Why is olive oil bitter? Why Extra Virgen Olive Oil Can and Should Be Bitter

I use olive oil all the time. Mainly for making salads. I recently bought a bottle of olive oil, the price was higher than usual, I was tempted by it. I decided that it was probably better in quality. I also looked at the expiration date, it’s normal. I came home, opened the bottle and tried it.

I was extremely shocked. It was bitter and very unpleasant in taste, causing a tightening in the throat. What to do? Should I go to the store again to make a claim? I asked my friend a question, and she answered that her son for a long time I’ve been to Italy and probably know what to do.

It turned out that this olive oil high quality and depends on the type of olives used to produce the oil. Interestingly, and now also recognized, than bitterer taste olive oil, the more polyphenols it contains.

Polyphenols protect cells and bodies chemicals against damage caused by free radicals and possibly neutralize substances that play an important role in the development of cancer. In addition, they preserve the oil longer.

Olive oil should be kept away from heat and light. Cold will not spoil the butter, although it may cause it to partially harden. A sealed bottle can last for a long time, up to 18 months, but use of an open bottle should not be extended for too long.

It is best to purchase olive oil in tinted glass bottles as a way to protect the contents from light.

My favorite recipe: crush garlic in olive oil and use it as a seasoning on bread. The perfect aperitif!

For quick and delicious pasta, fry finely chopped carrots, peppers and tomatoes in olive oil, with garlic, pepper and salt. Cook the spaghetti and stir in the vegetables, making sure to remove all the oil from the pan. This is enough easy recipe to allow yourself to enjoy it!

Have you ever wondered what to do with a bottle of olive oil that turns out to be bitter? And it's not cheap. I want to express some useful tips, which will help you save in times of difficult economic conditions.

First of all, we need to find out why olive oil is bitter. I am, of course, not talking about the mild bitterness of olive oil, but about the obvious bitterness that prevents us from eating food.

Olive oil should be stored in a dark and cool place. Exposure to heat and light will in turn cause it to go rancid.

Users should always ensure that the bottle is sealed tightly to limit exposure to air. As I already mentioned, Italian olive oil is best stored in the dark. glassware. When purchasing olive oil, I try to avoid oils that come in plastic or clear glass bottles.

Olive oil will also become rancid over time, although if purchased recently, ask the store about their storage system, it is quite possible that the fault lies with them. Write a polite letter to the trading company, maybe they will give you a free fresh bottle of olive oil or two.

Now that we know a little about the cause of bitterness, it's time to address the possibility of using bitter or rancid olive oil.

1. Use olive oil to lubricate the hinges of squeaky doors or cabinets. Do you know that the door creaks just when you try to quietly tiptoe out of your child’s room, or enter the house unnoticed?

Take olive oil and apply it to the loops with a cotton cloth. Store oil with tools or detergents. Don't forget to make a label so you don't mistakenly use it in the kitchen.

2. Use oil when making a candle. If the smell doesn't bother you too much, you can use olive oil for holiday candles, Shabbat candles, or any other purpose. Olive oil is safe and effective means for burns.

3. Use it for diesel engines. Diesel engines can be converted to run on olive oil, among other means. However, do not try this at home without consulting experts in the field.

4. Use it to soften rough skin or lips, saving on all the other supermarket beauty products.

5. Home remedy for ear pain: heat a little olive oil, dip a cotton swab in it and carefully place it in the patient’s ear.

There are many ways to save and now is the time to read the topic. Don't throw away your olive oil that has turned bitter for some reason.

People trying it for the first time olive oil Extra Virgin , people often ask why the oil is bitter. Some mean bitter taste, others mean a burning sensation in the back of the throat and on the tongue. They also say “the oil hurts the throat.”

Burning throat- characteristic of olive oil first cold pressed. She talks about high quality, proper production and storage of the product. The burning sensation will be strong at first, but over time you will get used to it. The stronger the burning sensation in the oil, the more beneficial antioxidants and amino acids it contains, and the more beneficial it is for our health. The acidity of such oil usually does not exceed 0,8 % .

The burning sensation caused by olive oil helps determine quality. If you bought an oil labeled Extra Virgin, but did not feel a burning sensation, then it is not quality oil. Either it was not stored correctly, or it is not Extra Virgin at all.

