What's a good brand, ev olive oil?

[elleng]

Thx

[TygrBright]

1. Costco has one that comes in a square dark-green bottle, that's excellent.

And, being Costco ("Kirkland" Tuscan I think it's called?) it's not too pricey.

We buy a couple of bottles every year.

helpfully,
Bright

[Auggie]

2. I believe that was identified as real olive oil too

There's a lot of fake stuff out there.

[elleng]

4. Right, I do try to buy 'real' olive oil!

[TygrBright]

5. Yes, it is. And not rancid.

I doubt it would impress a true connoisseur with an educated palate, but it's quite nice for all-around use- as a bread dip, salad dressing, pesto ingredient, cooking item, etc.

It is a limited (but large) run, so it's best to buy it when you see it.

gustatorially,
Bright

[elleng]

3. Thanks, Bright.

I'm not a Costco member. AND as it's just me (and not a frequent cook, inspite of hanging here!) I don't use a lot.

[Warpy]

6. You might get decent oil in those pretty bottles

and you might get generic vegetable oil and green dye. Mostly, the prettier the bottle, the higher the price and if it's the real thing, it's no different from what's in the Colavita or Bertolli bottle.

"Extra virgin" used to apply to the first of several pressings of olives to expel oil. Now it applies to an industrialized process that uses rollers to extract all the oil at once. That pale yellow stuff that neophytes expect to be less "olivey" and more user friendly to newbies has been extracted chemically and is an inferior product. It's also likely to be mixed with other oils, even by decent brands.

Unless you know a little old guy in olive country in Spain, Greece, or North Africa who still has his own press and have enough money to pay through the nose for his product when you visit him every fall, realize that most olive oil has been mixed with other oils and this has been going on for a very, very long time. What you need to do is go by flavor, not price or bottle, find one you like, and stick with it.

Here's the dismal scoop on olive oil: http://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhuyghe/2014/03/05/the-scam-of-olive-oil-and-its-antidote/#2c95eede6a36

(yes, they were adulterating the stuff in prehistory, as they've discovered in shipwrecks with intact oil amphorae)

[japple]

7. I use California Olive Ranch. It is very good and is available

at Kroger, Ingles, Publix for a reasonable price. They have good ratings

https://californiaoliveranch.com/

[northoftheborder]

10. California Olive Ranch was rated very high by a

cooking magazine, perhaps "Cooks Illustrated" or other; that's the one I buy at HEB

[NJCher]

8. the RG is in the business, and here's what he says

He says Whole Foods does the best job of vetting foods. We regularly buy their 365 olive oil, as well as the California Olive Ranch. WF puts olive oil on sale all the time, so any that appear reasonable when you stop by would be a good choice.

There is another one that starts with an "F" but I can't remember the name. When it comes back to me, I'll post it. O that one, he has visited their plants and he tells me they use a Japanese technology that takes out the impurities. Thus this one would be the purest olive oil. It was also cited in a 60" story on olive oils as being the real deal.

60" Olive Oil investigation


Cher

[elleng]

9. Great. Thanks.

Haven't shopped at WF but will, when I'm 'in town' next, before I run out of my supply of store-brand o.oil.

[WhiteTara]

11. Napa Olive Oil is great

and I also buy Pompeian Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil.

The most important thing to look for is first cold pressed.

[elleng]

12. Thanks. Will check it out,

because it/they may be available at my grocery, before I go back into town.

[WhiteTara]

13. I order the oil from Napa

they have great vinegar too.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. X-reference: Revealing fake olive oils

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028445198

[elleng]

15. Thanks!

Getting TOO complicated!