Unlock the full potential of your olive oil! Explore our tips and tricks for better pouring, healthier cooking, and extended freshness.

Should I Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

June 11, 2022/in Tips & Tricks/by sales

Is extra virgin olive oil extra special?

So maybe you were gifted a beautiful olive oil spout, or perhaps you were idly browsing online when you fell in love with an absolutely divine olive oil pourer, and now you’re wondering how to put it to legitimate use. Do you fill it with oil? Do you fill it with olive oil? Dagnabbit, do you fill it with extra virgin oil?
Only a few years ago, a few people had even heard of extra virgin olive oil. To confess, the first time I heard the expression, I embarrassed myself completely by imagining (out loud!) it meant some kind of ancient sleazy application of olive oil as used by depraved individuals during Roman orgies–scout’s honor.
However, in the intervening years, it’s gone from near-total obscurity and alarming schoolboy misconception about imagination-defying “unimaginable orgies” to mainstream health benefit extraordinaire. Going by expense alone, you would be forgiven for thinking that extra virgin olive oil was the main ingredient in the Elixir of Eternal Youth. Is its reputation deserved though?

The difference between olive oil and extra virgin olive oil

If you were to stack up a bunch of olive oil bottles next to another bunch of extra virgin olive oil bottles, you’d soon notice that, in general, the oil in the extra virgin bottles is always darker than the oil in the other bottles. You might conclude that the difference between the two kinds of olive oil is therefore reflected in their color, and you might start pumping for darker shades of olive oil in the hope of scoring extra virgin oil on the cheap. Well, you’d be wrong.
Producers grade olive oil by the amount of free oleic acid contained in the oil. Now, you might not know what that means, but as a layperson, you can take it to mean that producers grade olive oil by its acidity.
To appreciate why acidity matters in olive oil, understand that its fatty acids break down into oleic acids. Thus, the less oily, fatty goodness it has, the more acidic it will be.

Refined and unrefined olive oil compared

The word “refined” in “refined oil” doesn’t imply “better”, although I believe that unscrupulous marketers have piggybacked on that common understanding of the word. As used in “refined oil”, the word means processed or treated. If you translate that in your head to “artificial”, I’d not argue with you.
Producers refine olive oil to remove impurities, and they bleach it to improve its color to make it more “olive oily” and match the color the boys and girls in marketing tell them their research says it ought to be.
By the time they’re done, olive oil producers have removed the color, flavor, aroma, and many of the health benefits occurring in pure olive oil, and that “pure olive oil”, that unrefined product? Yep, natural, unprocessed olive oil is what we know as extra virgin oil.

Yes, extra virgin olive oil really is extra special

Actually, extra virgin olive oil really does uphold its end of the bargain in delivering health benefits. Here are just a few:
It has numerous antioxidants that help fight cancers and stroke and has excellent anti-aging properties
Contains a high number of important anti-inflammatories that help fight Type-2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s
Packed full of monounsaturated fat (that helps fight heart disease)
It has several essential vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin K (anti-blood clotting), Vitamin E (an antioxidant), and Omegas 3-and-6 (anti-anxiety and brain food properties).
As you can see, extra virgin oil touts some serious health credentials, and the fact is, regularly using extra virgin olive oil can deliver on these promises. It’s not just a clever marketing ploy dreamt up by cynical, mendacious marketing execs.

If extra virgin olive oil is “all that,” why don’t we all buy it?

In a single word? Expense.
Extra virgin olive oil isn’t cheap, and it isn’t going to get cheaper. For once, there really is a cost-benefit relationship that wasn’t just dreamt up in some brightly lit hellhole corner office in an advertising agency.
This is the real deal, and it is a testament to the peculiarities of human society that pure, unrefined stuff is more expensive than its treated, processed, refined relative. (Have you ever wondered why soda is often cheaper than bottled water?)

Should I buy extra virgin olive oil?

Unfortunately, more than one producer appears to have played fast and loose with their “extra virgin olive oil” product, cutting it with refined oils, some of which didn’t even come from olives but from soy and other vegetables!
If you can afford it, the answer to the question “Should I buy extra virgin olive oil?” is a resounding “Yes!” Not only does it have an actual taste, but as explained earlier, its health benefits are truly outstanding. However, much of what is being sold as extra virgin oil simply isn’t, and these intense flavors can interfere with your cooking. Using genuine extra virgin oil is therefore a compromise on many levels, and each individual has to decide whether to buy it for themselves, given their particular circumstances.

Is Olive Oil Cake Better than Regular Cake?

May 29, 2022/in Tips & Tricks/by sales

When you think about baking a cake, you probably think about the basic ingredients.