If open oil Store it for a long time, it will stop hurting your throat, but will become less useful. This occurs due to exposure to oxygen. The oil simply oxidizes. So, buy the amount of oil that you can consume in a month. Do not keep the oil open for longer.

Olive oil taste depends on the type of oil and olives from which it is squeezed. Some varieties have a bitter taste or aftertaste (bitterness is sometimes described as pungency), some have a mild sweetish taste.

Good olive oils often have flavor descriptions. So, if you don't like bitterness, you can choose an oil with mild taste. Oil with a sharp and tart taste will be bitter, but one with a mild and sweet taste will not.

In refined olive oils Pomace there is no taste at all, since after the process of chemical and heat treatment, almost all useful substances and amino acids, including those that caused bitterness and burning, disappear. This oil is tasteless and odorless and does not change the taste of the dish. But it has high temperature combustion, which means it is great for frying, but does not bring benefits to the body.

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Valuable fat is squeezed from fresh olives. Ideally, the olive pulp is crushed within a few hours of harvesting, which lasts from November to March. Otherwise, rapid oxidation spoils the raw materials and the final product.

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Chemical composition

The calorie content and nutritional content of the product (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) are similar to all vegetable oils.

Per 100 grams - 884 kcal. We present the composition according to the main consumable unit in nutrition - by 1 tablespoon, which contains 14 grams of oil.

  • Calorie content of 1 tablespoon is 120 kcal.
  • Fat - 14 grams
  • Proteins and carbohydrates - 0
  • Vitamin E - 10% DV
  • Vitamin K - 10% DV
  • And tiny inclusions of minerals - up to 0.3% of DN.

*DN is the average daily value for an adult with a diet of 2000 kcal.

Please note, according to the US Department of Agriculture the natural product does not contain vitamins A and D, a myth about which is widespread in RuNet.

With an eye on the product's BJU healing properties olive oil seems like an exaggeration. Just liquid fat, without proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, microelements and moderate amounts of vitamins E and K. Why do nutritionists strongly recommend it for salads and other dishes, especially extra virgin olive oil?

Beneficial features

What are the benefits of olive oil? Let's talk about in the best possible way- unrefined, first cold pressed.

A short list of very valuable characteristics for human health.

  1. There is no harm from skewing omega-6 fatty acids.
  2. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants and protectors against inflammation.
  3. Oleic fatty acid is a therapeutic omega-9 for the cardiovascular system.

Medicinal polyphenols

These are complex organic substances wide range actions. Research shows that polyphenols from extra virgin olive oil help reduce blood viscosity and harmonize the lipid profile in cases of high cholesterol.

Also, these biocompounds have pronounced antioxidant properties, protect the cell membrane and help fight inflammation.

Harmony of Omegas without distortion in class 6

Excellent health benefits! And the main positive difference from other oils popular in Russia (sunflower, corn, sesame).

Important! Only oils with omega 6 fatty acids less than 30% can be taken daily without harm (olive, almond, peanut, peach kernels).

  • Oleic (omega 9 FA) - from 60 to 80%
  • Linoleic acid (omega 6 fatty acids) - from 5 to 14%
  • Palmitic and others - from 15%
  • Minor amount of omega 3 FA - up to 1%

Modern diets are oversaturated with omega 6. This leads to accelerated age-related inflammation. A huge contribution to our active and healthy longevity is made by reducing omega 6 FAs ​​and enriching the diet with omega 3 FAs.

Versatile protection for the heart and blood vessels

The benefits of oleic acid and oleocansal have been deeply studied.

  • Reducing inflammation of the inner lining of blood vessels. This is the prevention of the development of atherosclerosis.
  • Protection of low-density lipoproteins from oxidative processes - up to 72%. It also protects the heart and blood vessels from heart attack and stroke.
  • Reduced thrombosis and blood pressure.
  • Containment of autoimmune reactions in all organs and systems. This means fewer allergies, severe arthritis and other diseases when immune cells mistakenly attack the body's own tissues.

An interesting study about 30 tablespoons of olive oil. The strength of the therapeutic effect is equivalent to the 1st adult dose of Ibuprofen. Including 2-3 tbsp in the diet. spoons daily, we regularly receive microdoses of the anti-inflammatory complex. ()

Benefits during pregnancy and in the children's menu

The benefits of olive oil during pregnancy and in the nutrition of children are significant.

