Olive oil - popular product, which is widely used in cooking, cosmetology, folk medicine and other fields. It was discovered about 140 centuries ago. Even in ancient times, people knew about useful properties oh olive oils.

During times ancient Greece and Egypt, girls maintained youth, health and beauty with the help of this component. Also, oil was not ignored by such outstanding personalities in the field of science as Aristotle and Hippocrates.

Features of the composition

The promotion of a healthy lifestyle, which is rapidly gaining momentum at present, has fueled public interest in olive oil. More and more people are changing their habits sunflower oil to a more popular product. Regular and correct use improves the condition of hair, skin, and also promotes weight loss and overall health of the body. It is due to these characteristics that Provençal oil has gained popularity among those who adhere to a healthy lifestyle.

An amazing feature of this product is that its composition directly depends on the preparation method. As a rule, fruit harvesting begins in November and ends in early spring. Berries must be processed as much as possible a short time due to the fact that they oxidize quickly. Olives are processed by squeezing the pulp. Violations in the process of collecting and manufacturing the product lead to loss of quality.

The first cold-pressed product is rich in palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid. 100 grams of butter contains about 99.8 grams of fat.

As for vitamins, olive oil contains a whole range of them: A, K, E, D. Among useful elements and compounds release phenolic acids and squalene, which prevent the development of cancer cells.

The taste of the product is specific, and few people like it in kind, however, when combined with food, it turns out to create amazing dishes. The taste of the product is influenced by many factors, among which are the place where the olives are grown, their quality, and the method of preparing the product. It can be sweet, bitter and even a little salty. Such diversity gives culinary experts enormous opportunities for experimentation.

Varieties

Those who are familiar with olive oil know that this product is presented on the modern market in a wide range. Products differ in taste, quality and cost. Let's look at the three main varieties that can be found in supermarkets.

Virgin Olive

This is the highest quality and useful product. Manufacturers use special techniques to preserve as much as possible all the beneficial properties of all-natural oil. Each component and trace element in the composition is absorbed by the body almost 100%. Virgin olive is ideal for daily consumption in its natural form, as well as for preparing delicious and healthy dishes.

Vitamins and minerals will increase the body's defenses, and with regular use, positive changes in appearance will become noticeable.

The mechanical process of squeezing fruits takes place under special conditions. The temperature should not be higher than 27 degrees Celsius. The resulting product is not purified or processed. Also, no dyes or other components are used in its creation.

This type of oil is divided into the following three varieties.

• Extra Virgin Olive oil is a top quality product that has been high level appreciated by gourmets and professional chefs. Unrefined oil is obtained after the first cold pressing. Only carefully selected fruits are used for preparation. The berries should not have even the smallest defects. If you have a lack of vitamins and useful microelements constituents of olive oil, this type Oils are recommended to be consumed in their natural form every day. A product of the highest category is often used for medicinal purposes due to its low acidity - 0.8%. The minimum criterion for healing oils should not exceed 1%. However, the product cannot be heat treated, which means it is not suitable for frying.
• Virgin- the second type, which is also obtained after cold pressing of the fruit. Despite his great benefit, this product contains fewer useful elements than Extra. However, the price of oil is more affordable. The acidity level is 2 grams per 100 grams. Due to its reduced cost, oil is much more common on store shelves.

• Ordinary Virgin– the most affordable option of all of the above. Distinctive feature product – increased acidity(3 grams per 100 grams). Oil of this category is produced using special biological reagents.

Refined

Oil of this category is more familiar to Russian consumers due to the fact that it is a refined product. This term indicates that the product has gone through a series of processes before being packaged and sent to the shelves. During the refining process, the bitter taste, pungent odor and other properties of the natural product are eliminated. If you are looking for oil for frying and cooking food, then this is the most suitable option.

The use of such a product is completely safe, since the oil does not emit carcinogens. Its cost is much more affordable than the prices of the oils listed above.

Please remember that the product can only be used for food consumption, medicinal qualities are not characteristic of the product. The product is obtained by pressing the olives for the second time.

Pomace

The variety that has the most low rate quality. However, the product deserves due attention. To make the product, the cakes are pressed, obtaining last drops. The resulting resource is mixed with refined oil and other food additives.

This class is divided into two types.

