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5 Myths About Olive Oil

Since we are nearing our olive harvest, what better time to tackle a few well known myths regarding olive oil, our life, Villa Campestri Olive Oil Resort’s theme, and something that Italy is well-known for producing. Italy is the number one producers and seller of this ‘green gold’ in the world and we base our lives around continuously learning about this excellent gift that has been beholden in the Tuscan area for centuries.

Our extra-virgin olive oil was recently mentioned in The Times article on what to chefs’ keep in their fridge (our oil – but please don’t keep it in the fridge). Also olive oil and those who use it regularly in the diet reap numerous health benefits, Populations from the Mediterranean regions have longer life expectancies and lower risks of heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke

Myth #1, All Olive Oil Is Good For You

If there is one takeaway that you should get from this short article, is that only olive oil worthy of consideration is extra-virgin. Anything else has been refined to an industrial product and you might as well go for another type of oil, because you will not get many benefits from this kind of olive oil.

Myth #2, Glass Bottles Are The Best Containers

Well, not really. Olive oil is very sensitive to sunlight, and it is the type of product that doesn’t get better with age. Avoid buying olive oil in light, glass containers and go for a tin or dark glass option, and keep it out of the sun. If you see that the shopkeeper has their olive oil exposed to sunlight, avoid buying from him/her.

Myth #3 Olive Oil Gets Better With Age

Precisely the opposite, the olive oil you buy should be from the last harvest, opposite from wine, it does not get better with age. Make sure to check that date and avoid anything from over a year ago.

Myth #4 Extra-virgin oil comes from the first cold press 

This is something that most people think about extra-virgin olive oil, that it is the result of the first cold-press of the oil during harvest. Since now the methods of processing oil are much cleaner than they used to be, this is no longer true. Extra-virgin olive oil lacks impurities, and must be pressed immediately upon harvest at temperatures that do exceed 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Myth #5 Olive Oil Should Only Be Used For Fresh/Savory Items

While we do recommend using extra-virgin olive oil for your salads, fresh cute veggies, or drizzled over a favorite soup – it is so much more versatile than people think. It is a great options in cakes (we even make a special olive oil ice cream) as a substitute for butter. 

 

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