Let's repeat about omegas: you should strive for a ratio of omegas 3 and 6 as 1:4. In the usual diet of contemporaries, this proportion is about 1:20.

There are two ways to reduce the harm from excess omega-6:

  1. Remove unnecessary ones;
  2. Add omega-3.

When a pregnant woman switches to omega-6 neutral oil, she insures herself and her baby from many troubles. Entering into baby food We create this product, and not the popular sunflower one, for children best table With correct proportion LCD.

Don't forget to enrich your omega-3 menu with fish oil, which contains at least 450 mg of DHA. We drink 1 teaspoon of this. Every day, with the whole family.

Universal product for skin and hair

Olive oil is a valuable ingredient in cosmetology. Softens, nourishes, and rarely clogs pores. Ideally cares for hair, including brittle and dull hair. In summer, healing fat helps to achieve a smooth tan. One of the best means for the prevention of stretch marks during pregnancy. This is largely due to vitamin E and polyphenols.

Use a high-quality (=expensive) cold-pressed food sample, not store-bought creams that have oil added. Strong properties only from pure natural ingredients.

Let's compare popular vegetable fats

What is healthier: olive or sunflower? The answer lies on the surface if you read the information above.

Forget about vitamin E and oleic acid! Yes, sunflower has more of the first and also has the second. Yes, it is a product of our latitude. But the positive factors are insignificant compared to the harm from an imbalance in omega-6.

What is detrimental to health is that sunflower oil contains linoleic fatty acids - omega-6 - up to 54%. Such a high percentage makes sunflower oil an enemy of health. It dramatically increases the risk of myocardial infarction, provokes inflammation and depression, and increases the risk of cancer.

When looking for an answer to the question of what to replace sunflower oil with and whether it should be done, rely on the omega profile in vegetable fat. You can't go wrong.

Our choice is to at least replace the salad oil with olive oil. Even better - switch to a combination of coconut and olive for all dishes.

Olive oil on an empty stomach - benefit or harm

Let's figure it out. Any oil on an empty stomach will cause an active outflow of bile. Any liquid in a volume of 1 glass or more will lead to a sharp activation of the bile ducts. And when you drink at a contrasting temperature, the effect will be even more pronounced.

Important! People with stones in the bile ducts should not drink either the oil on an empty stomach or a liquid that contrasts in temperature.

Hence the beneficial effects of the olive “panacea” with lemon and honey for constipation. Increased peristalsis - movement of the food bolus - release of gases and bowel movement. Exactly the same effect will be caused by sesame, sunflower, almond - any! - oil. The only advantage of the idea is that olive oil does not overload us with omega-6.

In addition, we are wary of honey in the diet of children, allergy sufferers and people with hyperinsulinism. And allergies and disorders in carbohydrate metabolism are widespread problems of our contemporaries. For ourselves, we don’t see any point in loading up the menu with sugars on an empty stomach. Therefore, the morning choleretic in our routine is 1-2 glasses clean water, cool or warm depending on the specific family member.

Olive oil before meals also does not cure gastritis. If your stomach is bothering you, you need a gastroenterologist and a test for Helicobacter Pylori. Diet is extremely important in treatment. If an infection is detected, do not be afraid of antibiotics under the guidance of a competent doctor.

Contraindications and possible harm

1) Remember about the high calorie content.

Olive oil is the highest calorie liquid fat. 1 tablespoon can cover more than 16% of the average daily energy requirement.

If this number seems insignificant to you, imagine eating two or even three generously seasoned dishes a day. Gaining excess weight with such a diet is a piece of cake.

2) We exclude the choleretic effect if there are stones in gallbladder or cholecystitis.

We do not take it on an empty stomach! We adjust the amount in dishes - up to 2 tbsp. spoons a day.

3) Ideally, it is better not to fry food with the extra virgin version.

Because heating destroys healing polyphenols. And in general, frying food is not the best choice for heat treatment. Only a savage from a tropical island has never heard of this.

If we put aside the importance of preserving polyphenols, we can rely on the latest safety studies. They answer the question What olive oil can you use for frying? Average heat in a frying pan is no more than 170 degrees. This means that it does not provoke the formation of carcinogens in high-quality cold-pressed olive oil. After all Smoke point of extra virgin version not the lowest - from 191 to 215 degrees.