• Olive-Pomace- This is a common mixture of a refined product with oil obtained after squeezing the cake. It can be safely used for cooking various dishes. During frying or other heat treatment, the product does not form bitterness or burning.
• Refined Olive-Pomace- a product of the lowest quality, which is obtained exclusively by squeezing the cake. There is no point in purchasing the product for consumption in its raw form due to the lack of benefits in its composition.

Manufacturers use different markings for designation. The icon with the inscription “Bio” indicates that the oil is being tested for acidity. You can safely take the product for consumption in its natural form, since during its production careful control was carried out at each stage.

Should there be bitterness in the taste?

Many people who are just starting their acquaintance with this amazing product, are not yet fully familiar with its features. You purchased from the store healthy eating an expensive bottle of olive oil, brought from Europe or received as a gift. After unpacking and tasting, you could taste the bitterness. The first thought is that you spent money on a fake, or the product has deteriorated, but this thought is wrong.

Bitterness for quality oil- This is fine. This characteristic speaks of naturalness. Cold-pressed products have such a specific taste ( unrefined oil), made taking into account all the required standards from selected fruits. Natural unrefined oil is used as food for therapeutic prevention, as well as for preparing sauces, salads and cold appetizers.

Unknowingly, some housewives use this product for frying, however, in this case you should not worry that the bitterness will be transferred to the dish. The food will taste excellent, but lack beneficial microelements. If you plan to cook something by stewing or frying, it is better to purchase refined oil. It's not only would be better suited, but will also cost less.

There are times when the oil can become very bitter. The reason for this is expired storage or violation in this process. However, do not rush to throw it away rancid oil, it can be used for cosmetic and household purposes.

How to use and how long can bitter oil be stored?

The oil gets its specific bitter taste from the main ingredient – ​​olives. Fresh fruits tart and have a pronounced bitter taste. We have indicated that bitterness has two causes:

1. naturalness of the product High Quality;
2. expired or improperly stored product.

In the first case, correct this feature no need. If things are different, you can try to rid the product of this shortcoming. There is a way to remove bitterness at home.

We will need raw carrots. The vegetable must be grated and poured with rancid oil. Close the container tightly and place it in a dark place for three days. After the time has passed, filter the oil, pour it into a clean bottle, and throw away the carrots. You can also add a spoonful of coarse salt to the container.

Product storage rules

A high-quality product in sealed packaging can remain fresh for up to 18 months. After unpacking, it is advisable to consume the product as soon as possible. The main negative factors for Provençal oil are heat and sunlight. The best place for storage - a dark and cool room. Cold will not adversely affect the quality of the product, but it may cause partial hardening.

the product can be made nourishing masks for hair, this component will give your hair a healthy shine and strength;

rancid oil can be used for traditional medicine, with the help of this component they relieve ear pain - you just need to warm the ingredient a little, dip a cotton swab in it and carefully place it in the auricle.

In the next video you will learn about the meaning of bitterness in olive oil.

Olive oil is most often counterfeited and diluted with cheaper oil, such as soybean (which is not written on the label); choose only proven brands.

Rich in monounsaturated fats olive oil will help reduce your risk of heart disease and even have a positive effect on insulin levels and blood sugar control, which protects you from type 2 diabetes. However, as with most food products Not all olive oil is created equal. The difference between a high- and low-quality product is huge, and even among the best varieties rancidity is a serious problem.

Good oil has gone bad: how to recognize rancidity and other defects

When you spend money on a quality bottle of olive oil, you want to make sure you get what you pay for. However, there are many factors that affect quality, from how long the olives were stored before processing to how long the oil sat on your kitchen counter.

According to The Olive Oil Times, By paying attention to these four potential defects, you can choose quality product:

1. Rancidity - Olive oil is highly perishable, but is generally considered "best before" within two years from the date it was bottled (the "best before" date). However, the best indicator of freshness is the harvest date, which will tell you when it was actually produced. Choose only oils that have this information on the bottle.

So the first step is to find oil that has been harvested recently. Further, many other factors, including storage temperature, exposure to air and light, antioxidant levels, and chlorophyll content will also influence how resistant it is to rancidity.

Eventually, all olive oil will go rancid, but if you're like most people, you probably leave the bottle right on the counter, opening and closing it several times a week (or even a day). Any time oil is exposed to air and/or light, it oxidizes and deteriorates faster.

Extra virgin olive oil in particular also contains chlorophyll, which speeds up decomposition and makes it rancid even faster than partially refined olive oil, according to oil expert Dr. Rudi Mörck. So how can you tell if it's gone rancid?

