As the weather continues to get colder, I am reminded of how we change as a result of it: we change the way we dress, we change our eating habits, we even change what we do for fun, like staying in and baking a nice warm apple crostata and then eating it all that same afternoon (or maybe that last one is just me???)… Anyways, just as colder temperatures can affect us, they can also have an effect on olive oil. Many clients have asked us why Olio Verde coagulates when stored in the refrigerator and if this coagulation affects the quality of the oil. The answer is definitely not. You see, olives, like most fruit, have protective waxes on their skin and if the oil they produce has not been filtered or refined in any way, these waxes will also be present in the oil. The presence of these waxes does not make it an unhealthy oil, it simply means that it is a natural (healthy) product. Any unfiltered olive oil (like Olio Verde) will clump and form needle-like crystals at refrigerator tempertaures as the fats and waxes in the oil congeal.
Depending on the olive variety from which the oil was pressed, the oil could manifest anything from long thin crystals to rosettes, slimy clumps, clouds, a swirl of egg white-like material or a white sediment…all of which may lead the consumer to fear spoilage. Fear not! Chilling or freezing olive oil does not harm the oil and it will return to its normal, liquid, consistency when brought back to room temperature.
These changes in the oil’s appearance may even come about outside of the refrigerator during the winter months depending on how cold the storage area is or if exposed to colder temperatures during transport. For this reason, many manufacturers will “winterize” their olive oil, which entails chilling it and then filtering it in order to remove the waxes and stearates (along with many beneficial health properties) that cause these types of reactions.
It goes without saying that here at Olio Verde, we do not filter our olive oil to “winterize” it or for any other reason, and so, you might find some visual imperfections in our oil depending on the temperature at which you store it or the weather conditions upon it’s arrival. Hey, nature isn’t always pretty! For the record, the ideal temperature to store olive oil so as to keep oxidation to a minimum but also avoid clouding is around 50°F.
Now, we’re not saying that olive oil congealing at lower temperatures is a guarantee that you have a quality product. Just as is stated by www.oliveoilsource.com, <<While refined or pomace oils will usually be stripped of their waxes, thus making them more likely to form a block, and while it is more common for a refined oil to be winterized to be used in cheap dressing, many excellent extra virgin olive oils do not form “crystals”. We have watched the production process of many premium oils, from the olive to the bottle, which form a solid block when frozen. Unfortunately, detecting fraud is much more than just freezing the oil.>> Local experts we have checked with agree, and while how an olive oil freezes, whether forming a solid block, or clustering up with crystals, does not say anything about how good it is, one thing is for sure: if you keep an olive oil at or below refrigerator temperatures and it DOESN’T freeze, nor solid nor crystal-like, you know for sure that something isn’t right!
Here’s something new: If spreading a thick layer of butter onto toasted bread is a favorite of yours at breakfast time, snack time…really anytime, why not try it with olive oil? We’re serious! We know a number of people who turn some of their Olio Verde into a delicious and super healthy, homemade olive oil spread. The secret is to simply keep the olive oil at a low enough temperature that it solidifies. So just pour some olive oil in a small container, add some herbs or spices if you wish, and keep it in the fridge. Then whenever you get a craving, just take it out and slather it on bread, crackers, whatever you’d like! The taste is amazing…and without all that saturated fat, its much healthier than butter and that frankenfat known as margarine!
Want more information on the color & cloudiness of our olive oil? You got it! - AM
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