Even safer refined olive fat- 240 degrees. But this is the “dead version” of the superfood. Useful biocompounds are completely destroyed by refining.

Our preference is to steam recipes more often and season with oil after removing from heat. Simmer over medium heat with adding water. Eat more salads from fresh vegetables.

Personal experience

For yourself, you can find a different combination of solutions to reduce omega-6 in your diet and remove trans fats. Do this if you want to live longer and healthier!

If you really want to fry, then the best choice is. It contains no more than 3% PUFAs. The abundance of trans fats simply has nothing to form from. And you can simmer with water on both vegetable fats- from olives and coconut.

Today we are trying to replace both sunflower and corn oil. The opinion is non-trivial, but is based on modern knowledge of nutraceuticals and longevity medicine.

Types of olive oil and dosage

The daily dosage varies depending on age and goals. On average, from 1 to 4 tablespoons per day for an adult. From 0.5 teaspoon for children, starting with complementary feeding at 7-8 months.

Important! If you're simply adding a superfood to unhealthy foods, therapeutic effect will not be.

The composition of the product is determined by the place where the olives grow and the technology. Below brief information about each type which can be found on sale. You will learn which olive oil is best for salad and what characteristics are important.

Type of oil /

What is important

Extra virginVirginRefinedOlive oil, pomace, light, pure, purified and others
How to produceFirst cold pressed, mostly green olivesOnly less valuable ones ripe olives, cold pressed, incl. repeatedRefining (heating from 200 degrees Celsius, including using hexane)Not ideally extracted fat, of which there is little, diluted with refined, cheap rapeseed or sunflower oil, or purified, enriched with synthetic vitamins, etc.
AcidityUp to 0.8%Up to 2%Up to 0.5%Up to 3.3%
Which is better

accept

Ideal for dressing salads without heating and in cosmetologySuitable for salads, canning and bakingCheap option for frying, incl. fast foodIt is better not to use for food

How to choose and store correctly

Let's focus on the most healing version of extra virgin.

A quality product is not cheap. The price in Europe starts from 8 euros for 500 ml.

The main producers are Italy, Spain, Greece. This does not always mean that the fruits grew in the same country. Italian oil is often pressed from Turkish and Tunisian raw materials.

Unripe (green!) olives contain the most polyphenols. But it’s easier to squeeze out the ripe ones. Therefore, the cheaper the product on the shelf, the higher the likelihood that the fat was extracted from ripe rather than green fruits.

Olives that grow on young trees are less rich in polyphenols than similar fruits from older trees. The most healing raw materials are considered to be unripe fruits from old trees on the Greek island of Crete.

It is also important how the fruits were removed from the trees, how the preparation for squeezing took place, and how long the harvest was stored before processing. This directly affects the polyphenol content. Long-term storage and rough automatic cleaning reduce the cost of oil and, accordingly, reduce its quality.

From air, heat and sunlight, fat becomes rancid. Imports into Russia are carried out from Mediterranean countries. It is difficult to say just by the appearance of the bottle, under what conditions and for how long the transportation took place.

Conclusion. The inscription “extra virgin” on the label is a necessary, but not sufficient condition for quality. “Extra virgin” only tells us how the extraction was done, but not what raw materials were used, how it was obtained, and what happened to the oil after bottling.

It won't help either product coloring. There is no relationship between the color of olive oil and its quality. Only the level of chlorophyll in olives affects. In close analogues, the color varies from light yellow to bottle green.

Shelf life. The packaging most often indicates 2 years. They reflect the maximum time for which good oil does not have time to go rancid. However useful compounds within a year it becomes significantly less.

Should be kept at home olive oil in a tightly closed dark bottle in a cool place. After opening, let's say a refrigerator. When kept in the cold for a long time, a good sample will form a cloudy sediment. This is a simple quality test.

Personal experience and 6 rules for choosing a brand

For ourselves, we have developed several rules for searching for the best olive oil.

