What is the overal opinion on organic extra virgin olive oil (OEVOO).



I use it in my pesto, my dressings, as a marinate, etc.. I have had the luxury (if you want to call it that) of tasting really raw olives and trust me, they are nothing you want to eat (until they have been soaked in brine, oil, etc.).



I have a hard time believing these so called "cold pressed" olive oils are really cold pressed. Also, how they remove the bitter taste of really raw olives is also a mystery (not really mystery, but hard to believe they are really cold pressed).



In my pesto, I have substituted olive oil with mashed avocado and I had great success. However, as a marinate, olive oil is very important.



Should I give olive oil the boot? opinions please

I believe olive oil was originally used for non-food purposes like burning and annointing. Somewhere down the line it came into food use.



If knowing it's not a whole food is enough for you to not use it, then so be it. I don't really like the flavor of it myself, sometimes the purer stuff tends to have a very heavy flavor to me. I may use it in a pesto or something, but I'd rather dress my salads with something lighter tasting like orange juice or avocado.



As to the rawness of it, it probably varies depending on the manufacturing process. Even if it is cold-pressed the friction could cause it to be cooked.



I know Bariani brand is supposed to be a true "raw" (in the sense of uncooked) oil, but then again I've heard that it is very strong in flavor.



I love mashed avocado with lime and cilantro and couldn't imagine it with olive oil. Maybe try it without the oil and see how you like it.



There's nothing you're missing nutritionally by ditching the olive oil, that you aren't already getting through whole fresh plant foods. If you aren't interested in using it then by all means give it the boot.

Sharon, when I make my raw stir fry (by dehydrating veggies marinated in oil), even non-raw people will eat it. But if I try to just dehydrate veggies, they won't eat it, they say it taste like a warm salad.



I would have a difficult time replacing it in many of my raw recipes. It is not a matter of nutrition, I don't consume if for that purpose. It just helps with flavor and texture of dehydrated veggies mainly.



I have used squeezed lemons as dressing and that seems to work fine for me.

I believe Bariani olive oil is raw. It tastes different and more authentic than olive oils at the store. What I've heard is that they often mix the olive oil with corn oil even when it says that it is all olive oil. But I think Bariani is a pretty safe brand.

Cold pressed doesn't mean the olives are raw. It means there are no chemical processes used to extract the oils from the fruit. So they essentially squeeze the oil out. They can do many things to the olive first, such as soak it in brine, and it is still cold pressed.



If you buy olive oil that is not cold (or expeller) pressed then there were probably chemical processes used to extract the oils from the fruit.

As always, thanks to everyone for your replies.



I spoke with Sebastian Bariani and was able to get a lot of helpful information. I have been assured that Bariani olive oil is the purest olive oil available. It is not cured prior to pressing and it does not experience high temperatures during the stone crushing. Also, it taste like real cold pressed olive oil should taste like. Sebastian said, "it will have more of an olive smell and slightly grassy taste."



If you would like to purchase this olive oil, then please go here => http://www.barianioliveoil.com/products.php

Can you provide info on this? I've never heard that - I have never tasted salty olive oil either.

Probably because it doesn't happen. I am just saying what cold pressed means. If someone wanted to sell cold pressed brine soaked olive oil, their labeling would be legit. I think you'll have a hard time finding it though.

Olive oil has been around since ancient times, it's not some new-fangled chemical concoction brewed up in a high-tech laboratory. What's so hard to believe about it being cold-pressed? Here's a little info on various terms used in the olive oil industry:



http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htm



Regarding the bitter taste, it stays with the pomace (mashed olive flesh and liquid leftover from pressing). It's kind of like if you mixed a cup of vinegar with a cup of oil, and then let it settle. You could scoop the oil off the top, and it would have no sour taste, because the vinegar doesn't permeate the oil.



Personally, I love all types of oil!