In the early 2000s, I found myself working on a project with a wine grower who had a deep background in horticulture and arboriculture. When I told him we had an olive farm with about 185 trees, he asked "How old are they?"
"15-25 years", I said.
"Why would you want to do that?" he asked "So your grandchildren will have a viable crop?!"
He had a point. Almost 20 years later, Lila Farms is only a farm of passion, not profit, a farm offering hard lessons about the vagaries of weather and the challenges of agriculture. It's given us a venue for outdoor activities, sunburns on our necks, poison oak on our legs, stiffness in our backs, and constant battles with machinery and maintenance - all of which are struggles that come along with the daily joy of our own oil.
Hard-working olive harvesters at Lila Farm in Boonville, CA
It's also given us an appreciation for olive farmers around the globe. While on vacation, we've been known to pull over to take photos of ancient olive trees while driving in Spain and Italy. The activity brands us instantly as tourists, but we have accumulated an impressive collection of images!
One of the things I've learned as a nascent insider in the world of olive oil production, is that there are damn few global standards, and worse, there is no authority over the existing standards. Much of what is sold as EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil - is far from high quality and is frequently blended across vintages (perfectly legal unless there's a vintage date on the bottle) and even from less expensive sources of oil such as safflower and other vegetables. It's good to taste oils from producers dedicated to the craft - here's what to look for.
What To Look For - Signs of Quality
- Free Acidity < 0.3
- Peroxide <7.5
- UV Absorption Index (K232) <1.85
- Free of sensory defects
What's all that mean? Free acidity increases as olives oxidize prior to pressing (ideally, olives are pressed within four hours of picking). Free acidity also increases when olives are exposed to the pulp and pits for too long during pressing.
The Peroxide number is a predictor of rancidity, so the lower the better. Fresh olive oil smells of grass and herbs, rancid oil smells foul and stale and, well, like you don't want it in your mouth.
The UV Absorption Index measures purity and quality. A high value indicates the presence of refined oils, adulteration, and rancidity, none of which are present in good, 100% pure olive oil.
But Is It Good For You?
In answer to the question at the top of this post, yes, good, fresh oil is a healthy alternative to fats from animals such as butter or lard!
Olive oil is at the core of the Mediterranean diet, one shown to increase immunity, provide anti-inflammatory benefits, lower blood pressure, reduce cardiovascular diseases, prevent Alzheimer’s, improve the ratio of good and bad cholesterol and protect the skin. Sounds almost like snake oil, but keep in mind that olive oil has been produced for thousands of years, and was once applied to hair and skin as part of good hygienic practices.
Unlike oils from seeds, vegetables, and fruits, olive oil is a balanced blend of monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid), polyunsaturated (ω-6) fatty acids (linoleic acid), and polyunsaturated (ω-3) fatty acids (a-linolenic acid). The presence of other compounds like polyphenols and tocopherols (vitamin E) are unique to fresh extra-virgin olive oil and have invaluable health-promoting properties.
So do your body a favor and splurge on some really good olive oil!
