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Searching for EVOO!


SLB

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For a decade, my basic mild olive oil, not for dressing or finishing, was Fairway Market's blend.  I'd buy the 3-liter cans, and be very happy.

 

Well.  Something Has Happened. 

 

I bought a can last week that was so bitter I thought it might be rancid.  I tried to give it peppery -- I've had Sicilian oils that pack some serious bite.  But no.  Ultimately I decided it was just bitter, after trying to cook with it (I know this is idiotic, to try to cook the bitter out of oil . . . but WHO HAS TIME TO LUG OLIVE OIL BACK TO THE STORE???).   

 

Sigh.  I found the time, complained to the store, and exchanged it for a new can.

 

Unfortunately , it's giving the same bitter.  I mean, this stuff is nasty.  I sent a detailed email back to the store manager, and will be taking it back for a refund.

 

So now I need a recommendation a decently priced genuinely mild-flavored olive oil that I can get in larger volumes.  I know the oils I like for finishing, and don't have any interest in purchasing them in large quantities.  I'm hoping to short-cut the ole' trial and error method, sigh. 

 

You guys got any recs?  

Edited by SLB (log)
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8 hours ago, SLB said:

For a decade, my basic mild olive oil, not for dressing or finishing, was Fairway Market's blend.  I'd buy the 3-liter cans, and be very happy.

 

Well.  Something Has Happened. 

 

I bought a can last week that was so bitter I thought it might be rancid.  I tried to give it peppery -- I've had Sicilian oils that pack some serious bite.  But no.  Ultimately I decided it was just bitter, after trying to cook with it (I know this is idiotic, to try to cook the bitter out of oil . . . but WHO HAS TIME TO LUG OLIVE OIL BACK TO THE STORE???).   

 

Sigh.  I found the time, complained to the store, and exchanged it for a new can.

 

Unfortunately , it's giving the same bitter.  I mean, this stuff is nasty.  I sent a detailed email back to the store manager, and will be taking it back for a refund.

 

So now I need a recommendation a decently priced genuinely mild-flavored olive oil that I can get in larger volumes.  I know the oils I like for finishing, and don't have any interest in purchasing them in large quantities.  I'm hoping to short-cut the ole' trial and error method, sigh. 

 

You guys got any recs?  

 

I buy the 3 liter cans of Bertolli oil. But not the extra virgin - just the regular for a mild oil for everyday use.

Edited by Kerry Beal (log)
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My two basic olive oils come from Aldi and Trader Joe's. The one on the left is the Aldi version and I use it when the taste of the oil isn't going to be discernable, like when I infuse garlic into it or use it in an otherwise highly seasoned application. It goes for less that $2.00 per bottle. The one on the right is the one from TJ's and goes for about $7 per bottle and I use this when I want the taste of the oil to shine.

HC

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I get the liter bottles of Carlini at Kroger. They're my go-to for frying. I go to the olive oil store in Memphis and get some better ones for finishing, and for bread-baking.

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

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10 hours ago, gfweb said:

How do you use that much OO.?  I'm not a fan of evoo, but even if I were I don't know where I'd use 3 liters in a decent period. Do you fry in it?

I don't true-fry, but I sautee in it regularly.  It's the oil I would use to slick up veggies for roasting.  I will use that mild oil for dressing if the other flavors in the dressing are going to be extremely prominent.  I don't think one needs extra-virgin for these purposes, but I liked the mild taste of the Fairway one (until recently), and it was available in bulk.

 

For real frying, I use mass produced corn oil or lard.  I read somewhere on eG that this was akin to an old-wives-tale, but I'd thought olive oils wouldn't take the extended heat of frying.  Not that I'd want the taste of it in my fried foods.

 

It's true, though; I do use a lot of oil, all the oils.  I'm kind of a high-fat eater, honestly.  

 

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions.  I was feeling kind of crazed with the thought of having to taste my way back to an old-standby.  

Edited by SLB (log)
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Not EVOO (which to me is supposed to add flavor, not be neutral) but for a mild oil I can recommend Kirkland Olive oil in the 5 liter jugs. It is my everyday OO.

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Porthos Potwatcher
The Once and Future Cook

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1 minute ago, Shalmanese said:

I like the Trader Joe's California Estate Olive Oil. I like mine a bit more peppery than you but it's a fine oil and reasonable priced.

Oh, I like peppery oils.  I don't think of it as "mild", though; it comes through stronger than I'm looking for.

