Bitter extra virgin olive oil. Good butter has gone bad: how to recognize rancidity and other defects

Olive oil is a product that was discovered over 140 centuries ago. At the dawn of civilization, people knew that the olive tree and its products can work wonders. It perfectly saturates, 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 it bitter olive oil? Does its taste differ from that which was many thousands of years ago?

All knowledge and popular advertising lead many modern people to the idea that it is time to change the usual vegetable oil from sunflower to a product made from olives. Then the figure will regain its former harmony, skin elasticity, hair an enviable shine, and the body will improve. And it's all true.

The trend towards a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition is becoming more and more popular, and this is good news. And so you decide to change your diet and go to the store for the cherished expensive bottle. Arriving home, and, having tried a spoonful of the product for the first time, you have a shock, panic and one single question, is olive oil bitter?! Moreover, bitterness is strongly felt, and you are sure that you got an expired and substandard product. What to do? Hurry to the store and scold the seller, pour out and forget about trying proper nutrition? Don't rush until you 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 most best product because it is completely natural. All useful substances in it are stored as much as possible, and by our body they are absorbed by almost 100%. That is, all useful substances daily use product in food will replenish daily allowance and heal the body, improve the external condition and raise defensive forces organism.

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

extra virgin olive oil is the best product that can only be found for health among vegetable oils. The oil is obtained after the first cold pressing from the best olives. The fruits do not have defects, they are not spoiled, not frozen, they are not carrion. This one is like an elixir that is used for healing and for food in fresh. The output of the product after pressing is minimal;
Virgin olive oil - obtained after cold pressing of the fruit. It is also useful, but there are 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 more often found on the market, since the first category is rare, of 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 exactly Extra virgin olive oil is used for treatment. The fact is that this is the most natural product and it has a small acidity, which is 0.8%. A healing oils should have this indicator up to 1%. They are for frying and for other heat treatment products are not suitable.

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

But olives can still give a lot, and therefore they are filled with water and again subjected to extraction. 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 over 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 treatment of products - this is the best option.

It is also worth noting that this category does not emit carcinogens, so it is useful to use it. Oil costs much less than the categories that were described earlier. For treatment, this option is not suitable, since there are fewer useful components in the product after undergoing a series 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 indicators. Don't buy the most cheap product, since there is a minimum of natural Extra virgin olive oil in it, the rest of all additives and benefits from the product should not be expected.

pomace olive oil

This is the third category, which has a quality lower than the previous two, and is obtained from the cake after pressing, from which it is pressurized last drops oils. 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 pomace and refined oil. But it can be bought for cooking, oil does not form bitterness and burning during heat treatment;
Refined olive-pomace oil is a pomace-only product and should not be purchased for food, as it is of the lowest quality and will not be of any use.

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

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

Bitter Olive Oil: Should You Worry?

You bought or brought to you from sunny Italy olive oil, and it is unpleasant, so bitter that it even tickles in the throat. Did they give you a fake? Not at all. Yes, as strange as it may sound, olive oil is bitter and that's okay.

Moreover, if the product has a specific bitterness, then you should rejoice, as 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 have described to you above, then this product is healing. You don't need to fry it. This is for salads, dressings, fresh consumption.

If you have already begun to cook, then wait for unpleasant bitterness in ready dish also not worth it. The food will be delicious, but many useful properties will be lost. Therefore, for frying, stewing, take refined oil, and then you will not worry about a bitter aftertaste.

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

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

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

Mankind has known olive oil since antiquity. It is obtained by pressing the fruit of the European olive. Among connoisseurs, such oil is called "liquid gold" for its abundance. useful substances, 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, put in the basis of sauces. Having bought a bottle of olive oil in the store, you can be disappointed when you try 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 be bitter, whether this is normal or not, and why it sometimes happens, depends on a number of reasons: the variety and method of pressing, the time of harvest and the area in which it is collected. Many types of offered goods have a natural bitter and burning taste.

In contact with

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

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

Do not confuse these flakes with saturated fatty acids, the presence of which in the composition of 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 does not carry any benefit or harm and is safe for health.