• It smells like pencils or plasticine
• It tastes like rancid nuts
• It feels greasy on the tongue

Unfortunately, as The Olive Oil Times reported, "The sad truth is that most people in the United States... have become accustomed to the taste of rancid olive oil."

2. Stale oil- Oil becomes “stale” when olives are stored for too long (even days) before being crushed, resulting in fermentation in the absence of oxygen. A musty taste is incredibly common in olive oil, so many people just assume it's normal.

However, it should not have a fermentation smell reminiscent of sweaty socks or swampy vegetation.

“A good way to tell how to taste stale oil is to taste olives,” reports The Olive Oil Times. “Select from a handful of Kalamata olives those that are not purple or maroon and hard in color, but brown and soft. Eat them. THIS tastes musty.”

3. Moldy olives- If your olive oil tastes dusty or musty, it's probably because it was made from moldy olives, another common defect.

4. Taste of wine or vinegar- If your olive oil tastes like wine and vinegar (or even nail polish), it's probably because the olives have been fermented with oxygen, causing them to develop that strong, undesirable taste.

Extra virgin olive oil is most often counterfeited

The four defects listed above are examples of what typically occurs due to poor handling or handling. However, olive oil is often adulterated, according to the United States Pharmacopoeial Convention (USP) food database.

Even “extra virgin” is often diluted with other cheaper ones, including hazelnuts, soybeans, corn, sunflower, palm, sesame, grapeseed and Walnut. But it won't say so on the label, and most people won't be able to tell that it's not pure.

Subscribe to our Yandex Zen channel!

If you live in an area where olive oil is produced, purchasing from a local producer is perfect solution, because this allows you to know exactly what is in the composition. If not, try an independent store that can tell you about the manufacturers, or at least look for a brand you trust on the shelves of your local supermarket.

Refrigerator test: poor quality indicator

Earlier this year, The Dr. Oz Show aired a segment on the "olive oil refrigerator test" that said you can tell if it's pure if it hardens in the refrigerator. The American Davis Olive Oil Research Center decided to test the theory and found that in fact this is a very unreliable method.

The center's researchers refrigerated seven samples and found that none of them froze after 60 hours in the refrigerator. While some showed hardened areas, due to varying levels of saturated fat in the oil, none of them hardened completely. This way, you can save yourself the effort of trying it at home.

"All olive oils contain no a large number of saturated fatty acids that harden in the refrigerator, said Paul Vossen, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor. where they are grown. Solidification does not indicate freshness, purity, flavor, extra virgin, or any other quality parameter.”

Do you cook with olive oil? Stop!

Olive oil is ideal for use cold, such as a salad dressing or homemade hummus. However, it is important to understand that it is NOT suitable for cooking.

Due to its chemical structure and high levels of monounsaturated fats such as oleic acid, cooking makes extra virgin olive oil very susceptible to oxidative damage.

Consuming oxidized, rancid oil will not benefit your health, so when you need to cook with something, Coconut oil- ideal choice, since it is one of the most used vegetable fats, stable enough to resist heat-induced damage.

Remember that olive oil is great for cold dishes, but cooking with it is almost guaranteed to damage it because it is sensitive to high temperatures.

Once you've found the olive oil you want (by choosing a trusted brand and looking at the dates on the bottle), how you handle it can affect its shelf life.

• Store in a cool, dark place - darkness is most important because light oxidizes the fats in olive oil
• Buy smaller bottles to ensure freshness
• Screw the cap back on immediately after each use.

To further protect extra virgin olive oil from oxidation, Dr. Mörck suggests adding one drop of astaxanthin to the bottle. You can purchase this extremely powerful antioxidant in soft gel capsules. Just prick them with a pin and squeeze them into the oil. The good thing about using astaxanthin instead of another antioxidant like vitamin E is that it is naturally red in color whereas vitamin E is colorless, so you can tell the oil still has astaxanthin by its color.

When the olive oil starts to turn pale, it will be time to throw it away.

In general, it is best consumed within a year of harvest, although most will keep for up to two years of harvest, unopened in a cool, dark place.

Oils with more bitter, pungent taste contain more polyphenols and are generally better than varieties made from ripe olives, which have a milder flavor. The latter should be used within a period of six months to a year maximum.

