Four main parameters of olive oil quality during storage
Πηγή άρθρου gnomionline.gr
Four main parameters of olive oil quality during storage
Do you - like most of Greece - buy olive oil in tin cans?
Yannis Karvelas is a Pro Olive Oil Expert from Paratus Europe, a company that organizes certified olive oil seminars.
He explains what to look out for when buying olive oil in bulk.
Recently, a good friend from northern Greece, having bought olive oil in a 17kg tin, told me that it was causing a burning sensation in his throat so his friend advised him to open the tin to ... aerate it! Thank goodness the friend asked my advice. Aerating the can is equivalent to a crime and should be prosecuted in the country that prides itself on being the 3rd country in terms of virgin olive oil production in the world.
Let us start from the beginning. The burning at the beginning of the throat (and not at the end) is due to the positive "spicy" characteristic. In fact, virgin olive oil with increased spiciness is high in antioxidants and phenols, ingredients that are beneficial both in our diet and in preserving the olive oil itself over time. Extra virgin olive oil is consumed fresh. And we need to educate ourselves on this. But how do we keep it fresh?
How can we slow its "decline"?
There are four main parameters of olive oil quality during storage: Oxygen, light, temperature and the material in contact during storage.
I remember my grandmother storing olive oil in clay jars. But clay jars have pores and allow small amounts of oxygen to pass through (I'll talk about oxygen in a moment). Later on, grandma stored the olive oil in a metal barrel. It should be pointed out that the use of iron barrels is strictly forbidden because: in them the olive oil is oxidized, due to the catalytic action of iron, and the olive oil acquires a metallic taste, due to the formation of metallic soap. Also, whenever my grandmother wanted to take oil for the cooking, she would open the clay jar or barrel from above and, using a large cup, she would slowly fill the container with olive oil, stirring the oil in the barrel. It was helping the olive oil to oxidize. (kythiraika.gr)
Olive oil in a tin can or in a bottle? What oxidizes a product is oxygen.
That is, the oxygen in the atmosphere enters the mass of the oil and starts the oxidizing reactions, which results in a tarnished product. He explains what to look out for when buying olive oil in bulk. At this point, I would like to clarify that oxidation is one thing and acidity of olive oil is another. And to clarify this, let me give a simple example of the oxidation of a product. If we take an apple and leave it, it starts to rot. Because it oxidizes. It goes bad.
The same thing happens to oil. It oxidizes. Oxygen creates certain reactions and causes certain oxidation products. This is why it is recommended that our olive oil be stored in stainless steel containers with a tap at the bottom where the olive oil is taken from. In fact, the most suitable are those that have a cone with a second tap at the bottom so that at the beginning of storage we can remove the sediment every 15 days. Another major risk is light. The chlorophyll that olive oil contains (and this is the reason for its green colour) in light acts as an oxidant for the olive oil. So we should store olive oil away from light and not in transparent bottles. The storage temperature should be between 10 and 17 degrees. If we keep our oil in places where the temperature is too high, then oxidation is accelerated. While if we have it in places where the temperature is low, at room temperature, and is also constant, the oil is better preserved. Also, great attention to cleanliness is essential since olive oil absorbs odours like a sponge. Where olive oil is stored, there should be no other products such petroleum, chemicals, wood, charcoal, onions, potatoes, garlic, and even oil residues on the floor or walls and other products with strong odours. Empty containers must be washed thoroughly with hot water and steam as soon as they are emptied because oil residues on the walls go rancid and are a source of contamination for fresh olive oil.