 

And I agree that I don't actually need extra-virgin for these purposes, although I don't want a totally neutral oil; I just like the taste of the Fairway house blend.  It was pretty mild.  

 

The suggestions are really helpful, thank you.  

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Which one of Fairway's blends did you have problems with?  I regularly get their 1L jar of unfiltered EVOO (it's basically the same price per L as the 3L can) and haven't had a problem.  I probably bought the last one a couple weeks ago.... If you want, I can take a pic of the label when I get home.

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The one on the left, which isn't their unfiltered oil; maybe I'll try it.  I'm going back for the refund this evening.

 

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The oil on the right is my very favorite finishing/dressing olive oil.  This may be my last bottle of it, though, because it is too damn high.  

 

Edited by SLB (log)
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On ‎12‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 12:41 PM, SLB said:

The one on the left, which isn't their unfiltered oil; maybe I'll try it.  I'm going back for the refund this evening.

 

IMG_1207.JPG.06a3addccebc20d7411d53106610e9fe.JPG[

 

The oil on the right is my very favorite finishing/dressing olive oil.  This may be my last bottle of it, though, because it is too damn high.  

 

 

 

Is the one on the right Frantoi Cutrera?  That's currently my favorite.  My general purpose go-to olive oil is Colavita.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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  • 4 months later...

Fairway probably upgraded the oil quality. Bitterness is a desirable trait among the olive oil cognoscenti. 

 

If you want mild, are you sure olive oil is even the best choice? There are oils for cooking that won't add any flavor, and that come with other advantages. If you want olive oil flavor, you can add a bit of good olive oil after cooking.

 

The truth is, virtually none of the inexpensive oil sold as extra virgin is extra virgin. Much of it isn't even olive oil. Some of it doesn't even contain olive oil. The industry is dominated by fraud at the distribution level, and the public just blindly believes that every bottle on the shelf can be extra virgin and can cost under $15. 

 

EVOO should be an exceptional oil, not the norm. It should be fairly expensive, and it should be used raw. There is never a reason to cook with actual EVOO. You're paying a premium for oil that tastes good because it wasn't exposed to heat!

 

When I've needed a cheap, mild olive oil, I've had good luck with Whole Foods 365 store brand. It's labelled EVOO, which is almost certainly a lie. But it's inoffensive and affordable.

 

 

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2016/08/olive-oil-fake-larry-olmsted-food-fraud-usda/

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/08/13/slippery-business

https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/tag/olive-oil-fraud?page=6

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Notes from the underbelly

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if you buy large quantities of any vegetable oil

 

consider refrigerating it if you do not use it promptly

 

use you own definition of ' prompt '

 

it oxidizes  and that oxidized taste may or may not be what you are looking for eventually

 

taste a freshly opened bottle  vs what been sitting around for a while or longer.

 

then decide which you prefer.

 

and indeed EVOO  ' over all ' in this country 

 

if more often than not

 

' Tunisian Crank-Case Oil '

 

I like TJ's   Kalamata from Greece

 

I decant a few oz into a squeeze bottle 

 

and keep both the smaller bottle and the original in the coldest part of my refrigerator.

 

it ' solidifies '

 

I warm the smaller squeeze bottle w worm water or a brief  'Microwave.

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Extra-virgin olive oil can have a mild flavor depending on the olive variety and stage of ripeness.

The very delicate, very fruity, buttery, Arbosana, and Picual extra-virgin olive oil I had in Spain was excellent!

I've found nothing like it here.

Most of the olive oil here, if it truly is olive oil, is old and nasty!

 

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil

 

"The main feature of the arbequina olive oil is that it is a sweet oil, i.e. it does not have any bitter aftertaste. Some Arbequina Olive Oils may sting in throat, stating simply that it is fresh.

Another characteristic of arbequina olive oil is that it tends to be quite aromatic, giving fruity aromas, like banana and apple. Mature arbequina olive oils tend to remind to the porridge of fruits of babies. This smell is due to the high percentage of polyunsaturated acids that often contain. As these acids are more volatile than the oleic acid (monounsaturated), arbequina olive oil has the disadvantage that it is less stable compared to other olive oil varieties.

Nevertheless, Arbequina olive oil, like the rest of the olive oils, has a high percentage of oleic acid, which helps to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) increasing the good one (HDL).

It should also be noted that Arbequina olive oil has slightly lower values of polyphenols than the rest of the varieties, so people who consume olive oil with the intention of improving their cardiovascular health, should consume other varieties such as the picual or manzanilla. Arbequina Olive Oil due to its soft and sweet aroma and taste has a wider use than other stronger olive oils."