This includes butter, eggs, and flour. Recently, cake recipes have been getting a bit more creative, and you might be thinking about using olive oil instead.
With so many people looking to expand their cooking repertoires, olive oil cake has become a popular option. Is an olive oil cake better than a regular cake? Even though this is a matter of preference, you need to know about some of the reasons why you may want to cook your cake with olive oil. Then, do not forget to find an olive oil spout or an olive oil pourer that can make it easier for you to dispense the right amount of olive oil for your recipe.

Use Olive Oil To Bring Out the Moistness of the Cake

If you have ever bitten into a dry, crumbly cake, you understand just how hard it can be to get the cake to go down. If you want a moist cake, you need to use extra virgin olive oil in the recipe. Some people believe that the extra vitamin E content in olive oil helps you maximize the freshness of your cake. In particular, if you do not think the entire cake will be consumed on the first day, you don’t want it to get dry when you put it in the refrigerator. Olive oil can prevent this from happening.

Olive Oil Can Bring Out the Flavor of the Cake

Olive oil can also help you enhance the flavor of the cake when you start baking. Olive oil is not going to distract from the other flavors in the cake. Instead, it will add to the overall flavor, helping to accent whatever else you have put in the recipe. That is why so many people love using olive oil in cookies, muffins, and cakes. Olive oil itself will have a few fruity notes without being overpowering. That is why it works so well, no matter what type of cake you are baking.

Olive Oil Is Healthier Than Butter

In addition, olive oil is healthier than butter because it does not have nearly as much saturated fat. Even though butter is the classic option, it is very high in saturated fat, which can contribute to health problems if you eat too much of it.
Instead, olive oil is made using monounsaturated fat, which is healthier than polyunsaturated fat. In addition, olive oil comes with a wide variety of other healthy ingredients that can help you protect your overall health. This includes extra vitamin E and antioxidants. As a result, olive oil is a healthier option that can help you reduce inflammation and lower your risk of developing heart disease.

What Should You Know About Baking With Olive Oil?

Clearly, there are a lot of benefits to baking with olive oil instead of butter. If you are baking with olive oil for the first time, there are a few important points you should keep in mind. These include:
If you plan on using olive oil instead of butter, you need to substitute olive oil using a 3:4 ratio. This means that if the recipe calls for four tablespoons of butter, you need to use three tablespoons of olive oil. If you add too much olive oil, the batter will get runny.
You also need to make sure that you use the right type of olive oil. The higher the quality of the oil, the better the result will be. Therefore, try to use extra virgin olive oil if you plan on using olive oil to bake.
Keep in mind that you can also use olive oil to grease the pan. This is particularly helpful if you want to avoid additives that are commonly found in sprays.
If you keep these tips in mind, you will put yourself in the best position possible to enjoy a moist, delicious cake on the other side!

Use Olive Oil To Bake a Delicious, Moist Cake

If you are looking for a new and improved way to bake a cake, consider using olive oil instead of butter. Olive oil is a great way to bring out the flavors of your cake while also keeping it moist. Olive oil is also healthier for you. It may take a few tries to get it right, but you may fall in love with olive oil cakes instead of using traditional butter.

How Do You Clean an Olive Oil Pour Spout?

May 16, 2022/in Tips & Tricks/by sales

With each pour of your olive oil, the spout develops a layer of oil that catches debris in the air. Eventually, you’ll need to clean it off to keep your olive oil clean and contaminant-free use after use. Thankfully, you can clean all your olive oil pour spouts quite easily by following these steps.

Get Your Cleaning Supplies Ready

You cannot simply rinse the olive oil pour spout and call it good. The oil sticks fast to the metal spout, requiring the use of soap, scrubbing brushes, and plenty of elbow grease. To make quick work of the process, you’ll want to get a tiny straw scrubbing brush plus a regular dishwashing sponge. On top of that, grab your favorite grease-fighting dish soap.

Use Hot Water for a Quick Rinse

With your supplies by the sink, turn on the water to get it nice and hot. Then, take the olive oil pour spout off the bottle and rinse it under the running water. Keep moving the spout under the water until you cannot get any more oil or debris off the surface. Repeat with all the pour spouts you want to wash at that time.

Soak the Olive Oil Pour Spouts

Fill up the sink with hot water and a few drops of dish soap. Consider adding a ¼ cup of white vinegar as well if you think the pour spouts have stubborn stains. Put your spouts in the sink full of hot, soapy water and let them soak. You can leave them to soak for about an hour before coming back to assess their progress.

Scrub the Spouts with a Straw Brush

Working one by one, use a tiny scrubbing brush to clean each olive oil pour spout inside and out. Remember to move the weighted flap open and close to scrub around its moving parts. Don’t forget to scrub around the threads on the plastic corks to get all the oil off their surfaces as well. Use a regular kitchen sponge to wipe down all the exterior surfaces even more. Dunk the spouts back into the water to take a look at their surfaces once again.

