (We recommend using the oil within 30 to 60 days once it’s been opened.)

In preparation for launching Everyday California Fresh, we invested in a very sophisticated laser printer that allows us to do the following:

• First, the laser literally etches the “Best By” date in fine print into the glass. If you check the lower, side edge of the “Everyday” bottle you’ll see the “Best By” date no longer printed in ink. It’s now literally etched into the glass. It doesn’t rub off.
• That same printer also can print text onto a designated area of the label. That’s where we put the “Harvest Date” onto the bottle. Before this printer, we would have had to run thousands of labels with this date pre-printed. No more.
• Moving ahead, you’ll see us redoing the bottles for all of our other oils so they’ll include the “Best By” date and the “Harvest Date.”

Let us know what you think.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

Next week my colleagues and I will begin work on something we take very seriously: selecting the oil we’ll use for our Olio Nuovo. It’s the freshest possible extra virgin olive oil you can find. Our milling team bottles the oil right after they press the olives. Unlike other oils, we don’t put Olio Nuovo into tanks at our two mills for a few months to allow the fruit particles and other sediment to settle.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Alexander and DHC © Alexander Imaging

We expect to begin shipping Olio Nuovo next month. I bring it up because I’m thinking about how to pair food with our robust extra virgin olive oils, namely Olio Nuovo and Arbosana EVOO.  (Click on these links if you want to read about delicate extra virgin olive oils, such as Arbequina, and medium oils.)

The guidelines below come from a talk I attended at the University of California, Davis, Olive Center. Olive oil expert Fran Gage led the discussion.

Robust oils deliver the highest pungency and bitterness. They also provide the highest level of polyphenols – the chemical substances found in plants that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. According to Gage, robust oils also last longer than delicate or medium oils.

Here are Gage’s guidelines for pairing food with robust oils:

• Brushed atop bruschetta
• In Spanish romesco sauce
• With soups in general, as an ingredient and/or drizzled on top
• In the seafood medley paella
• With garlic mashed potatoes
• Drizzled on top of a grilled and sliced rib eye steak
• In biscotti, such as those pictured here
• In olive oil ice cream. Here, too, the guidelines are flexible. Famed pastry chef and author David Lebovitz suggests a delicate Arbequina EVOO in his excellent olive oil ice cream.
• For all things chocolate – although chocolate is actually a special case, according to Gage. It pairs well with all types of olive oils. (Is there anything not to like about chocolate?)

One final note: In her book, The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009), Gage dishes up a delicious spaghetti made from Olio Nuovo. The noodles are simply tossed with peeled and sliced garlic, a pinch or two of red chile flakes, Olio Nuovo and some fleur de sel.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

“Medium” extra virgin olive oil, the style that falls somewhere between delicate and robust, can be paired with a variety of foods – from spicy dishes to bitter greens.

The guidelines below come from a presentation given by olive oil aficionado Fran Gage. I heard the talk during a recent conference at the University of California, Davis, Olive Center.

I’ve already written up Gage’s guidelines for “delicate” extra virgin olive oils, such as our Arbequina.

Medium-style EVOO, according to Gage, has a pleasant bitterness and pungency. These oils also “tend to be very versatile,” she writes in her terrific book, The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009). “The best of these olive oils have characteristics of both delicate and robust oils.”

Some examples of medium-style oils: Those made from French olive varietals such as Aglandau and Bouteillon, or the Spanish varietal Hojiblanca, according to Gage.

Gage noted her pairing suggestions aren’t hard-and-fast rules and other styles of olive oil can be substituted successfully. That said, here are her suggestions for foods that pair well with medium oils:

• Basil pesto which includes garlic
• Red wine vinaigrette
• Bitter greens
• Corn salad
• Spicy dishes, such as the curry-flavored mayonnaise featured in Gage’s book
• Fish dishes which are spicy (Gage calls for a medium oil in her escabeche recipe)
• Sautéed or slow-roasted meat dishes such as lamb shanks

I’ll wrap up soon with a look at robust EVOO.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

I recently attended an eye-opening talk on pairing different styles of extra virgin olive oil with  food. Olive oil guru and cookbook author Fran Gage led the discussion at a conference sponsored by the University of California, Davis, Olive Center.

Gage walked us through matching various foods with three different styles of EVOO:

1. Delicate oils, which have a slight bitterness and fruitiness. Most of the oils California Olive Ranch produces fall into this category.
2. Medium oils, which offer a pleasant bitterness and pungency
3. Robust oils, which deliver the highest pungency and bitterness. These oils, which include our Olio Nuovo, also deliver the highest level of polyphenols – the chemical substances found in plants that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Gage went out of her way to say these aren’t hard-and-fast rules. They’re excellent guidelines, however.

To start, here are some guidelines for using delicate oils such as our Arbequina varietal:

• As substitutes for butter. (The conversion is always replacing four parts butter with three parts EVOO – so four Tablespoons of butter becomes 3 Tablespoons EVOO.)
• For all-purpose mayonnaise and mashed potatoes
• With tender salad greens
• Drizzled over meats to bring out the sweetness of the meat
• With dishes that use blue cheese
• For “strong” pestos such as one made from wild arugula
• With tomatoes that aren’t quite ripe
• In dishes with strong tastes and components, such as smoked fish/salted cod
• As an ingredient when making pizza dough
• When baking cakes and cookies. It’s always a good choice for baking.
• For pound cake.

Next up: pairing foods with medium oils.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch