olive oil eric decker. (olive oil) (olive #1) (olive #2)
TRANSCRIPT
OLIVE OILEric Decker
(olive oil)
(olive #1)
(olive #2)
(olive #3)
History
• Native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria, and Palestine to the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago.
• Brought to America by the missionaries, and started in southern California.
(Asia Minor)
Asia Minor
Growing• Main types are Frantoio,
Leccino, Moraiolo, and Divastro.
• Tuscany: Sweet & Fruity
• Umbria: Hot & Sweet
• Sicily: Hot & Zesty
(Map of Italy)
Harvesting
• Early Harvest (Fall)– Less Oil, takes more olives– Bitter, peppery, leafy taste.
• Late Harvest (Winter)– More oil, but riskier due to frost– Mellow, sweet, floral taste
Picking
• Hand picked results in better quality control, but is slow
• Machine picked allows more olives to be pressed quicker, but quality is reduced.
Before Pressing…
• Cleaned
• Grinded into paste by mill
• Malaxation: Paste is slowly mixed to help remove oils from the paste.
Pressing
• Centrifuge, not vertical press
• Cold Press: Olives are not heated above 80º F.
• Heating degrades flavor but increases quantity.
(Press “Il Molinetto”)
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• First cold press
• No solvents or chemicals
• Low acidity (less than 0.8%-1%)
• Green to gold in color, but does not indicate quality.
• Low smoke point (~406º F)
• Best used cold
Virgin Olive Oil
• First cold press
• No solvents or chemicals
• Higher acidity than Extra, but must be under 2%
• Subtler flavor than Extra Virgin
Olive Oil
• Mixture of virgin and refined– Refined by chemical, heat,
solvents, or excessive pressure
• Light in color and flavor
• Higher smoke point, use for cooking or light flavor.
• Acidity less than 1.5%
Light Olive Oil
• Lightest in color and flavor
• NOT lower in calories– Still 120 per Tablespoon
• High smoke point (~468º F)
Other Types• Flavor / Blended
– Blended for constancy– Mixed with other oils to decrease cost– When adding flavors like lemon, basil,
etc, it’s technically “fruit juice”
• Lampante– Refined, for technical use only
• Olive Pomace Oil– Made from oil of the ground up pits,
used mostly for soap.
Questions?
The Joy of Cookinghttp://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htmhttp://www.italianvirginoliveoil.comhttp://www.foodnetwork.com