There are no general criteria and standards that define the taste of olive oil and establish whether olive oil should be bitter. It is bitter and may taste simply 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 bitterness, which can be pronounced or slightly noticeable on the tongue. There are several reasons why butter differs in the degree of bitterness and astringency in different batches.

One of the factors is the country of production:

Spain (production leader);
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 differ in taste and affect whether the olive oil is bitter.

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

Minerva;
picual;
kalamata;
ohiblanca;
Lechchino, and many others.

The variety of wood also provides a variety of olive oil flavors.

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

In early September, the collection begins quite green olives with little oil. After pressing 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.
In October-November, the collection of raw materials continues. Berries become more ripe. The color of the oil becomes more yellow, and the bitterness becomes lighter.
Berry picking continues in December and January. These are mature olives. They are rich in fat, and a yellow oil is pressed out of them, which has mild taste. From overripe olives lying on the ground, the darkest oil is obtained, which has a sweetish aftertaste.

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

What taste should the product of the first cold pressing have?

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 taste should be in the first cold-pressed oil and why it is bitter, is explained as follows. During the production process, olives are almost not processed - only washing, settling, separation from water and filtration. Therefore, this oil retains the taste of olives as much as possible. The berries themselves, and especially the seeds, are bitter and tart. This answers the question, should olive oil be bitter or not. Organoleptic evaluation or the examination is carried out by professionals.

The technique for tasting olive oil is simple:

It is poured into a glass and heated in the palm of your hand.
Cover the oil container with the other hand. Over time, the oil reaches body temperature.
Opening the glass, you need to inhale the aroma. Thus, the whole bouquet of smells will open. First of all, the oil should smell like olives.
Then a sip of oil is taken into the mouth and kept in the mouth. Through time taste buds feel the bitterness and astringency of the oil.
Then the oil is swallowed. And in the larynx should be felt burning and tingling.
If the taster experienced all these emotions, and the aftertaste remained pleasant, then this sample of oil is of high quality.

Tasters distinguish about 70 terms that describe the taste of first cold pressed oil. These are shades of apple, and aromas of spices, and herbs. And also: hay, lemon, tomatoes, pepper, sorrel, almonds, etc. Based on the foregoing, 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 bitter - is it normal?

Quality olive oil should be bitter. This means that it:

natural and unrefined, did not pass filtration and deodorization, was made from high-quality olives and did not lose substances beneficial to the body during processing ();
fresh and first pressing;
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, can I eat?

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

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

If it didn’t work out, consider what can be done 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,). This will help "dilute" the bitterness;
mix with finely chopped garlic, add a couple of sprigs fragrant herbs. For example, basil and rosemary. Let it brew, then use in snacks, sauces and salads. And you can, like Italians, dip bread into such a mixture;
use for cosmetic purposes.

Ciabatta pairs well with olive oil.

Can it be used if rancid?

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

You should understand 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 tart taste of olives and a slight hint of spices do not reveal behind the initial bitterness, 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 expiration date, which, in accordance with the requirements of GOST and international standards, is indicated on the package.

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

Another reason may be a violation of storage conditions. In order not to spoil the product, you should adhere to the following rules:

Keep away from sunlight. Best Option the container for today is dark Glass bottle. She does not let in the sun's rays that destroy useful components oils;
It is necessary to tightly close the lid to prevent oxygen from entering the container and preventing the oxidation process;
Store below 30 degrees Celsius. Often housewives make the mistake of putting a bottle near the stove or microwave oven. This contributes to the heating of the oil and spoils its quality.

Useful video

Extra virgin olive oil production:

Conclusion

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

Click on the appropriate item in the table of contents below.

Valuable fat is squeezed out of fresh olives. Ideally, the pulp of olives is crushed within a few hours of harvest, which lasts from November to March. Otherwise, high-speed oxidation spoils the raw material and the final product.

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Chemical composition

The calorie content and BJU of the product (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) are similar to all vegetable oils.

Per 100 grams - 884 kcal. We give the composition according to the main expenditure unit in nutrition - for 1 tablespoon, which contains 14 grams of oil.

