"olive oils" news and stories

He doesn't get much press it seems, what with the new breed of food celebrities these days, but still, David Rosengarten has always been one of my favorites because he always provides very good information. On his site, he has an article about how to shop for olive oil. Unlike some vinegars, olive oil does not age well, so knowing what you are buying, and knowing how to maintain its freshness is important. His tips, in brief:

• Genuine fresh-pressed olive is the best quality for taste, but is difficult to find
• Olive oil always tastes best within a year of its production.
• Always look for the date on a bottle or canister of olive oil - use olive oil by a printed expiration date, or up to a year after a printed "Harvest Date."

As far as storing olive oil, a cool, dark place is good. According to What's Cooking America, refrigeration isn't necessary, but it's okay if you do. The oil will turn cloudy, but will clear again once it warms to room temperature. It doesn't affect the oil's quality or taste.

More on olive oil:
Did you know....olive oil
Tasting olive oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is a natural pain killer
A deabte about the best brand of oliveoil

Over at 101 Cookbooks, Wayne Bremser recently did a great post about his experiences tasting olive oils at this year's San Francisco Fancy Foods Show. I was glad to hear that I'm not the only one that over-uses the word "grassy" to describe olive oil. Wayne goes over some tasting techniques used by exhibitors at the show to get beyond "the 'G' word." Along with some humorous talk about lots of people making strange slurping noises, there's a good list of imported and domestic olive oils, including several rising Australian producers.

[Photo: The Cook's Thesaurus]