This is another reason to buy smaller bottles - it's easier to use in a shorter period of time. If you buy large quantities of olive oil, you may be tempted to keep it even if it goes rancid. published .

© Dr. Joseph Mercola

P.S. And remember, just by changing your consumption, we are changing the world together! © econet

I use olive oil all the time. Mainly for making salads. I recently bought a bottle of olive oil, the price was higher than usual, I was tempted by it. I decided that it was probably better in quality. I also looked at the expiration date, it’s normal. I came home, opened the bottle and tried it.

I was extremely shocked. It was bitter and very unpleasant in taste, causing a tightening in the throat. What to do? Should I go to the store again to make a claim? I asked my friend a question, and she answered that her son for a long time I’ve been to Italy and probably know what to do.

It turns out that this olive oil is of high quality and depends on the type of olives used to produce the oil. Interestingly, and now also recognized, than bitterer taste olive oil, the more polyphenols it contains.

Polyphenols protect cells and bodies chemicals against damage caused by free radicals and possibly neutralize substances that play an important role in the development of cancer. In addition, they preserve the oil longer.

Olive oil should be kept away from heat and light. Cold will not spoil the butter, although it may cause it to partially harden. A sealed bottle can last for a long time, up to 18 months, but use of an open bottle should not be extended for too long.

It is best to purchase olive oil in tinted glass bottles as a way to protect the contents from light.

My favorite recipe: crush garlic in olive oil and use it as a seasoning on bread. The perfect aperitif!

For quick and delicious pasta, fry finely chopped carrots, peppers and tomatoes in olive oil, with garlic, pepper and salt. Cook the spaghetti and stir in the vegetables, making sure to remove all the oil from the pan. This is enough easy recipe to allow yourself to enjoy it!

Have you ever wondered what to do with a bottle of olive oil that turns out to be bitter? And it's not cheap. I want to express some useful tips, which will help you save in times of difficult economic conditions.

First of all, we need to find out why olive oil is bitter. I am, of course, not talking about the mild bitterness of olive oil, but about the obvious bitterness that prevents us from eating food.

Olive oil should be stored in a dark and cool place. Exposure to heat and light will in turn cause it to go rancid.

Users should always ensure that the bottle is sealed tightly to limit exposure to air. As I mentioned, Italian olive oil is best stored in a dark glass container. When purchasing olive oil, I try to avoid oils that come in plastic or clear glass bottles.

Olive oil will also become rancid over time, although if purchased recently, ask the store about their storage system, it is quite possible that the fault lies with them. Write a polite letter to the trading company, maybe they will give you a free fresh bottle of olive oil or two.

Now that we know a little about the cause of bitterness, it's time to address the possibility of using bitter or rancid olive oil.

1. Use olive oil to lubricate the hinges of squeaky doors or cabinets. Do you know that the door creaks just when you try to quietly tiptoe out of your child’s room, or enter the house unnoticed?

Take olive oil and apply it to the loops with a cotton cloth. Store the oil with tools or cleaning products. Don't forget to make a label so you don't mistakenly use it in the kitchen.

2. Use oil when making a candle. If the smell doesn't bother you too much, you can use olive oil for holiday candles, Shabbat candles, or any other purpose. Olive oil is safe and effective means for burns.

3. Use it for diesel engines. Diesel engines can be converted to run on olive oil, among other means. However, do not try this at home without consulting experts in the field.

4. Use it to soften rough skin or lips, saving on all the other supermarket beauty products.

5. Home remedy for ear pain: Heat a little olive oil, dip a cotton swab in it and carefully place it in the patient's ear.

There are many ways to save and now is the time to read the topic. Don't throw away your olive oil that has turned bitter for some reason.

Olive oil has been known to mankind since antiquity. It is extracted by pressing the fruits of the European olive. Among connoisseurs, this oil is called “liquid gold” for its abundance of nutrients, vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats. Olive oil is actively used in cosmetology. But the main area of ​​its use is cooking. Oil is added to salads and used as a base for sauces. If you buy a bottle of olive oil in a store, you may be disappointed when you taste it and feel that the olive oil is bitter.

The answer to the questions whether such a product can be consumed, whether olive oil should taste bitter, whether this is normal or not, and why this sometimes happens depends on a number of reasons: the variety and method of pressing, the time of harvest and the area in which it was collected. Many types of products offered have a natural bitter and pungent aftertaste.