  1. "No!" for products in clear glass and plastic or with any words other than “extra virgin oil”.
  2. "Yes!" dark glass bottle and Greece as the country of origin. Tight fitting cap and bottling date less than 6 months ago. The point of sale is a large supermarket with an active turnover or a popular “grocery boutique” where the goods are also not stale.
  3. The bottle must be marked with acidity - up to 0.8%.
  4. We buy without stock, checking the expiration date each time. There must be at least a year and a half left before it ends.
  5. It's normal for olive oil to taste bitter. The peak of perfection is a light, barely noticeable bitterness mixed with a herbaceous aroma, like the smell of green tomatoes or freshly cut grass. If the smell is like rotten sausage or old socks, it is a sample of rancidity, and there are no more polyphenols in it.
  6. The taste of olive oil can be described as “clean”, “fresh”, “herbaceous”. Olive oil should taste bitter. But the degree of bitterness, like color, depends on the source raw material.

As you can see, choosing among worthy samples is similar to deciding on the taste of your favorite wine or type of coffee. Depends on personal preference.

Except general rules, it’s a good idea to take an interest in the results of recent market research. In 2014, the Russian agency Research Center NPE Test led a comprehensive comparative examination of 11 brands of extra virgin olive oil.

Received the highest score TM Mana Gea, Award, Borges. Became a good person trademark Maestro de Oliva. The remaining samples did not meet the high quality criteria.

We will be glad if we could clearly and completely talk about the healing product. How to take olive oil, the benefits and harms, contraindications for taking it, a scientifically based foundation of beneficial properties and selection rules will definitely be useful to you on the way to healthy diet in terms of fats. And may good luck be with you when shopping!

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Olive oil has been known to mankind since antiquity. It is extracted by pressing the fruits of the European olive. Among connoisseurs, this oil is called “liquid gold” for its abundance useful substances, vitamins, antioxidants and healthy fats. Olive oil is actively used in cosmetology. But the main area of ​​its use is cooking. Oil is added to salads and used as a base for sauces. If you buy a bottle of olive oil in a store, you may be disappointed when you taste it and feel that the olive oil is bitter.

The answer to the questions whether such a product can be consumed, whether olive oil should be bitter, whether this is normal or not, and why this sometimes happens depends on a number of reasons: the variety and method of pressing, the time of harvest and the area in which it was collected. Many types of products offered have a natural bitter and pungent aftertaste.

In contact with

High-quality olive oil costs a lot of money. When buying it, you really want to get it quality product. When purchasing a product of the same brand or the same type, you will notice that the oil has a different flavor in different batches. The first thought that arises is why olive oil is bitter - one of the bottles purchased is counterfeit. But real olive oil is easy to distinguish from fakes.

It's easy to check. You need to put a small amount in the refrigerator and let it cool for several hours. Over time, the natural oil will thicken. Light flakes will appear in it. These are frozen particles of wax (simple fats) that covered the olive shell with a thin protective layer.

These flakes should not be confused with saturated fatty acids, the presence of which in olive oil is minimized. They freeze at room temperature, which can be seen in the example of margarine, and are unhealthy for the body. Wax has no benefit or harm and is safe for health.

There are no general criteria or standards that define the taste of olive oil and determine whether olive oil should be bitter. It is bitter and may simply taste like fresh green olives or resemble green apples, almonds, spices and so on.

Olive oil can be of different shades: darker or lighter

Almost all types of olive oil have a bitterness, which can be pronounced or slightly noticeable on the tongue. There are several reasons why oil differs in degree of bitterness and astringency in different batches.

One of the factors is the country of production:

  • Spain (leader in production);
  • Italy;
  • Greece;
  • Tunisia;
  • Türkiye.

The list is not exhaustive. Each of these countries has its own climate and soil composition, which leads to a variety of tastes. Oil pressed within the same country, but from trees grown in different provinces, will also differ. Even oil pressed from trees located at different ends of the same olive grove can have a different taste and influence whether the olive oil tastes bitter.

The second reason is the type of tree. There are great amount. Different kinds oil trees, for example:

  • Minerva;
  • picual;
  • Kalamata;
  • ojiblanca;
  • leccino, and many others.

The type of tree also provides a variety of flavors to the olive oil.

Taste, astringency and degree of bitterness depend on the time at which the crop is harvested. Harvest time:

  1. At the beginning of September the collection begins green olives, in which there is little oil. After squeezing such berries, there is a feeling of bitterness, astringency and a slight burning sensation on the palate. The color of this product is bright green. This oil is the most valued.
  2. In October - November, the collection of raw materials continues. The berries become more ripe. The color of the oil becomes more yellow, and the bitterness becomes lighter.
  3. Berry picking continues in December and January. These are already ripe olives. They are rich in fat and a yellow oil is pressed from them, which has a mild taste. Overripe olives lying on the ground produce the darkest oil, which has a sweetish taste.

