Extra Virgin Olive Oil Facts : Life Retreat

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest quality olive oil. It is characterized by perfect flavour, odour, a maximum acidity (oleic acid) of 1g/100g – 1% with maximum peroxide value equivalent 02/kg of 20.

In South Africa, a panel of experts judge Extra Virgin Olive Oil for taste, mouth feel, and aroma. This oil contains the most health benefits when fresh which reduces with oxidation and exposure to heat and light.

We plant the Frantoio, Leccino and Coratina trees in groups of three to four rows of each cultivar, in order to facilitate cross pollination which leads to more abundant fruiting. Harvest takes place from March to June. The harvested fruit is a combination of green to ripe olives, in an effort to enhance complex fruity flavours.

We hand pick olives grown on the RIO LARGO ESTATE, thus providing much needed employment for the people in the valley. The hand picking method guarantees that the fruit remains intact with little or no bruising and to avoid fermentation. Furthermore, we crush the fruit fresh on the same day of picking. The oil is cold- extracted in a state of the art Italian Oliomio Extraction Plant. We link it into a management control system in Italy. Once processed, we immediately store the oil in stainless steel tanks by cultivar topped with a layer of nitrogen to prevent oxidation.

We then filter the oil to remove moisture and any natural fine sediment settles by gravity in the tanks. In addition, we keep the storage room at a constant temperature of 16°C.

The entire process results in a completely natural product without additives or preservatives. Only bottled on order off the farm for absolute freshness throughout the year. We create all conditions for the production of the finest extra-virgin olive oil.

Benefits Of Olive oil

PREVENTING HEART DISEASE

Blood contains important compounds called lipoproteins, which carry fats and cholesterol around the body. The high mono- unsaturated-fat content of olive oil helps to lower the levels of LDLs. It also lowers other fats (triglycerides) in the blood, without reducing the HDL levels.

AS AN ANTIOXIDANT

The anti-oxidizing properties of olives can transfer to human cells so that they deteriorate more slowly. Antioxidants are also said to increase longevity and slow down skin ageing.

OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS

Olive oil is thought to help calcium absorption and thus act against osteoporosis. More importantly, it insures against memory loss, cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly. This is related to the brain’s need for mono-unsaturated acids to maintain its cell structure and membranes. A recent study in the USA found that olive oil contains, oleocanthal, a natural chemical that acts in a similar way to a painkiller.

FRYING WITH OLIVE OIL

Olive oil is ideal for frying. In proper temperature conditions, without over-heating, it undergoes no substantial structural change and keeps its nutritional value better than other oils, not only because of the antioxidants but also due to its high levels of oleic acid. Its high smoking point (210ºC) is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food (180ºC). Those fats with lower critical points, such as corn and butter, break down at this temperature and form toxic products.

Another advantage of using olive oil for frying is that it forms a crust on the surface of the food that impedes the penetration of oil and improves its flavour. Food fried in olive oil has a lower fat content than food fried in other oils, making olive oil more suitable for weight control. Olive Oil goes further than other oils, and not only can you reuse it more often than others, it also increases in volume when you reheat it, so you require less for cooking and frying.

The digestibility of heated olive oil does not change even when re-used for frying several times. You should not mix olive oil with other fats or vegetable oils and you should not use it more than four or five times. The oil you use for frying should always be hot; if it is cold the food will soak up the oil. There should always be plenty of oil in the pan when deep frying. If you use only a small amount, not only will it burn more easily but you’ll undercook the fried food on top and overcook it on the bottom .

FRYING TEMPERATURES

When heated, olive oil is the most stable fat, which means it stands up well to high frying temperatures. Its high smoking point (210º C) is well above the ideal temperature for frying food (180º C). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when it is heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying.

Medium (130-145º C)

High water content: vegetables, potatoes, fruit

Hot (155- 170º C)

Coated in batter,flour or breadcrumbs, forming a crust

Very hot (175-190º C)

Small, quickly fried: small fish, croquettes

Get a chance to meet Frans Groenewald whose artwork Rio Largo uses on the Estate. Furthermore, because we’re focusing on on zero waste, when you come to purchase this amazing oil, please bring your bottles to the shop to refill with olive oil to save packaging and the environment.

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Extra Virgin Olive Oil Facts