In contact with

High-quality olive oil costs a lot of money. When buying it, you want to get a really high-quality product. When purchasing a product of the same brand or the same type, you will notice that the oil has a different flavor in different batches. The first thought that arises is why olive oil is bitter - one of the bottles purchased is counterfeit. But real olive oil is easy to distinguish from fakes.

It's easy to check. You need to put a small amount in the refrigerator and let it cool for several hours. Through time natural oil will thicken. Light flakes will appear in it. These are frozen particles of wax (simple fats) that covered the olive shell with a thin protective layer.

These flakes should not be confused with saturated fatty acids, the presence of which in olive oil is minimized. They freeze at room temperature, which can be seen in the example of margarine, and are unhealthy for the body. Wax has no benefit or harm and is safe for health.

There are no general criteria or standards that define the taste of olive oil and determine whether olive oil should be bitter. It is bitter and may simply taste like fresh green olives or resemble green apples, almonds, spices and so on.

Olive oil can be of different shades: darker or lighter

Almost all types of olive oil have a bitterness, which can be pronounced or slightly noticeable on the tongue. There are several reasons why oil differs in degree of bitterness and astringency in different batches.

One of the factors is the country of production:

• Spain (leader in production);
• Italy;
• Greece;
• Tunisia;
• Türkiye.

The list is not exhaustive. Each of these countries has its own climate and soil composition, which leads to a variety of tastes. Oil pressed within the same country, but from trees grown in different provinces, will also differ. Even oil pressed from trees located at different ends of the same olive grove can have a different taste and influence whether the olive oil tastes bitter.

The second reason is the type of tree. There are great amount. Different kinds oil trees, for example:

• Minerva;
• picual;
• Kalamata;
• ojiblanca;
• leccino, and many others.

The type of tree also provides a variety of flavors to the olive oil.

Taste, astringency and degree of bitterness depend on the time at which the crop is harvested. Harvest time:

1. At the beginning of September the collection begins green olives, in which there is little oil. After squeezing such berries, there is a feeling of bitterness, astringency and a slight burning sensation on the palate. The color of this product is bright green. This oil is the most valued.
2. In October - November, the collection of raw materials continues. The berries become more ripe. The color of the oil becomes more yellow, and the bitterness becomes lighter.
3. Berry picking continues in December and January. These are already ripe olives. They are rich in fat and yellow oil is extracted from them, which has mild taste. Overripe olives lying on the ground produce the darkest oil, which has a sweetish taste.

The third reason is the way the oil is produced. The berries are picked by hand. The trees are not fertilized or treated with chemicals. The seeds are removed from the fruit, and olive juice is extracted from the pulp by cold pressing. It is settled and separated from the water, collecting oil from the surface. The output is really natural product with minimal processing. Each manufacturer has its own secrets and technologies, which directly affects the taste.

What should a cold-pressed product taste like?

Olive oil is a valuable source of unsaturated fats. It contains oleic and linoleic acid, phytosterols, vitamins K and E, chromium, squalene and many other compounds. It has antioxidant properties and is very valuable for the body.

What the taste of extra virgin oil should be and why it tastes bitter is explained as follows. During the production process, olives undergo almost no processing - only washing, settling, separation from water and filtration. Therefore, this oil preserves the taste of olives as much as possible. The berries themselves, and especially the seeds, are bitter and tart. This answers the question of whether olive oil should taste bitter or not. Organoleptic assessment or examination is carried out by professionals.

The technique for tasting olive oil is simple:

1. It is poured into a glass and heated in the palm of your hand.
2. Cover the container with oil with the other palm. After a while, the oil reaches body temperature.
3. Opening the glass, you need to inhale the aroma. This way the whole bouquet of smells will open. First of all, the oil should smell like olives.
4. Then a sip of oil is taken into the mouth and held in the mouth. Through time taste buds feel the bitterness and astringency of the oil.
5. Then they swallow the oil. And a burning and tingling sensation should be felt in the larynx.
6. If the taster experienced all these emotions, and the aftertaste remained pleasant, then this sample of oil is of high quality.

Tasters identify about 70 terms that describe the taste of extra virgin oil. These include shades of apple, aromas of spices, and herbs. And also: hay, lemon, tomatoes, peppers, sorrel, almonds, etc. Based on all that has been said, we can conclude that real olive oil is necessarily bitter. You can safely add it to food and use it for cosmetic procedures. And .

