How to Cook With Olive Oil

Olive oil has been on the news as the healthier choice for cooking. With its higher smoke point and wonderful flavor, it is wonderful in all dishes, from salad dressings to stir-fry. Changing your cooking oil to olive oil is easy and a healthy idea.

Instructions

1. Learn the difference between the three types of olive oil. They are extra virgin, virgin and olive oil. Extra virgin is less than one percent acidity. It is made from the first pressing of the olives. Extra virgin is the most expensive and flavorful. Virgin olive oil is the same processes with slightly riper olives. It is one and a half percent acidity. Olive oil or pure olive oil is from the second pressing or the chemical extraction of the oil.

2. Use extra virgin olive oil in your cooking when you want the flavor of the oil to come through. This will be for sauces, dips and dressings. Try different types and brands of extra virgin olive oils, they will have different flavors.

3. Employ virgin olive oil for the cooking that you want to have a subtle olive taste. Cooking strong tasting fish with olive oil is an idea. Coating pasta noodles with olive oil and spices before adding sauces adds another layer of flavor to your dishes.

4. Bake with pure olive oil. This oil has a mellower flavor. When used in your baked goods, it brings the healthy quality of the oil to your baking.

5. Fry with pure olive oil, especially when deep-frying. Olive oil has a smoke point around three-hundred and seventy-five to four-hundred. It can take the heat of frying. The pure olive oil is less expensive and ideal for this purpose.

Tips & Warnings

• Cooking is not about rules. Experiment with the different types of olive oils, their flavors and the methods of cooking. Cook with olive oil as your taste predicts.

• When following recipes, pay attention to which olive oil they ask for. If it isn't specified, you usually can use pure olive oil.

• Olive oil does not need to be stored in the refrigerator due to its high oleic content. Keep it away from light in a cool place. Extra virgin olive oil stored in the refrigerator may collect water condensation, which will make the oil rancid.