This post is in honor of KM who has a keen interest in olive oil.

Some of us have been having discussions about how to assure we get the freshest extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) from around the world without any preservatives or additives. Over the past few years in CA, we’ve been getting deliveries of EVOO from Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club. The name is bit cheesy for me but it’s an accurate description. The olive oil is super fresh, it has a suggested “use by” date, and most of it is very interesting as dipping and tasting EVOO. What I don’t love about it is that you get 3 bottles and one of them is always forte (Portuguese word for strong). And, I mean super forte many times. So, those bottles do not get used by the “use by” date. But, if you’re in the US and you want unadulterated, fresh EVOO that you can use to jazz up vegetables, spice up fish, dip bread in, or bathe in (sort of kidding as I find my crazy curly hair loves it), I suggest checking it out.

But, if you’re in southern Europe, just go to the grocery store, or in Portugal visit the Quintas (farms), and you’ll find some awesome EVOO that’s pretty inexpensive. It’s a household staple here so the price is right in most instances.

We’ve tasted several EVOOs in our short time here and have a bunch in our place, including a great one for cooking. Here’s a pic of the “tasting” ones we purchased (2 we purchased from Quintas). And, the added bonus is that some of them are organic (read: “Bio” – the name denoting organic here).

I ordered them from left to right according to what I liked the most (Malhadinha is first and Valle Pradinhos is last). I understand “like” is subjective because everyone’s pallet is based on their individual DNA and hence that informs their likes and dislikes. We like EVOO that tastes like olives, has a bit of a bite but not a ton, and shines through on its own without needing anything else but a simple piece of crusty bread (Mafra bread is famous here) to highlight it.

EVOO does have an expiration date and we are told to use it within a year of bottling. Now, there are varying opinions. Some people have said use it within 6 months of bottling and others have said that you can use it up to 18 months post bottling. It won’t necessarily go “bad” if you use it after that date if it’s not exposed to light or heat but it will lose its freshest taste. But it can go bad because the real stuff is made without preservatives. I have found that the sniff test will tell you. If it smells rancid, it is.

Taking orders for our return. Let us know if you’d like some from Portugal!