Check the Cleanliness Level of the Spouts

Inspect the pour spouts thoroughly after scrubbing. If you’re satisfied with their state of cleanliness, rinse them with hot water. You may need to empty all the soapy water out of the sink, and then fill it with clean hot water. Let the spouts soak for a few minutes to get all the soap out of their crevices. If any soap residue remains, you’ll taste it in your olive oil, likely ruining the whole bottle.

Try Different Cleaning Methods

If the pour spouts do not look clean at this point, then you may need to let them soak longer and scrub again, for starters. But if that doesn’t work, you can fill an empty bottle with 1/2 cup of white vinegar. Then, put the still dirty olive oil pour spout on top. Cover the spout opening with your finger or a rag. Shake the bottle vigorously to agitate the vinegar through every part of the spout. Then, clean it in hot, soapy water and rinse it thoroughly.

Let the Spouts Air Dry Completely

Before putting your olive oil pour spouts back on the bottles, let them air dry completely on a dish drying rack or towel. Check the spouts carefully for any drops of water before reinstalling. Otherwise, the water could get into the oil and contaminate it.

Need to Replace the Pour Spots for Your Olive Oil?

At Anytime Olive Oil Products, we have all the pour spout styles you could want, including slow-pour spouts with self-closing flaps. We look forward to helping you get set up with the spouts you need. So, reach out to our team whenever you’re ready to buy!

Does Olive Oil Need to be Capped?

May 2, 2022/in Tips & Tricks/by sales

High-quality olive oil is a true investment, allowing you to perfect every dish with ease. So, it’s always heartbreaking to find that your beloved oil has gone rancid. The cause of this calamity? Excessive exposure to air, for starters, along with too much heat and light. So, to avoid that distressing scenario, it’s best to keep your olive oil tightly capped at all times. Here’s a look at just why – and how – to keep the cap on whenever possible.

Impact of Air Exposure on Olive Oil

Exposure to air causes olive oil to go rancid much sooner than it might otherwise. As air gets into the bottle, oxidization occurs, resulting in the development of peroxide. The peroxide molecules then start to decompose, which causes the oil to go rancid.

Although not all people find that newly rancid olive oil tastes bad, it’s no longer the high-quality product you purchased. Instead, it turns into a lower quality oil, which doesn’t have the bright aroma or lightly bitter olive flavors throughout.

Through this process, extra virgin olive oil turns into virgin olive oil, and so on. Eventually, the oil turns into lamp oil, which carries the designation of not being fit for human consumption – and that’s not delicious to anyone.

Best Cap Types for Your Olive Oil

To keep your oil from getting rancid and moving down the quality ranks, you just need to get a cap on it. If keeping your olive oil in its regular bottle, just use the cap that came with the product in the first place.

When putting your oil in a decorative bottle – or you just want convenient access to the oil – use a pour spout instead. The pour spout sits where the cap used to go, giving you quick use of your oil on demand while keeping air out.

For oil that’s used daily, a pour spout featuring a self-closing flap will work swimmingly. These spouts have air-tight EVA memory plastic corks. Plus, they use surgical grade 18-8 stainless steel weighted flap to keep air out between pours.

Tapered pour spouts work great, too. Just be sure to put a dust cover over the tip or replace it with a cork when not in use. You can even use plastic pour spouts in combination with a fitted dust cover with great success.

Lifespan of Properly Stored Olive Oil

As long as you store the olive oil properly, each bottle should last between 18 to 24 months. Proper storage means keeping the air out as much as possible, of course. But you also need to protect your oil from exposure to heat and light. Prolonged exposure to any of those elements will cause the oil to go rancid far before its 18-month shelf life. The oil’s aroma and flavors will change as a result, leaving your recipes tasting a bit off overall.

To avoid that, take olive oil storage seriously. Keep your olive oil in the back of a cool, dark pantry when not in use. Never keep your oil next to the stovetop or in a window, no matter how pretty the bottle looks. Also, don’t forget to use a tightly closing cap at all times, like a pour spout with a weighted flap. Always use the cap that makes the most sense for your oil usage practices to best protect your investment for the long term.

By taking that approach, you can rest assured that your oil will retain its original aroma and flavors through to the very last drop. You can then recreate all your best recipes with confidence that they’ll taste as good as ever.

Can You Leave Olive Oil Uncovered?

Unless you want to replace your olive oil sooner than expected, you should not leave it uncovered. Thankfully, you have many excellent solutions available from Anytime Olive Oil Products. Our self-closing pour spouts perfectly protect the oil from air exposure. We also have many other olive oil pour spout styles plus all the corks and dust covers needed to protect your investment in high-quality oil. Want to know more about our products? Reach out today to explore all our solutions.