The third reason is the way the oil is produced. The berries are picked by hand. The trees are not fertilized or treated with chemicals. The seeds are removed from the fruit, and olive juice is extracted from the pulp by cold pressing. It is settled and separated from the water, collecting oil from the surface. The output is really natural product with minimal processing. Each manufacturer has its own secrets and technologies, which directly affects the taste.

What should a cold-pressed product taste like?

Olive oil is valuable source unsaturated fats. It contains oleic and linoleic acid, phytosterols, vitamins K and E, chromium, squalene and many other compounds. It has antioxidant properties and is very valuable for the body.

What the taste of extra virgin oil should be and why it tastes bitter is explained as follows. During the production process, olives undergo almost no processing - only washing, settling, separation from water and filtration. Therefore, this oil preserves the taste of olives as much as possible. The berries themselves, and especially the seeds, are bitter and tart. This answers the question of whether olive oil should taste bitter or not. Organoleptic evaluation or the examination is carried out by professionals.

The technique for tasting olive oil is simple:

  1. It is poured into a glass and heated in the palm of your hand.
  2. Cover the container with oil with the other palm. After a while, the oil reaches body temperature.
  3. Opening the glass, you need to inhale the aroma. This way the whole bouquet of smells will open. First of all, the oil should smell like olives.
  4. Then a sip of oil is taken into the mouth and held in the mouth. Through time taste buds feel the bitterness and astringency of the oil.
  5. Then they swallow the oil. And a burning and tingling sensation should be felt in the larynx.
  6. If the taster experienced all these emotions, and the aftertaste remained pleasant, then this sample of oil is of high quality.

Tasters identify about 70 terms that describe the taste of extra virgin oil. These include shades of apple, aromas of spices, and herbs. And also: hay, lemon, tomatoes, peppers, sorrel, almonds, etc. Based on all that has been said, we can conclude that real olive oil is necessarily bitter. You can safely add it to food and use it for cosmetic procedures. And .

If it's bitter, is it normal?

High-quality olive oil should taste bitter. This means that it:

  • natural and unrefined, did not undergo filtration or deodorization, was made from high-quality olives and did not lose substances beneficial to the body during processing ();
  • fresh and first pressed;
  • concentrated (not diluted).

You can draw an analogy by comparing “fresh” with juice. “Fresh” will be more tart and bitter compared to juice due to the naturalness of the ingredients and its richness.

What to do, is it possible to eat?

As stated above, it is normal for olive oil to taste bitter. It can be used and is extremely useful. Like to good wine, you need to get used to it and love it.

The richness and astringency of the taste will decrease slightly a couple of weeks after opening the bottle.

If it doesn’t work out, let’s consider what you can do if the olive oil is bitter, so as not to “spoil” the dishes with a bitter aftertaste

  • You can use a mixture of two oils - bitter olive and another type of oil (rapeseed, cottonseed, corn, etc.). This will help “dilute” the bitterness;
  • mix with finely chopped garlic, add a couple of sprigs aromatic herbs. For example, basil and rosemary. Let it brew, then use it in snacks, sauces and salads. Or you can, like the Italians, dip bread in this mixture;
  • use for cosmetic purposes.

Ciabatta goes great with olive oil.

Can it be consumed if it is rancid?

It also happens that over time, olive oil changes its taste for the worse, becomes bitter and loses pleasant aroma(rancid). This oil has gone bad.

You need to figure out why olive oil is bitter and whether it can be consumed. To distinguish rancid oil due to natural bitterness, you should take a small sip. Hold it in your mouth. Then listen to your taste sensations. If the initial bitterness does not reveal the tart taste of olives and a light note of spices, but mustiness is felt, the product is spoiled. An unpleasant aftertaste remains in the mouth.

The reason why olive oil tastes bitter could be the expired expiration date, which, in accordance with the requirements of GOST and international standards, is indicated on the packaging.

When purchasing, you should also pay attention to the bottling date. If it exceeds 6 months, the oil may be stagnant.