Calorie content of 1 tablespoon - 120 kcal.
Fat - 14 grams
Proteins and carbohydrates - 0
Vitamin E - 10% DV
Vitamin K - 10% DV
And scanty inclusions of minerals - up to 0.3% DN.

*DN - average daily burrow for an adult with a diet of 2000 kcal.

Note that according to the Department Agriculture USA V natural product no vitamins A and D, the myth about which is widespread in Runet.

With an eye on the BJU of the product healing properties olive oil seem like an exaggeration. Only liquid fat where there are no proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, trace elements and moderate amounts vitamins E and K. Why do nutritionists strongly recommend it for salads and other dishes, especially extra virgin olive oil?

Beneficial features

What is the benefit of olive oil? Let's talk about the best image - unrefined first cold pressed.

Short list very valuable characteristics for human health.

There is no harm from skewed in omega-6 fatty acids.
Polyphenols as powerful antioxidants and protectors against inflammation.
Oleic fatty acid- Healing omega-9 for the cardiovascular system.

Therapeutic polyphenols

These are complex organic compounds. a wide range actions. Studies show that polyphenols from extra virgin olive oil help reduce blood viscosity and harmonize the lipid profile in high cholesterol.

Also, these biocompounds have pronounced antioxidant properties, protect the cell membrane and help fight inflammation.

Harmony omega without distortion in class 6

Excellent health property! And the main positive difference from other oils popular in Russia (sunflower, corn, sesame).

Important! Only oils where omega 6 fatty acids are less than 30% can be taken daily without harm (olive, almond, peanut, peach kernels).

Oleic (omega 9 fatty acids) - from 60 to 80%
Linoleic (omega 6 fatty acids) - from 5 to 14%
Palmitic and others - from 15%
A scanty amount of omega 3 fatty acids - up to 1%

The modern diet is oversaturated with omega 6. This leads to accelerated age-related inflammation. Reducing omega 6 fatty acids and enriching the diet with omega 3 fatty acids makes a huge contribution to our mobile and healthy longevity.

Versatile protection for the heart and blood vessels

The benefits of oleic acid and oleocansal have been studied in depth.

Reducing inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels. This is the prevention of atherosclerosis.
Protection of low density lipoproteins from oxidative processes - up to 72%. It also insures the heart and blood vessels against heart attack and stroke.
Decreased thrombus formation and blood pressure.
Containment of autoimmune reactions in all organs and systems. This means fewer allergies, severe arthritis, and other diseases where immune cells mistakenly attack the body's own tissues.

An interesting study about 30 tablespoons of olive oil. Force therapeutic effect equivalent to 1 adult dose of ibuprofen. Including in the diet 2-3 tbsp. spoons daily, we regularly receive microdoses of the anti-inflammatory complex. ()

Benefits during pregnancy and in the children's menu

The benefits of olive oil during pregnancy and in the nutrition of children are significant.

Let's repeat about omega: you should strive for a ratio of omega 3 and 6 as 1:4. In the usual diet of contemporaries, this proportion is about 1:20.

There are two ways to reduce the harm from excess omega-6s:

Remove redundant;
Add omega 3.

When a pregnant woman switches to an omega-6 neutral oil, she insures herself and the baby from many troubles. Entering into baby food this product, not the popular sunflower, we create for the child best table With the right proportion LCD.

Don't forget to enrich your omega-3 menu with fish oil, where at least 450 mg of DHA. We drink 1 teaspoon of this. Every day for the whole family.

An all-in-one treatment for skin and hair

Olive oil - valuable ingredient in cosmetology. Softens, nourishes, rarely leads to blockage of pores. Ideal for hair care, including brittle and dull. In summer, healing fat helps to achieve a smooth tan. One of the best means for the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy. This is largely due to vitamin E and polyphenols.

Use a quality (=expensive) cold-pressed food sample, not store creams where oil is added. Strong Properties only pure natural ingredients.

Compare Popular Vegetable Fats

What is more useful olive or sunflower? The answer lies on the surface if you read the information above.

