Olive oil Purity test - How to test olive oil for right selection

Catchy & designer labels makes many promises, but when it comes to the purity of olive oil, how can you find out what’s promised is the real or fake? Believe it or not many olive oil is actually fake. Be careful and test the olive oil you are buying.

You maybe already aware of numerous health benefits of olive oil and maybe have began using it in place of other vegetable oils in your regular meals. But, is your olive oil really original or fraud & impure? Let’s find it out with very simple purity test.

Olive oil Purity test

1. Smell and taste

Warm a small quantity of olive oil by rubbing it between your hands. The rubbing action will amplify the smell and taste of the oil. If you smell the oil before tasting it, you can get to know a lot about the oil, just as in the case of wines. 

Smells that indicate defective olive oil include the smell of varnish or nail polish and the smell of compost or rotting vegetables.

2. Small sip

Take a small sip of the olive oil and blow air into the oil by sucking along the lower jaw line inward into the mouth.

3. Inhale

Now, close your mouth and inhale through your nose so that you can analyze its smell.

4. Pungency

Swallow a tiny amount of olive oil to determine how pungent it is, based on the sensation in your throat. Spit the rest of the olive oil out.

5. Waxiness

Some factors that indicate that the olive oil is rancid is the feeling of a residual waxiness, and the feeling that your mouth is dry (also known as astringency).

6. Feel in the mouth

The most important thing to remember is that fresh olive oils that have a snappy and zingy taste and smell should be chosen. Oils that smell or taste either metallic, tough like cardboard, oily, fungus-like, spoilt, or meat-like should be avoided. Focus on the feeling in the mouth; the oil should taste clean and sharp, rather than coarse or thick.

Remember

1.  It is important to understand that olives, similar to cherries and plums, are stone fruits. Thus, extra-virgin olive oil is, in reality, fruit juice that has been freshly extracted. It is not available throughout the year, and it is susceptible to decay. Extra-virgin olive oil tastes best only in the first few weeks after it is extracted.

2.  The health of oil can be determined by its bitter taste and pungent odor. Sweet and buttery oils are most often not good.

3.  The nature of oils is such that they solidify when cooled to a temperature of 3 degrees Celsius. A wax-like residue separates from the oil during this solidifying process. Freezing is a good way to preserve oil; it does not damage the qualities of the oil. However, the shelf life of the oil is cut down if there is significant sediment formation.

Fraud brands

The following olive oil brands were found to have been fraudulently labeled as extra virgin olive oil –

Whole Foods, Mazzola, Safeway, Pompeian, Bertolli, Carapelli, Newman’s Own, Colavita, Filippo Berio, Mezzetta, Star, Rachel Ray.

You do not have to fret while choosing a grade of olive oil. What is required is some planning in advance and you will be on the right track to choosing the correct olive oil. 

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