If it's bitter, is it normal?

High-quality olive oil should taste bitter. This means that it:

• natural and unrefined, not filtered or deodorized, made from quality olives and did not lose substances beneficial to the body during processing ();
• fresh and first pressed;
• concentrated (not diluted).

You can draw an analogy by comparing “fresh” with juice. “Fresh” will be more tart and bitter compared to juice due to the naturalness of the ingredients and its richness.

What to do, is it possible to eat?

As stated above, it is normal for olive oil to taste bitter. It can be used and is extremely useful. Like to good wine, you need to get used to it and love it.

The richness and astringency of the taste will decrease slightly a couple of weeks after opening the bottle.

If it doesn’t work out, let’s consider what you can do if the olive oil is bitter, so as not to “spoil” the dishes with a bitter aftertaste

• You can use a mixture of two oils - bitter olive and another type of oil (rapeseed, cottonseed, corn, etc.). This will help “dilute” the bitterness;
• mix with finely chopped garlic, add a couple of sprigs aromatic herbs. For example, basil and rosemary. Let it brew, then use it in snacks, sauces and salads. Or you can, like the Italians, dip bread in this mixture;
• use for cosmetic purposes.

Ciabatta goes great with olive oil.

Can it be consumed if it is rancid?

It also happens that over time, olive oil changes its taste for the worse, becomes bitter and loses pleasant aroma(rancid). This oil has gone bad.

You need to figure out why olive oil is bitter and whether it can be consumed. To distinguish rancid oil from natural bitterness, you should take a small sip. Hold it in your mouth. Then listen to taste sensations. If the initial bitterness does not reveal the tart taste of olives and a light note of spices, but mustiness is felt, the product is spoiled. An unpleasant aftertaste remains in the mouth.

The reason why olive oil tastes bitter could be the expired expiration date, which, in accordance with the requirements of GOST and international standards, is indicated on the packaging.

When purchasing, you should also pay attention to the bottling date. If it exceeds 6 months, the oil may be stagnant.

Another reason may be a violation of storage conditions. To avoid spoiling the product, you should adhere to the following rules:

1. Keep away from sunlight. The best option containers for today are dark Glass bottle. It does not allow sunlight to pass through, which destroys the beneficial components of the oil;
2. It is necessary to close the lid tightly to prevent oxygen from entering the container and interfere with the oxidation process;
3. Store at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. Housewives often make the mistake of placing a bottle near the stove or microwave oven. This causes the oil to heat up and spoils its quality.

Useful video

Production of extra virgin olive oil:

Conclusion

1. If olive oil is bitter, this is natural.
2. A high-quality product has a bitter aftertaste. It indicates freshness and concentration of nutrients.
3. To distinguish it from spoiled olive oil, you should listen to the aftertaste.

Olive oil is a product that was discovered more than 140 centuries ago. At the dawn of civilization, people knew that the olive tree and its products could work miracles. It nourishes perfectly, serves as a component for many beauty recipes, heals and heals. The beauties of ancient Egypt and Greece used oils to make their skin and hair an object of admiration and seduction. They were used by the leading luminaries of science of those millennia, such as Hippocrates and Aristotle. But why is olive oil bitter? Is its taste different from what it was many thousands of years ago?

All the knowledge and popular advertising lead many modern people to think that it is time to change their usual sunflower vegetable oil to an olive product. Then the figure will regain its former slimness, skin elasticity, hair an enviable shine, and the body will improve its health. And it's all true.

The trend towards healthy image life and proper nutrition is becoming increasingly popular, and this is good news. And so you decide to change your diet and go to the store for the treasured expensive bottle. When you come home and try a spoonful of the product for the first time, you experience shock, panic and one single question, is olive oil bitter?! Moreover, the bitterness is strongly felt, and you are sure that you received an expired and substandard product. What to do? Rush to the store and scold the seller, pour it out and forget about trying proper nutrition? There is no need to rush until you have read the information below.

Types of Olive Oil

In order to understand the issue, you need to know what types there are, and there are three main ones.

Virgin olive and Extra virgin olive oil

This olive oil is the best product because it is completely natural. All useful material they are stored in it as much as possible, and they are absorbed by our body almost 100%. That is, all the beneficial substances when daily use of food will be replenished daily norm and heal the body, improve external condition and increase the body's defenses.