 

<Source>

Edited by DiggingDogFarm (log)
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~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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Especially great for "pan con aceite de oliva." Bread with oilve oil.

Edited by DiggingDogFarm (log)

~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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1 hour ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

Spanish Arbequina Olive Oil

 

"The main feature of the arbequina olive oil is that it is a sweet oil, i.e. it does not have any bitter aftertaste. Some Arbequina Olive Oils may sting in throat, stating simply that it is fresh.

Another characteristic of arbequina olive oil is that it tends to be quite aromatic, giving fruity aromas, like banana and apple. Mature arbequina olive oils tend to remind to the porridge of fruits of babies. This smell is due to the high percentage of polyunsaturated acids that often contain. As these acids are more volatile than the oleic acid (monounsaturated), arbequina olive oil has the disadvantage that it is less stable compared to other olive oil varieties.

Nevertheless, Arbequina olive oil, like the rest of the olive oils, has a high percentage of oleic acid, which helps to reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) increasing the good one (HDL).

It should also be noted that Arbequina olive oil has slightly lower values of polyphenols than the rest of the varieties, so people who consume olive oil with the intention of improving their cardiovascular health, should consume other varieties such as the picual or manzanilla. Arbequina Olive Oil due to its soft and sweet aroma and taste has a wider use than other stronger olive oils."

 

<Source>

 

What are fruits of babies? ;)

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1 hour ago, KennethT said:

What are fruits of babies? ;)

 

This

 

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"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

"...in the mid-’90s when the internet was coming...there was a tendency to assume that when all the world’s knowledge comes online, everyone will flock to it. It turns out that if you give everyone access to the Library of Congress, what they do is watch videos on TikTok."  -Neil Stephenson, author, in The Atlantic

 

"In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual." -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer

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  • 1 month later...
On 12/3/2017 at 9:56 PM, SLB said:

For a decade, my basic mild olive oil, not for dressing or finishing, was Fairway Market's blend.  I'd buy the 3-liter cans, and be very happy.

 

Well.  Something Has Happened. 

 

I bought a can last week that was so bitter I thought it might be rancid.  I tried to give it peppery -- I've had Sicilian oils that pack some serious bite.  But no.  Ultimately I decided it was just bitter, after trying to cook with it (I know this is idiotic, to try to cook the bitter out of oil . . . but WHO HAS TIME TO LUG OLIVE OIL BACK TO THE STORE???).   

 

Sigh.  I found the time, complained to the store, and exchanged it for a new can.

 

Unfortunately , it's giving the same bitter.  I mean, this stuff is nasty.  I sent a detailed email back to the store manager, and will be taking it back for a refund.

 

So now I need a recommendation a decently priced genuinely mild-flavored olive oil that I can get in larger volumes.  I know the oils I like for finishing, and don't have any interest in purchasing them in large quantities.  I'm hoping to short-cut the ole' trial and error method, sigh. 

 

You guys got any recs?  

 

 

 

It's been sometime - Did you end up deciding on one? And which did you go with?

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I really appreciated all the suggestions, and I'm working my way through them liter by liter.  My current one is the house oil from Agata & Valentina, which is a grocery store near my office which I only really knew for its fish counter and exceptional prepared-hot-food lunch smorgasbord. 

 

I appreciate the wisdom here that what is sold in bulk is unlikely to be actual EVOO, and I'm not overly committed to the concept of olive oil; but whatever this is, it's nice and mild.  

 

I did try for awhile to switch out to a neutral oil for the places where I had been using the mild olive oil in cooking (i.e., I use grapeseed oil in dressings where I don't want any taste of olive oil); but it turns out that sometimes I do miss the taste of [what's passing for] olive oil in my sauteed vegetables and whatnot. 

 

I'll continue to experiment, will report back.  

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On 4/16/2018 at 12:32 PM, DiggingDogFarm said:

Extra-virgin olive oil can have a mild flavor depending on the olive variety and stage of ripeness.

 

I should have added that this is the type of olive oil that all my friends in Spain use on a daily basis. None of the astringent stuff.

Edited by DiggingDogFarm (log)
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~Martin :)

I just don't want to look back and think "I could have eaten that."

Unsupervised, rebellious, radical agrarian experimenter, minimalist penny-pincher, and adventurous cook. Crotchety, cantankerous, terse curmudgeon, non-conformist, and contrarian who questions everything!

The best thing about a vegetable garden is all the meat you can hunt and trap out of it!

 

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