Exposure to light and heat can turn olive oil rancid. This destroys the healthy, antioxidant properties of the oil. Look for olive oil that is sold in darkly tinted bottles. Also, look carefully at the display in the grocery store. Are there glaring lights or sunny windows nearby? If so, you will want to check out some different stores. My favorite grocery store keeps the olive oil on the shelves closest to the floor and away from the fluorescent lights.
When you get home, find a dark, cool cupboard for storage. One suggestion is to pour some of the oil from the original container into a smaller container. The original container can be kept in the refrigerator for maximum protection. (The oil will become cloudy and more solid in the refrigerator.) The smaller container you select for your weekly supply of olive oil should be opaque and have a tight-sealing lid. Exposure to air is another enemy of the fragile antioxidants.
Confused about the different grades of olive oil? Extra-virgin olive oil is produced from the first pressing of the olives. It has the lightest flavor and contains the richest array of antioxidants. The next pressing of the olives produces fine virgin oil. Refined means that chemicals were used to extract the oil instead of pressing. Avoid refined olive oils. Pure olive oil is a blend of refined and virgin olive oils. I don’t recommend pure grade either. If you see the words cold pressed on a bottle of olive oil that means heat was not used when extracting the oil. Remember, heat destroys antioxidants, so cold pressed is a good thing.
One last thought on this subject. If you are considering switching to olive oil from other oils, you might be shocked when you first look at the differences in price. I’m a serious bargain hunter. I always buy generic and look for bulk discounts whenever possible. But even the most determined penny pincher understands that there are simply some things that are worth the extra money. Olive oil is one of them.
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