Using your senses to find qualtiy olive oil

Don’t get stuck on this is the “country” where your olive oil should come from.  In reality quality fresh olive oil comes from all over the world.  Every single olive oil producer will tell you theirs is the best and better than any other country.  On the contrary, good quality fresh olive oil can actually come from some very unexpected countries.  The important part is having traceability, third party testing and knowing a little bit of how to properly taste olive oil and be given some clues on what to look for in good vs bad olive oil.

Using your senses:

Use your eyes:  First good olive oil comes in green or golden yellow.  If your olive oil is almost clear, I would say that is suspicious!  The color depends on the type of olive variety and when they pick the olives.  Early harvest will tend to be greener in color and have a higher polyphenol count, which is a healthy benefit.

Use your nose:  If the olive oil smells like fresh cut grass, or like walking through an herb garden, chances are you have a fresh quality product.  If it smells greasy, moldy, musty, chances are it is defective or old and has turned rancid.  Avoid those smells all together.

Use your sense of taste:   Taste the olive oil, if it tastes green and dissipates off your tongue and doesn’t leave a sticky film, you most likely have a fresh olive oil.  Old or poor-quality olive oils will taste a bit off and will coat your tongue with a heavy oil feeling.

Use your fingers: Put a drop of olive oil on your thumb and use your index finger to rub together if it isn’t sticky, you most likely have a quality olive oil.  A quality olive will absorb right into your skin and will feel like a moisturizer.  If you have an old olive oil it will feel sticky like your fingers are going to stick together.

See you can tell a difference in fresh quality olive oil.  If you are still unsure, come see us and we will let you look, smell, taste and touch the olive oil and help you understand the differences.