Another reason may be a violation of storage conditions. To avoid spoiling the product, you should adhere to the following rules:

  1. Keep away from sunlight. The best option containers for today are dark Glass bottle. She doesn't miss Sun rays that destroy useful components oils;
  2. It is necessary to close the lid tightly to prevent oxygen from entering the container and interfere with the oxidation process;
  3. Store at temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. Housewives often make the mistake of placing a bottle near the stove or microwave oven. This causes the oil to heat up and spoils its quality.

Useful video

Production of extra virgin olive oil:

Conclusion

  1. If olive oil is bitter, this is natural.
  2. A high-quality product has a bitter aftertaste. It indicates freshness and concentration of nutrients.
  3. To distinguish it from spoiled olive oil, you should listen to the aftertaste.

Olive oil began to be produced in ancient times. Even then, people valued the product for its excellent properties. It saturates and is used in various recipes beauty, heals and cures. But many people are interested in why olive oil is bitter. The answer to this question can be found in the article.

Virgin olive and Extra virgin olive oil

You should purchase this particular product if you are interested in which olive oil is better. It is completely natural. All valuable components are preserved in it and are completely absorbed by the body. It can be included in your daily diet.

With daily use you will be able to replenish daily norm and restore your health, improve the condition and defenses of the body. The product is pressed mechanically at a temperature of no more than 27 degrees. It is not processed, not purified, no additional components or dyes are added. Why is olive oil bitter? This is due to the taste of the fruits from which the products are prepared.

Types of the best oil

To find out which olive oil is better, you should familiarize yourself with its types:

  1. Extra virgin olive oil is the best product for health. It is an extra virgin olive oil created from the best olives. The fruits have no defects, they are not spoiled, not frozen. The products are great for treatment and food.
  2. Virgin olive oil - created after cold pressing of olives. The product is also useful, but it contains fewer valuable components. Its cost will be lower. Acidity is greater - 2 g per 100 g.
  3. Ordinary virgin olive oil - acidity is 3 g per 100 g. The product is created using biological reagents.

Why is Extra virgin olive oil used in treatment? This is due to the fact that the product is natural and has low acidity, which is 0.8%. A healthy oils should have a rate of up to 1%. For frying and heat treatment they are not used. Should olive oil be bitter? Real products must have this property; they are considered the most useful.

A quality product is created based on careful quality control. It is important that the indicators comply with norms and standards; in addition, there must be certificates of conformity. Finding low acidity oil in stores is not easy. It is obtained by pressing the best fruits, but only a small amount of product is obtained. But the olives are poured with water and squeezed out again. Such oils are considered healthy, so they are suitable for dishes, and not for treatment and cosmetology.

Refined olive oil

This oil is traditional, since most people are accustomed to using refined products. This category just falls into that category. The product goes through many treatments and then disappears bad smell, bitterness, so it is ideal for frying.

This type of oil does not emit carcinogens, so it is useful to use. The cost of the product is less compared to the above products. This oil is not used in treatment because it contains less valuable substances due to processing. It is created after the second pressing of the fruit.

When purchasing, it is important to look at the labeling, price, and acidity. You should not purchase cheap products because natural oil there's a minimum. The rest is supplements, so there will be little benefit. Why is olive oil bitter? The reason for this is the bitter taste of olives, which persists even after pressing.

Pomace olive oil

The product belongs to the third category, its quality is lower than the previous ones. It is created from the cake after pressing, when it is necessary to obtain the remaining oil. There are not many of them, so it is added refined oil and other components. There are two types of product:

  1. Olive-pomace oil. The products include a mixture of cake and refined oil. But it is purchased for preparing food. Bitterness and burning do not appear during heat treatment.
  2. Refined olive-pomace oil. The product should not be purchased for food as its quality is low and therefore will not be beneficial.

Why is unrefined olive oil bitter? The reason is the bitter taste of olives. Even after processing it remains. Usually the bitterness disappears as the food is cooked.

Bitterness

Why is olive oil bitter? This is due to the taste of olives. In addition, it can make your throat sore. In fact, olive oil is bitter - this is normal. Real product cold pressed must have bitterness. You should look at the packaging and composition. If the acidity is up to 1%, then this product is healthy, but you should not fry it. It is used for salads and dressings.

