Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Secrets to finding the best

In Mediterranean countries, olive groves grow on nearly every countryside property, and families meet in collectives to press and bottle the combined fruits of their labor. As with wine, the characteristics of olive oil depend on the soil and climate where the trees are grown, the type of olives pressed and the method of pressing.

The Australian olive industry, on the other hand, is in its infancy, but that doesn't mean you can't get gourmet quality extra virgin olive oil - you just need to know where to look, and more importantly what to look for...

First and foremost, don't even think about looking in the supermarket - great quality olive oil doesn't live there. It's almost impossible to find Australian oil there, although there are one or two brands.

Step One
Look at the color. Green oils, made from early-harvested olives, are fruity, peppery and ripe. Yellow-gold oils taste buttery and smooth. You'll benefit from the increased polyphenols and other antioxidants in green oil, but it's mostly a matter of preference.
Step Two
Taste olive oils at a gourmet grocery store or specialty shop's tasting station to find a flavor you like. Or ask us if you'd like to taste ours.
Step Three
Buy locally pressed oils soon after bottling for the freshest and most flavorful products.
Step Four
Choose extra-virgin olive oil for most of your cooking needs.
Step Five
Find a filtered olive oil for saute'ing and roasting, and an unfiltered olive oil for salad dressings and to drizzle on soups or pastas.
Step Six
Cruise the Web. Check out eBay.com.au or our website. You can also buy our oil from our Surry Hills outlet.
Step Seven
Store oils in a cool, dark place. Olive oils are a fresh food and can go rancid. Life span can be as little as three months for an unfiltered, late-harvest olive oil bottled in clear glass, to four years for an early-harvest, filtered oil packaged in a well-sealed tin or dark bottle and properly stored.

Source: ehow.com