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 Conserving olive
oil:
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When it comes out of
the mill, olive oil is rather light and after
two months it starts to become thicker and so
better because its secondary savours thicken.
“Green” olive oil that has been extracted from
olives immediately after harvest (not left for
two or three days) change its character after
six months because it matures. As a rule, olive
oil is conserved for a maximum of two years.
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The ideal
conditions for conservation are to put the bottles
in a cool place (between +15 and +18°C) away from
light. You should avoid temperature variations, which
badly affect its taste.
If you conserve
it at a temperature below 8°C, it will coagulate
and becomes cloudy. In the average conditions of conservation,
its colour becomes pale at the end of the year and
it starts to loose its aroma.
Olive oil in cooking:
| Olive oil is very suitable
for cooking. Like peanut oil, it reaches the smoking
point at 210°C while sunflower oil smoking
point is 170°C and that of butter is 132°C
thus making olive oil an excellent cooking oil
convenient for sauté, simmering or fried
food. |
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Nevertheless,
oil should not be allowed to reach smoking point which
changes its chemical composition and releases odorless
yet harmful dilapidations. These transformations occur
to all kinds of fatty substances. Add to this the
risk causing fire at this point.
When not used
for frying, it is recommended to maintain the temperature
of cooking olive oil below 165°C and to change
it as often as possible and to keep it away from air
inside tightly closed container.
In cooking sauté
or browning food, avoid heating oil to the smoking
point in order not to change its character and its
original taste.
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