Forget about vitamin E and oleic acid! Yes, in sunflower there is more than the first and there is also the second. Yes, it is a product of our latitude. But the positives are negligible compared to the harms of skewed omega-6s.

It is detrimental to health that sunflower oil is a linoleic fatty acid - omega-6 - up to 54%. Such a high percentage makes sunflower oil an enemy of health. It dramatically increases the risk of myocardial infarction, provokes inflammation and depression, and increases the risk of oncology.

In search of an answer to the question of what to replace sunflower oil with and whether it should be done, rely on the omega profile in vegetable fat. Make no mistake.

Our choice is to at least replace salad oil with olive oil. Even better - switch to a combination of coconut and olive for all dishes as much as possible.

Olive oil on an empty stomach - good or bad

Let's figure it out. Any oil on an empty stomach will cause an active outflow of bile. Any liquid in the amount of 1 glass or more will lead to a sharp activation of the biliary tract. And when drinking at a contrasting temperature, the effect will be even stronger.

Important! People with stones in the biliary tract should not drink oil on an empty stomach or a temperature-contrasting liquid.

Hence the beneficial effects of the olive "panacea" with lemon and honey for constipation. Strengthening peristalsis - the promotion of the food bolus - the release of gases and emptying the intestines. Exactly the same effect will cause sesame, sunflower, almond - any! - oil. The good news is that olive oil does not overload us with omega-6s.

In addition, we are wary of honey in the diet of children, allergy sufferers and people with hyperinsulinism. And allergies and disorders in the metabolism of carbohydrates are the mass problems of contemporaries. For ourselves, we see no reason to supplement the menu with sugars on an empty stomach. Therefore, the morning choleretic in our routine is 1-2 glasses clean water, cool or warm depending on the specific family member.

Gastritis olive oil before meals also does not heal. If your stomach is bothering you, you need a gastroenterologist and a Helicobacter pylori test. Diet is extremely important in treatment. If an infection is found, do not be afraid of antibiotics under the guidance of a competent doctor.

Contraindications and possible harm

1) Remember the high calorie content.

Olive oil is the highest calorie liquid fat. 1 tablespoon is capable of covering more than 16% of the average daily requirement in energy.

If this figure seems insignificant to you, imagine eating two or even three generously seasoned meals a day. Getting overweight with such a diet is a piece of cake.

2) We exclude the choleretic effect if there are stones in gallbladder or cholecystitis.

We do not take on an empty stomach! We adjust the amount in dishes - up to 2 tbsp. spoons a day.

3) Ideally, it's still better not to fry food on the extra virgin version.

Because heating destroys healing polyphenols. And in general, frying food is not the best choice for heat treatment. Only a savage from a tropical island has not heard of this.

If we discard the importance of preserving polyphenols, then we can rely on latest research about safety. They answer the question What kind of olive oil can be used for frying. The average heat in a frying pan is no more than 170 degrees. This means that it does not provoke the formation of carcinogens in high-quality cold-pressed olive oil. After all smoke point extra virgin version not the lowest - from 191 to 215 degrees.

Even safer refined olive oil- 240 degrees. But this is a "dead version" of superfood. Useful biocompounds are completely destroyed by refining.

Our choice is to steam recipes more often and drizzle with oil after removing from the heat. Simmer over medium heat with water. Eat more salads from fresh vegetables.

Personal experience

For yourself, you can look for another combination of solutions, how to reduce omega-6 in the diet and remove trans fats. Do it if you want to live longer and healthier!

If you really want to fry, then the best choice is. It contains no more than 3% PUFA. The abundance of trans fats simply has nothing to form from. And you can extinguish with water on both vegetable fats- from olives and from a coconut.

Today we are trying to replace both sunflower and corn oil. The opinion is not trivial, but is based on modern knowledge of nutraceuticals and longevity medicine.

Types of olive oil and dosage

The daily dose varies according to age and goals. On average - from 1 to 4 tablespoons per day for an adult. From 0.5 teaspoon for children, starting with complementary foods at 7-8 months.

Important! If you're just adding superfood to unhealthy foods, therapeutic effect will not be.

