OLIVE OIL TYPES
Olive Oil Types. What is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fine Virgin Olive Oil, Plain Olive Oil, Light Olive Oil?
About Olive Oil - Keep olive oil in the refrigerator after open, as it will soon become rancid if left out at room temperature. If it solidfies; run the container under a warm water tap.
Not all Olive Oil is created equal.
Olive oil is a rich source of monounsaturated fats - the kind that offset arterial sludge by keeping HDL (good) cholesterol high and LDL (bad) cholesterol low. And new research reveals the extra-virgin oil-the oil that comes from the first pressing-can keep your pipes clear of clots, as well, thanks to plant compounds called phenols. People who ate extra-virgin olive oil, which is higher in phenols, had lower levels of clots-promoting substances in their blood then those who ate a nonvirgin olive oil. When you shop look for a brand that reads “extra-virgin” on the label: it’s the only type that’s entirely unrefined.
For great tasting foods; try using it as a cooking oil for frying anything, (when using extra virgin olive oil, a little goes a long ways, always keep the heat lower then medium-high.) Fry the best eggs, pancakes, steaks, chops, etc. without getting a greasy stomach. You will wonder how you ever got along without it!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Flavorful, extra virgin olive oil for dishes that do not require high heat. Use it in salad dressings, in marinades, or add it to sauces. Drizzle on a slice of crusty bread, baked potato or add it to mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables or brush on fish or meat instead of butter before serving.
Fine Virgin Olive Oil - Has great taste and aroma, use virgin as a condiment or as an addition to cooked dishes before serving. Reasonably priced, use it for high-heat cooking such as sauteing, pan-frying, or broiling or use it when baking bread.
Olive Oil - Since cooking causes all grades of olive oil to lose flavor, it may be more cost effective to use olive oil for cooking rather than the more expensive fine virgin olive oil. The refining processes also help to increase the smoke point to about 410-F making regular olive oil very suitable for high heat cooking and olive oil retains all of its healthy properties and brings out the true flavors of the food.
Lite Olive Oil - Has a high smoke point and a subtle flavor and can be used for any type of high-heat cooking method, use it as a substitute for butter or other oils when baking breads and desserts. With its subtle flavor, the oil will not overpower the flavor of the baked goods. Less olive oil is required than butter or margarine for baked goods. Three tablespoons of mild or light olive oil can be used as a substitute for recipes that require a quarter cup of butter.
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