What is Olive Oil?
A brief look into the world of olive oil
What is Olive Oil?
And what is extra virgin?
Olive Oil: The beautiful by-product of taking ripe olives (Olea europaea) and pressing (milling) them into a gorgeous, healthy, flavorful oil.
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The highest quality olive oil on the market. It is unrefined and processed carefully, utilizing cold pressing (<80f) to keep the flavors and health benefits intact. Only the oil from the first press can be considered "extra virgin". Harvesting olives by hand is another key ingredient to ensuring the highest quality taste and aroma. There are many other factors that affect taste, including only using ripe olives that are on the tree (have not fallen) and the time after harvest until pressing which should be as minimal as possible.
History of Olives
Pinpointing the start of this amazing fruit tree is hard to do, however we do know that olive leaf fossils have been found in Pliocene deposits in Mongardino, Italy. As well as in North Africa, where fossilized remains have been found in layers of rock (strata). In addition to seeing evidence from the Chalcolithic period and bronze age in Spain, we can say that our beloved olive has been around since the twelfth millennium BC!
The olive tree originated in Asia Minor or modern day Turkey, where it grows in thick dense forests. It has been spread and cultivated throughout history, where we see olives growing in many places, not just the Mediterranean.
Health Benefits
Is EVOO really healthy?
Extra virgin olive oil is high in polyphenols. Polyphenols are a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Extra virgin olive oil is a particularly abundant source of polyphenols, natural bioactive compounds with antioxidant properties that are found in plant foods like fruits, veggies, and olives. Polyphenols benefit health, in part, because they combat oxidative stress—a type of stress within the body that damages lipids, proteins, and DNA in a way that contributes to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia. Two abundant polyphenols present in olive oil are hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cancer-fighting, neuroprotective, and antimicrobial properties. (North American Olive Oil Association)
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Please read more at
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How are olives used?
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Olive oils
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Soaps (Hand/Bar)
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Lotions
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Shampoos/Conditioners
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Pet Products
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Hand creams
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Makeup removers
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Body creams
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Ornamental uses
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The wood is highly sought after
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Lamps/Burning
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And much more!
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Fraudulent Olive Oil
And adulterated oils
Our olive oils are made from 100% California grown olives, and adhere to the strict quality standards put into place by the Olive Oil Commission of California. (OOCC)
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In 2011 the International Olive Commission (IOC) testing standards for sensory and chemical testing of olive oil was used to test top selling brands of extra virgin olive oil. The UC Davis olive center conducted this test and proved that approximately 73% of the imported oils tested (66 of 90 samples) failed both sensory panels with not one California brand failing both panels. Additionally not one California brand failed the IOC chemical tests.