The composition of the product determines the place where the olives grow and the technology. Below brief reference about every kind which can be found for sale. You will learn which olive oil is best for salad and which characteristics are important.

Type of oil / What is important	extra virgin	Virgin	Refined	Olive oil, pomace, light, pure, purified and others
How to produce	First cold pressed, predominantly green olives	Only less valuable ripe olives, cold pressed, incl. repeated	Refining (heating from 200 degrees Celsius, including with the use of hexane)	Not ideally extracted fat, which is scarce, diluted with refined, cheap rapeseed or sunflower, or refined, enriched with synthetic vitamins, etc.
Acidity	Up to 0.8%	Up to 2%	Up to 0.5%	Up to 3.3%
How better accept	Ideal for salad dressing without heating and in cosmetology	Acceptable for salads, preservation and baking	Cheap option for frying, incl. fast food	Best not to eat

How to choose and store

Let's focus on the healthiest version of extra virgin.

A quality product is not cheap. The price in Europe starts from 8 euros for 500 ml.

The main producers are Italy, Spain, Greece. This does not always mean that the fruits were grown in the same country. Italian butter often pressed from Turkish and Tunisian raw materials.

Most polyphenols contain unripe (green!) Olives. But it is easier to squeeze out of ripe ones. Therefore, the cheaper the product on the shelf, the higher the likelihood that the fat was extracted from ripe, and not green, fruits.

Olives that grow on young trees are inferior in saturation with polyphenols to similar fruits from aged trees. The most healing raw materials are considered unripe fruits from old trees on the Greek island of Crete.

It is also important how the fruits were harvested from the trees, how the preparation for squeezing took place, how long the workpiece was stored before processing. This directly affects the content of polyphenols. Long term storage and rough automatic cleaning reduce the cost of oil, and, accordingly, reduce its quality.

From air, heat and sun rays fat becomes rancid. Import in Russia is carried out from the Mediterranean countries. It is difficult to say just by the type of bottle, under what conditions and for how long the transportation took place.

Conclusion. The inscription "extra virgin" on the label is a necessary but not sufficient quality condition. "Extra virgin" only talks about how the pomace went, but not about what raw materials were used, how it was obtained, and what happened to the oil after bottling.

won't help and product coloring. There is no relationship between the color of olive oil and its quality. Only the level of chlorophyll in olives affects. In close analogues, the color varies from light yellow to bottle green.

Storage periods. Most often, 2 years is indicated on the packaging. They reflect the maximum time for which good oil does not have time to go rancid. However, after a year there are significantly fewer useful compounds.

Houses should be kept olive oil in a tightly closed dark bottle V cool place. After opening, let's say a refrigerator. Being in the cold for a long time, a good sample forms cloudy sediment. This is a simple quality test.

Personal experience and 6 rules for choosing a brand

For ourselves, we have developed a few rules for finding the best olive oil.

"No!" for products in colorless glass and plastic, or with any words other than "extra virgin oil".
"Yes!" bottle of dark glass and Greece as the country of origin. Tight fitting lid and less than 6 months old spill date. The point of sale is a large supermarket with an active turnover or a popular "grocery boutique", where the goods are also not stale.
The bottle must be marked with acidity - up to 0.8%.
We buy without a stock, each time checking the expiration date (“expiry date”). There must be at least a year and a half left before graduation.
When olive oil is bitter, this is normal. The peak of perfection is a light, barely noticeable bitterness with an admixture of a grassy aroma, like the smell of green tomatoes or freshly cut grass. If the smell is like rotten sausage or old socks, the sample is rancid and there are no polyphenols in it.
The taste of olive oil can be said to be “clean”, “fresh”, “herbaceous”. Olive oil should be bitter. But the degree of bitterness, like color, depends on the feedstock.

As you can see, choosing among worthy samples is like deciding on the taste of your favorite wine or coffee. Depends on personal preference.

Except general rules, it is not superfluous to inquire about the results of recent market research. In 2014, the Russian agency NITs NPE "Test" led a comprehensive comparative examination of 11 brands of extra virgin olive oil.

