Now that the busiest cooking time of the year is upon us, Goodtaste has everything you need to know when shopping for two mealtime essentials: olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Not all oil (or vinegar) is created equal! There are some BIG differences to be aware of – both in price and what you cook with.
Jeff Conarko of Con’ Olio Oils & Vinegars in Austin is an expert on the two and shared some invaluable advice for choosing the best bottle for the job.
One of the biggest differences between olive oil in the United States and those from Europe is the lack of certification for EVOO here in the states. All European products have been tested and certified chemically (for authenticity) as well as for taste. Non-existent regulations in the US means you don’t really know what you’re buying…
1. Freshness is key. The fresher EVOO the better for taste quality and what you can do with it. You want to buy it as close to the harvest/crush date as possible…LOOK for that date on the bottle. Expiration date or “Best Buy” tells you nothing!
2. You want yours peppery. A delayed pepper finish marks the presence of polyphenols. These act as antioxidants and give EVOO all its health benefits. The higher the polyphenols, the healthier that olive oil is.
3. Forgo the clear bottle. Light, which easily penetrates those clear bottles, will make the oil oxidize and go rancid faster. The important thing about olive oil is when it’s fresh it’ll finish clean with no greasy oily residue on mouth. Rancid olive oil (more than one year old) forms a barrier between your taste buds and the food you eat, essentially dumbing down the flavors.
As it turns out, balsamic vinegar is the opposite of EVOO – you want yours to be as old as possible. Real balsamic comes aged in wood barrels and, most importantly, has the word ‘traditional’ (a trademark) on the bottle or the label. If it doesn’t have ‘traditional’ it’s not the real deal!
Balsamic is a natural meat tenderizer, and fantastic as a marinade. Authentic balsamic vinegar is thick and sweet (not sour). There’s not many things you can say are as good with steak as they are on ice cream!
If you’re having trouble identifying a traditional balsamic, also peek at the ingredients. Things like caramels, sugars, thickeners are unnecessary additives to shy away from.
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