The products are pressed using temperature, but it does not exceed 27 degrees mechanically. Virgin olive is not processed, purified, or added to it with any components, dyes, or additives. This is a treasure trove of benefits. But Virgin olive has its own varieties.

• Extra virgin olive oil is the best product you can find for health among vegetable oils. The oil is obtained after the first cold pressing from the best olives. The fruits have no defects, they are not spoiled, not frostbitten, and are not carrion. This is like an elixir that is used for healing and for food in fresh. The product yield after spinning is minimal;
• Virgin olive oil – obtained after cold pressing of the fruit. It is also useful, but it contains fewer components necessary for our body. The price of such oil will be lower. The acidity is higher - 2 grams per 100 grams of product. Such oil can be found more often on the market, since the first category is rare, high-quality and expensive;
• Ordinary virgin olive oil – the acidity of this product is even higher and amounts to 3 grams per 100 grams. This oil was obtained using biological reagents.

On a note! Why is Extra virgin olive oil used for treatment? The fact is that this is the most natural product and it has low acidity, which is equal to 0.8%. A healing oils should have this indicator up to 1%. They are for frying and other heat treatment products are not suitable.

The best oil is prepared under strict quality control. All indicators must comply with norms and standards and have certificates of conformity. It is very difficult to find real Extra virgin olive oil with low acidity. Such a product is obtained only by pressing the most best fruits, but it turns out a little finished oil. It is labeled Extra virgin.

But the olives still have a lot to give, and so they are filled with water and pressed again. Such oils are also useful, but all indicators will be more suitable for cooking than for use in treatment and cosmetology.

Refined olive oil

It's more traditional version. And all because we are used to using refined products. This category is exactly what you are. That is, it went through a series of treatments, after which it was eliminated bad smell, bitterness and for frying, heat processing of products - this is the best option.

It is also worth noting that this category does not emit carcinogens, therefore it is useful to use it. The oil costs much less than the categories that were described earlier. This option is not suitable for treatment, since useful components less in the product after undergoing a number of treatments. Refined oil is obtained after the second pressing of the fruit.

Important! When you go to the store, be sure to pay attention to the labeling and cost of the product, as well as acidity levels. You should not buy the cheapest product, since natural olive Extra oils There is a minimum of virgin content in it, all other additives and benefits from the product should not be expected.

Pomace olive oil

This is the third category, which is of lower quality than the previous two, and is obtained from the press cake, from which the last drops of oil are squeezed out. There are few of them and refined oil and other additives are added to the product. But again, there are two types of this product:

• Olive-pomace oil is just a mixture of oil cake and refined oil. But you can buy it for cooking; the oil does not create bitterness or burning during heat treatment;
• Refined olive-pomace oil is a product made only from oil cake, and you should not buy it for food, since its quality is the lowest and there will be no benefit.

So, you now know what types there are, but the main question, why olive oil is bitter, remains unanswered. This is the next part.

On a note! Manufacturers put different markings. If you see the word Bio, then check the composition for acidity and you can safely buy this product, since these are the most best oils, which are prepared under strict control.

Bitter Olive Oil: Should You Worry?

Did you buy it or have it brought to you from sunny Italy olive oil, but it is unpleasant, so bitter that it even makes your throat sore. Did they give you a fake? Not at all. Yes, no matter how strange it may sound, olive oil is bitter and that’s normal.

Moreover, if the product has a specific bitterness, then you should be happy because you are holding real cold-pressed olive oil in your hands. Look at the packaging and ingredients of the product. If the acidity is up to 1% and there are markings that we described to you above, then this product is healing. No need to fry on it. This is for salads, dressings, and fresh consumption.

If you have already started cooking, then expect unpleasant bitterness in ready dish also not worth it. The food will be delicious, but many of the beneficial properties will be lost. Therefore, for frying and stewing, take refined oil, and then you will not worry about the bitter aftertaste.

On a note! If you ever taste olives, not from a jar in a marinade, but fresh from the tree, you will find that they have a slightly bitter taste. tart taste. Of course, oil that has only been cold pressed will retain this bitterness, and you should understand that this is normal and good.

But it is best to use a product with bitterness right away. That is, you should not store the bottle for special occasions, or as a gift for a special occasion. better times. The oil will only be beneficial for the first time after opening the bottle. At this moment, it can really work wonders and heal your body, making it attractive in appearance.

Now you know that real olive oil is bitter, but you can safely use the product and start eating right.