Got the highest score ТМ Mana Gea, Premium, Borges. Became good trademark Maestro de Oliva. The rest of the samples did not meet the high quality criteria.

We will be glad if we could explain clearly and completely about healing product. How to take olive oil, the benefits and harms, contraindications for taking, a scientifically based foundation of beneficial properties and selection rules will definitely come in handy on your way to healthy diet in terms of fat. May the shopping luck be with you!

Thank you for the article (8)

Imagine that olive oil was brought to you from Spain, Greece or Italy. Friends said that this is the product of the first pressing, carried out mechanically. You kept the gift unopened for several months until you finally uncorked the bottle. And then you suffered a huge disappointment: bitter! Why this happened and what to do about it - read in this article. If olive oil tastes disgustingly bitter and makes your throat hurt, do not rush to pour it out or use it to grease door hinges! Let's not keep the intrigue unreasonably long. you purchased best oil from all olives. Its bitter taste is precisely the factor that indicates its high quality.

Fresh and juices

“Only those who have tried them can argue about the taste of oysters,” say the French. Have you tried fries? If so, then you don't need to explain how it differs from regular juice. Bright, rich taste, strong smell and ... a little sour. But what a surge of energy you feel when you take a glass of freshly squeezed juice! Fresh is valued much more, because all the vitamins are preserved in it. They are also present in regular juice. But in that liquid, which is called "recovered from powder", it is unlikely. From this fruit example, it becomes clear why olive oil is bitter. best quality. After all, it is essentially the same fresh. Only this juice was not squeezed out of an apple or an orange, but from a green olive. And mined grandfather's method, which has been used since the time of Ancient Egypt, with the help of a conventional press. But the oils of the second extraction, obtained by heat treatment, refined, are no longer bitter. But they also have less useful properties. After all, they lose them during chemical and heat treatment.

Why is extra virgin olive oil bitter?

In Mediterranean countries, even children know that good olive oil is bitter. Why is another question, and it belongs to the field of chemistry. Let's look at how "extra virgin" (as its name is translated) oil is produced. For him, they are harvested by hand and only from the branches are green, slightly unripe olives. They must be selected - without bruising, dents, not dried out, not frozen. Next comes the processing. The less producers will conjure over olives, the more useful properties the fruits will transfer to the oil. That is why they are only washed and sent under pressure. Of course, now the donkey is not walking in circles so that a giant millstone rotates. The squeezing process is mechanized, but this is the only innovation that manufacturers allow themselves in the manufacture of Extra Virgin. As in good wine, y elite varieties olive oil is DOP and IGP certified by the European Union. These abbreviations mean that the fruits were collected in a specific, famous region, and the production phases or the entire process correspond to the traditional one. In premium oil, as in elite wines, the terroir, variety or blend of olives is important.

Now it's time to do small digression in the science of chemistry. What substances give the oil such a bitter taste? First, it is transferred to the product from the olive itself. If you happen to try fresh (rather than pickled) fruits, you are convinced of this. Responsible for the bitter and slightly astringent taste that makes the throat tear are polyphenols. These substances are very useful for the body. They protect cells from free radicals. Doctors call polyphenols the best for prevention oncological diseases. They also play a positive role in the treatment of burns. First-class olive oil smoothes wrinkles, and with frequent use of it, the hair becomes thick and shiny, and the nails become strong. With so many pluses, it becomes less important that the olive oil is bitter. Why not take it in a teaspoon on an empty stomach, if beauty requires sacrifice?

What is Pure Olive Oil?

In the countries of the Mediterranean region, oils are produced absolutely without any bitterness. But they are less valuable and less expensive. "Pure Olive Oil" - Pure Olive Oil - can be equated to ordinary juices. Suppose you have a jar of fresh juice and five of the same containers with compote. You mix all the liquids in one vat and call the resulting composition "Just Juice". Approximately the same scheme operates in the manufacture of "Pure Olive Oil". "Extra Virgin" in it - only a certain part. The main volume is obtained by chemical or thermal treatment. Polyphenols are destroyed during this production process, which ultimately affects the taste of olive oil. Why is this product bitter? There can be only one answer to this question: the oil has deteriorated due to old age or due to non-compliance with storage rules.

