Buyers Guide for Selecting Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We've come up with the best practices for selecting a great, authentic extra virgin olive oil: 

-Value Freshness/Insist on a Harvest Date

  • Know the harvest date. Ask your retailer for the harvest date. EVOO consumed within 12-14 months of the harvest date is best. 
  • Fresher is always better
  • EVOO loses its flavor and health benefits over time

-Taste your EVOO

  • Find a retailer who will offer complimentary samples
  • Smell the oil-should smell like green fruit or vegetable notes
  • Taste should be green, grassy, herbaceous
  • Finish should have a lingering pepper finish
  • If you cannot taste, do not buy

-Look for the Chemistry/Quality Seal

  • A quality supplier or retailer will always provide you with the chemistry of their oils
  • FFA standard <.08
  • Peroxide Value standard <20
  • A Quality Seal indicates the producer or supplier has met the chemical standards for Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Bottling/Storage/Dark Bottles

  • Look for a supplier or retailer who offers EVOO in dark glass bottles to protect the oil from UV light. Exposure to light over time will turn the oil rancid quickly.