Tips for Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil can have some great health benefits though there is sometimes a discrepancy as to the best way to cook with 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We’ve pulled together a list of the best tips for cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to help you navigate how to use it.

This post is sponsored by Moms Meet. All opinions are my own.

What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made by pressing olive oil without heat or chemicals in a process known as cold-pressing.

Olive oils are tested for peroxide values; the lower the value, the fresher the oil and the more rapidly it was processed. Extra virgin olive oil is below 0.8% (virtually acid-free). If the oleic acid (fatty acid) percentage is too high, it indicates improper production and rancidity.

Professional Olive Oil Testers sit on a panel of experts to perform a sensory taste test for defects in the virgin olive oil and determine if it meets the quality attributes to be labeled as Extra or not. Those attributes include fruitiness, bitterness, and spiciness and must be balanced or it will not receive the Extra Virgin rating.

The sensory taste test is regulated by the IOC (International Olive Oil Council), which offers an extensive manual with specific technical requirements for the room where it takes place as well as the material used in the evaluation of the oil.

Most people are unaware of the rich history and delicious properties of olive oils Europeans have been harvesting for generations. Flavor Your Life is a campaign designed to help educate North American consumers on the culinary culture of extra virgin olive oil.

The Smoking Point of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a relatively high smoking point of about 400°F, so it is suitable for
some cooking and baking. The higher a fat’s smoke point, the more cooking methods you can use it for.
Refined oils typically have a neutral taste and odor and a clear appearance. Light olive oil (refined) has a higher smoking point (486°F) than extra virgin olive oil (unrefined) at 400°F. The higher a fat’s smoke point, the more cooking methods you can use it for.

How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Your oil should be stored somewhere dark and cool (not cold) between use, around 57°F, if possible. Leaving your Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the countertop, especially near a stove, is not ideal, and it should also never be stored in the refrigerator. It should be used within 6 months of opening and stored with the lid on tightly.

About Le Stagioni d’ Italia

Le Stagioni d’ Italia takes great pride in bringing authentic Italian foods from seed to shelf, selecting seeds, harvesting crops, and packaging foods in their state-of-the-art production facilities located in Northern Italy.

The company’s short, fully traceable supply chain is guaranteed sustainable. They take great care with processing, which creates exceptional taste in their 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which has a robust flavor of artichoke and almond, a medium bitter and spicy aftertaste, with a green, ripe, fruity aroma and a leafy feel.

This 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a first cold-pressed olive oil from the first round of extraction of fresh, intact olives. It has not been heated during processing, so it retains its full nutritional value and contains no additives or preservatives.