What is Romas Olive Oil?

This is a second pressing oil. After the olives under pressure have given up all their fatty juice for a first-class product, they are forced to "work" more. The fruits are subjected high temperatures and action of organic solvents. As a result of this extraction, it turns out to get some more oil. To improve its quality, the first pressing product is added to it. Very rarely this olive oil is bitter. Why? Because there are very few polyphenols. In Spain, Romas Olive Oil is used only for frying dishes, and even those that require a large number oils (in fryers). But it costs about two euros per liter, while Extra Virgin is usually sold for eight.

"Fuel for lamps"

Why bitter olive we have already found out. But is it possible to get rid of this aftertaste by using a virgin product? It turns out that you can, if you subject it to the process of refining - purification. This is for olives. the worst quality. They are harvested from the ground, frozen crops or those specimens that have not passed the “casting” are used in order to become raw materials for better quality oil. But such olives are pressed traditional way- by cold pressing. Of course, the spoilage of raw materials inevitably affects the taste. Previously, such oil was used for lamps and lamps. Now the need for this has disappeared. To improve the taste of such olive oil, they carry out refining. But along with it, polyphenols also disappear. Mayonnaise is made from such a product in Spain.

So what about olive oil?

Let's summarize briefly. In this article, we tried to answer the question of why olive oil is bitter and what to do when it happens. We dwelled in detail on the first part of the problem. But what to do if the oil you purchased is bitter? We answer: nothing. Add it to salads. You will see how exquisite the taste will become familiar dishes. You can also fry in such oil, although it will be a little expensive. Meat, fish and vegetables prepared in this way will not taste bitter. If you cannot bear the taste of bitterness at all, heat the product to a temperature of 60-70 degrees and mix with finely chopped garlic. Spaniards dip toasted bread in this mixture and eat it as a snack.

Good olive oil should not be bitter. It is possible that this oil is low grade or has been in unsuitable storage conditions. By itself, olive oil has a somewhat specific taste, I would even say, for an amateur. It may seem a bit peppery if you try it from a spoon without vegetables. But, in the composition of salads, there should not be any bitterness.

The best olive oils I brought from Tunisia, Greece and Spain.

Why is olive oil bitter?

Recently I came across some GOST with a description of olive and sunflower oil. It has been written that olive oil can indeed be bitter. Naturally, if it is unrefined. If refined olive oil is bitter or the bitterness is characteristic of rancid oil, then it is better not to eat it. But for kindling the stove will go well.

Unrefined olive oil can be bitter.

Reasons why olive oil is bitter.

Any resident of the country where such oil is produced will say - this is normal))
Don't worry, you bought a normal Extra Virgin oil, which can and should be bitter. It's not even that bitter, but the throat is a little tearing. Extra virgin olive oil is often bitter. It means only one thing - acquired quality oil, which has still retained its beneficial features.
The very best and healthy oil It is considered the first cold pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Naturally, it is not fried on it, it is not subjected to heat treatment. Salads and hot dishes are seasoned with it, various sauces and seasonings are made on its basis. This oil always has a rich taste and aroma, as well as low acidity(no more than 1%), compared with another type of oil, which is not bitter at all, but has a high acidity (1.5% and higher).
If Pure Olive Oil is written on the bottle, then you can already cook with such oil, and it usually does not taste bitter. Although in many countries where olive oil connoisseurs live, this is not eaten.

Over time, the oil loses its beneficial properties, and its acidity increases. But the bitterness is gone.

Why in the morning there is bitterness in the mouth - www.site/all_question/wayoflive/zdorove/2013/November/58234/175880

Comments

Agree. I myself am a fan of olive oil and I buy Extra Virgin because it has a lot of useful substances. Good olive oil is always bitter, so the author of the question bought quality olive oil. Other olive oil, not Extra Virgin, will not be bitter. The Extra Virgin oil was probably bought for the first time, so there was a suspicion that it was spoiled. I strongly disagree with the first answer.