How is the oil processed?
Once the olives are collected from the trees, only the best young olives are selected. This assures only the highest quality extra virgin oil. Young olives produce a particularly low acid oil, while older olives will produce oil with higher acidity. However they can’t be harvested too young or the oil is bitter. With olive oil the timing of the harvest is everything. Rejected olives are used in either a lower grade olive paste or for composting. Any leaves with the harvested olives are then removed and the fruits washed in cold water. Next, the olives are cold pressed using 27C (80.6F) water and gently centrifuged. This centrifugal process is not commonly used by commercial olive oil producers because of its expense and technology. However, when olive oil is produced by centrifuge, the resulting oil is a far superior product. This oil is never exposed to heat and no chemical additives adulterate it’s purity. This high quality, raw olive oil is then packaged for our customers in dark-green glass containers and stored under organic sanitary conditions. Each production run is carefully tested to ensure all quality control standards are met. It has a maximum acidity of 0.8% and contains a full-bodied olive flavor. Because it is produced under cold conditions and remains raw, there is also maximum nutrient retention.
Is it Certified Organic?
This co-op of farmers has been in business since 1915 and they produce the only Turkish olive oil that is accredited and certified by the International Olive Oil Council. It is approved with certification by the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture, and it is also certified by the International Organic Product Regulatory Organization, ECOCERT. The co-op possesses one of the 35 laboratories accredited by the International Olive Oil Council and is one of the 15 members of the Worldwide Olive Oil Quality Control Program. This Turkish olive oil is considered to be one of the highest quality olive oils made from the Aegean Olive.
Is Olive Oil Healthy?
Olive oil has a longstanding tradition of culinary uses and is the major source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. It is predominantly composed of a monounsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid. However, it is not just the prominence of oleic acid, but rather the combination of stable fatty acids and the abundance of phenols (antioxidants) that make this greenish, golden oil good for use in the diet. It is important to note that while all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, only extra virgin olive oil, from the first pressing of olives, contains high levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols.
Numerous studies have been done on the Mediterranean diet and the use of olive oil. In these studies Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been shown to be heart healthy.
In addition, olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic enzymes for fat digestion. This action aids in the natural digestion and assimilation of fat soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin D, and Vitamin K. Without the presence of fats in the diet, fat soluble vitamins such as these may not enter the bloodstream but, instead, pass through the digestive tract for elimination, never to reach the cells of the body.
Types of Olive Oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing, grinding or crushing dried olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved.
Varieties include:
Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed oil. It must be from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavor.
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"Pure" olive oil
Made by adding a little extra virgin olive oil to refined olive oil. Refined olive oil has had free fatty acids removed as a part of the refining process, so its acidity is quite low, but this process removes antioxidants and vitamins as well. “Pure” olive oil is a lesser grade oil that can also be labeled simply "olive oil" in the U.S.
"Light" olive oil
A marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent as to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.
The only olive oil that is guaranteed to not have solvents used as part of the extraction process is extra virgin olive oil. In addition, only extra virgin olive oil is rich in phenols and vitamin E (antioxidants).
Unfortunately, most extra-virgin olive oil is exposed to heat. Standard commercial methods for pressing extra virgin olive oil usually involve a press which can generate temperatures well over 200 degrees. Only the old traditional methods of slowly stone grinding by hand and the modern centrifuge methods create an olive oil without heat.
When buying olive oil there are 4 things we look for:
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The oil must come from the first "pressing" of the olives (should be labeled Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
- It must be extracted without using heat or chemicals, and have no "off" flavors.
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The olive oil must be certified organic, so there is assurance the olives (and oil) are not contaminated with herbicides and pesticides.
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In addition, only young olives should be used, so you have an olive oil with very low acidity.
The resulting extra virgin olive oil should be a healthy olive oil with a delicious olive taste, containing antioxidants, and low acidity.
How to care for your olive oil
Please do not place your beautiful bottle of olive oil on the windowsill. Light and heat are its biggest enemies. Keep your extra virgin olive oil in a cool dark place, tightly sealed. Oxygen promotes rancidity. When stored properly your olive oil should have a 24 month shelf life.
Alternative Oils
If the taste of olive oil is a problem, or if you are frying or sautéing food, then you may want to consider
coconut oil. Many nutritionally misinformed people would consider this unwise due to coconut oil's nearly exclusive content of saturated fat. However,the saturated fats in coconut oil are mostly medium chain fatty acids which are digested and assimilated differently than long chain fatty acid. Coconut oil is actually one of the safest oils to cook with. Because heat will not cause the oil to transition into dangerous oxidized fats and it does not contain any trans fatty acids.
Another oil, similar to olive oil, that is loaded with antioxidants and fat soluble vitamins is Natural Palm Oil. This oil also has low acidity, is stable, and a liquid at room temperature. Wilderness Family Naturals’ natural palm oil comes from Malaysia, and is orangutan friendly. It is made from oil palms that have existed for decades and have nothing to do with destruction of the rainforest. Natural Palm Oil is high in Carotenoids (Vitamin A), Tocopherols and Tocotrienols (Vitamin E). These are all fat soluble antioxidants which give the oil its dark orange-red color.
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