This post is sponsored by momsmeet.com. I received product to try out and attended an online event to review. All opinions are my own.
I recently attended an online event called Flavor You Life where I got to learn about extra virgin olive oil and I also got to watching a cooking video. The Flavor Your Life campaign aims to educate North American consumers about authentic extra virgin olive oil from Europe. Flavor Your Live is empowering consumers by educating them about the rich history and delicious properties that these oils display—and sharing the delicious extra virgin olive oil culinary culture that’s been harvested in Europe for generations. I loved having the opportunity to be a part of this event and learn more about EVOO. I love cooking and baking, but when it comes to oils I had a lot to learn. I loved going to holiday bazaars and getting flavored olive oils to eat with bread, but that’s as fancy as I would get with oil. I never really knew if I should buy vegetable oil or canola oil and when to use olive oil. Luckily, I learned a lot about this from Alissa Mattei. She is a professional taster, recipe developer, and she is the president of a non profit that shares the culture of extra virgin olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality of olive oil. It’s made by pressing olives without heat or chemicals, called cold pressed olive oil. The way the olive oil is processed can affect how it tastes. The time of year the olives were picked will affect how the oil tastes as well based on if the olives are under ripe, ripe, or over ripe. You can smell and then take a little sip of the oil to see what it tastes like. It could be sweet or bitter. Extra virgin olive oil is virtually free of acidity—below 0.8%. If the percentage of oleic acid (fatty acid) is too high, it indicates improper production and rancidity. There are some diets that use a lot of EVOO, it’s supposed to be healthier than other options. I learned a lot about olives, types of olives, how they pick them and use them to make oil, and how they taste the oil as well. It makes a lot of sense now why EVOO is more expensive than other oils and why it’s high quality. I definitely want to pay more attention to the oils I use and purchase EVOO from now on. I learned that there is an International Oil Council made up of panelists that are expertly trained to taste the oils and look for defects. They make sure the oils have the positive attributes to earn the Extra Virgin rating.
It was also really exciting for me to watch the cooking tutorials using the oils. I got some great recipes to try out. One of the dishes was saffron risotto and I love risotto dishes. I can’t wait to try cooking it with the EVOO and try some other new Italian dishes as well.
I have always stored my oil on the counter next to my stove because that’s where I use it, but I learned that between use, you should store your oil somewhere dark and cool (around 57°F, if possible), not on the counter or near a stove, and never in the refrigerator. Keep the lid screwed on tight, and use your oil within six months of opening.
I received Le Stagioni d’Italia Extra Virgin olive oil and italian rice for this campaign. I can’t wait to use it for cooking a delicious dinner. Here is some info I learned about the brand:
● Le Stagioni d’ Italia takes great pride in bringing authentic Italian foods from seed to shelf, selecting seeds, harvesting crops, and packaging foods in their state-of-the-art production facilities in Northern Italy.
● Le Stagioni d’ Italia’s short, fully traceable supply chain is guaranteed sustainable and the great care they take with processing creates exceptional taste.
● 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the first cold pressed olive oil from the first round of extraction of fresh, intact olives—it has not been heated during processing, so it retains its full nutritional value.
● Harvested in Italy, it is vegan, gluten free, and contains no additives or preservatives.
● It has a robust flavor of artichoke and almond, with a medium bitter and spicy aftertaste, as well as a green, ripe, fruity aroma with a leafy feel.
● 100% Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil typically retails for $19.99 for a 500 mL bottle.