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Home › Articles › Food A-Z › Ode to Olive Oil

Ode to Olive Oil

The Champagne of Cooking Oils

By Deborah C. Harding

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Storing Olive Oil
Containers used to store olive oil should be made of glass, stainless steel or glazed clay. Stay away from plastic containers as the oil can absorb PVCs. The container also should have the ability to be sealed tightly as the oil can easily be contaminated.

Olive oil is less likely to go rancid than other oils. Placing it in a dark, cool cupboard will ensure a 6-month shelf life. If placed in the refrigerator it can last for two years, but will become cloudy. The cloudiness will disappear after the oil reaches room temperature.

Cooking with Olive Oil
Olive oil is excellent for baking and cooking alike. Extra Virgin has the lowest smoke point at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it best used in light saut訮g. Pure Oil has a smoke point of 438 degrees Fahrenheit, which qualifies it for stir-frying. Always use Light Olive oil for deep-frying (smoke point of 468 degrees Fahrenheit). The flavor will begin to break down at high temperatures and light oil has little olive taste anyway. It is also less expensive than the higher-grade oils.

Use the following conversion when replacing butter with olive oil:
Butter/Margarine -- Olive Oil
1 teaspoon = 3/4 teaspoon
1 tablespoon = 2-1/4 teaspoon
1/4 cup = 3 tablespoons
1/3 cup = 1/4 cup
1/2 cup = 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons
1 cup = 3/4 cup

Olive oil is perfect for frying for several reasons. Unlike vegetable oil, olive oil coats the food rather than soaking it. It seals the flavor of the food while producing a thin greaseless crust. Olive oil can be used in frying three to four times. It can be filtered or strained after use to be used again.


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