Olive Oil Tips for Professional Buyers
Know the process
Evaluate whether processors observe minimal best practices:
- Fresh, undamaged olives are processed as soon as possible after harvest.
- The processing facility is clean and the equipment thoroughly washed daily.
- Oil is settled for 24 to 48 hours prior to transfer to temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for racking, storage and possible filtration.
Evaluate different olive oils and choose those that will meet customer needs. Retain samples of the oils selected and compare to the oils delivered.
Raise specifications
Find a truly fresh extra virgin olive oil and compare with the familiar “olivey” flavor often mislabeled as extra virgin. A quality extra virgin olive oil should smell and taste fresh, have fruity notes (descriptors might include grassy, apple, green banana, artichoke and herbaceous), and may have bitterness and spiciness (which are indicators of healthy antioxidants.)
Test regularly
Find a truly fresh extra virgin olive oil and compare with the familiar “olivey” flavor often mislabeled as extra virgin. A quality extra virgin olive oil should smell and taste fresh, have fruity notes (descriptors might include grassy, apple, green banana, artichoke and herbaceous), and may have bitterness and spiciness (which are indicators of healthy antioxidants.)
In this section
Check out our best practices, review UC Davis olive publications from 1885 to the present, and access essential UC resources for olive growing and processing.