Fresh olives tart taste. After cooking there will be no bitterness in the dish. The food will be tasty, but a lot valuable properties will disappear. Therefore, for frying and stewing, you should choose refined oil. All dishes with it turn out tasty and aromatic.

Thus, olive oil is bitter - this is normal, since fresh fruits have a bitter, tart taste. After cold pressing, this property is retained. It is advisable to use the product immediately; it should not be stored only for special occasions. The oil will be useful only after opening the bottle.

Benefit

The healing properties of the oil were noted by Hippocrates; Aristotle was the first to use it in treating people. And Cleopatra took one spoon of the product on an empty stomach for health. The benefits are as follows:

  1. The presence of healthy fatty acids, the main of which is oleic.
  2. Reducing blood cholesterol levels and improving gastrointestinal function.
  3. Treatment of heart diseases.
  4. The oil is absorbed 100%.
  5. Skin treatment and stretch mark removal.

To improve your health, you should definitely include this product in your diet. Olive oil tastes bitter, and this is considered normal. If you try it for the first time, it may seem strange, but over time the body gets used to it.

Application

Due to its beneficial properties, the product is used in different areas. It is in demand in cooking, cosmetology and folk medicine. Olive oil is used for cooking: it is added to salads, side dishes, sauces and soups. It has unusual taste. Should olive oil taste bitter when eaten? This is considered normal as fresh olives taste this way. But in combination with other products you get a bright taste.

A popular industry where oil is used is cosmetology. This valuable oil product will be an excellent nutrient for healthy and youthful skin. The oil is used to obtain cosmetics- creams, gels, shampoos.

In folk medicine, oil occupies a special position. Since ancient times it has been used for treatment various diseases due to its medicinal properties.

Choice

How to choose non-bitter olive oil? You need to pay attention that the packaging says Refined olive oil. Such a product does not have bitterness after long-term processing. When purchasing, it is important to pay attention to the following nuances:

  1. Bottle. It shouldn't be plastic. The goods must be taken only in dark glass.
  2. Label. It is important to familiarize yourself with the composition. It is necessary that oleic acid be at least 55%, and even better 83%.
  3. Acid number. This indicator indicates the presence of free fatty acids. The higher it is, the lower the quality. If you buy Extra Virgin, then no more than 1.5, and even better 0.5.
  4. Peroxide number. In Extra Virgin it should be no more than 20 mmol/kg. This indicator indicates the oxidation of fats upon contact with oxygen. The lower the number, the higher the quality.
  5. Determination of the mass fraction of moisture. The lower the indicator, the more valuable substances. An excellent indicator is 0.1%, and even better - 0.06%.
  6. Best before date. Should only be purchased fresh oil. If it is stored for 6 months, valuable components are lost. You should not choose oil that was produced more than 1 year ago.
  7. Color. It depends on the time of harvest, the ripeness of the olives, and the presence of impurities. It is advisable to buy golden oil, which may have shades. You should not buy gray or very yellow product.
  8. Category. Extra Virgin is considered the best, since the products contain beneficial features. It has not been chemically treated and is also made from the best varieties olives It is used for cooking and cosmetology.
  9. Abbreviations. There are other signs that will help you choose quality oil. For example, DOP (denominacion de origen protegida), created from the best varieties of fruit, and also bottled where it was made. This product is manufactured to the highest standards and is constantly tested.
  10. A country. This information must be indicated on the label. It is desirable that the product be manufactured in Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey, Israel, Syria.

Considering these nuances, you will be able to choose a quality product. It will be good for your health. And low-quality products, as we know, can cause enormous harm.

Harm and contraindications

The product may not be suitable for everyone. In order not to cause negative reactions, it is better to exclude it from the diet. Olive oil also has negative nuances:

  1. For cholecystitis and cholelithiasis The product should not be consumed as it has a choleretic effect.
  2. Oil is considered high in calories: in 1 tbsp. l. there are 120 calories. This norm will be sufficient.
  3. Frequent consumption of the product in excess amounts leads to serious complications: dizziness, low blood pressure, headaches.
  4. The oil is considered a laxative, so mild diarrhea may occur.

So that the oil has therapeutic effect, you need to use it with valuable components. For example, a great combination with fresh vegetables and fruits. Only without heat treatment is oil considered beneficial to health.

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