Know Your Olive Oil
When you buy olive oil, it's important to know where your olive oil came from, and who are the people who produce it. Look for the production date, expiration date and city of origin.
Freshness is the most important thing to consider. Olive oil usually has a two year shelf life, unopened. After opening, you should use your olive oil within three months to preserve freshness. Even better, use within one month, to maximize the health benefits of polyphenols.
As far as taste, olive oil ranges from sweet and buttery, to fruity, to slightly or even more than slightly bitter. The bitterness you are tasting comes from the naturally occurring polyphenols in the oil, and it's actually a good thing.
Let's take a look at one of our favorites. Castello Collemassari Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a medium intensity bold flavorful olive oil from Tuscany. We are thrilled to congratulate Colle Massari on achieving a silver medal in the 2022 Los Angeles International Olive Oil Competition. More than 500 olive oils competed—Bravissima!