County Fare
by Diana Cercone
My great Aunt Theresa, who emigrated from Sicily, used to tell me we crush tomatoes for sauce and toss salads with our hands because Italians were born with olive oil in our fingers. Of course this didn’t stop her from lathering on the luscious liquid—whether it was in a veal scallopini, cake, caponata or other delectable that she was making. But, then, she used olive oil for just about anything, including medicinal remedies and rubbing down her large, wooden kitchen table where she rolled out her pastas.
Still, there’s a part of me that likes to believe her story, especially when I’m told that no one makes a salad like I do. To confess, the real reason my salads win praise is that I use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. (Okay—and I toss with my hands.)
However, not all extra virgin olive oils are created equal. Doesn’t matter what country the olive oil comes from. It all comes down to the quality and care taken in producing the oil.
For extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest quality olive oil, the olives need to be fresh, plump and unblemished. The olives are then crushed soon after harvesting and milled without heat or chemicals. In addition extra virgin olive oil should not display any defects in smell or taste and should carry a low acidity rate. The acidity standard set by the International Olive Oil Council (IOC) is less than 0.8%. Even more stringent is the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), which is set at less than 0.5%.
Now don’t confuse the term “acidity” with “acid.” The term refers to the proportion of free fatty acids in the oil. Why it’s important is because it will tell you the quality of the olives used. Healthy olives, which were milled under top conditions, will have a low acidity number, producing a good quality oil. Acidity rates higher than those recommended by the IOC or COOC indicate inferior olives were used and/or the olives were milled with heat.
To finish reading this story about Extra Virgin Olive Oil, turn to page 168 in the Spring 2015 issue of Bucks County Magazine.