any brand of olive oil that you can depend on to be the real thing? (health, tomatoes)

[QuilterChick]

After watching that segment about true olive oil on television a few months ago, it was an eye opener about quality. Some brands 'cut' the quality down by adding non-olive 'oil' to it; yes, even the most popular brand which may have been the Philipo Berio brand.


Nevertheless, paying a few more dollars for the purity isn't going to break the bank. And I like the pure olive oil on homemade pasta. Pure olive oil in a nice pesto with fresh herbs and pignolis is awesome. Difficult to get 'real' homemade crusty Italian bread here in the mountains though, that's another subject.

[Dirt Grinder]

If you like it, use it. If you don't like it, don't use it.

[silibran]

Originally Posted by nmnita

I often wonder if we have been all sold a bill of goods on oils. One study says this, a doctor says that and a cook on who knows what show says something else. I will probably continue to use olive oil for salads but go back to good old oil, oil, yes, like canola for cooking.

I took an awful lot of grief from my kids when I used grocery store canola oil for sauteeing. So I found organic, cold pressed non GMO canola oil and that’s what I use now for sauteeing. Canola oil has a high smoke point, and works better than olive oil does for this purpose, IMO.

[jimazee]

Originally Posted by silibran

I took an awful lot of grief from my kids when I used grocery store canola oil for sauteeing. So I found organic, cold pressed non GMO canola oil and that’s what I use now for sauteeing. Canola oil has a high smoke point, and works better than olive oil does for this purpose, IMO.

We buy and like the California Olive Ranch brand but still occasionally use a canola oil for some cooking.

Here's a short article about the two types.
olive-oil-vs-canola-oil

...and a more critical article on canola oil.
Canola oil Dr. Axe

... then another much less critical
Canola oil WebMD

It appears there are many variations and opinions (and articles) on it as well. Draw your own conclusions.

Then there is the question of what oil to use for baking.

[Miss Hepburn]

I do think if anyone looked up canola oil on the many websites available they would never use it.
We think we are being so good, staying away from Gmo's and doing cold pressed...but..
there's more to it, so sorry to say. :[

[jaminhealth]

Originally Posted by silibran

I took an awful lot of grief from my kids when I used grocery store canola oil for sauteeing. So I found organic, cold pressed non GMO canola oil and that’s what I use now for sauteeing. Canola oil has a high smoke point, and works better than olive oil does for this purpose, IMO.

I never used Canola and over yrs I read a lot of negative reviews on canola in general, organics or not. It's interesting now that canola people have added "organic" to their brands.

[evening sun]

I never buy Italian olive oil, the mafia is making money by diluting it with inferior oils. I stick to local California organic olive oil.

[silibran]

Originally Posted by jimazee

We buy and like the California Olive Ranch brand but still occasionally use a canola oil for some cooking.

Here's a short article about the two types.
olive-oil-vs-canola-oil

...and a more critical article on canola oil.
Canola oil Dr. Axe

... then another much less critical
Canola oil WebMD

It appears there are many variations and opinions (and articles) on it as well. Draw your own conclusions.

Then there is the question of what oil to use for baking.

Oh, I know—how to choose fats for baking with all the conflicting info. Since I now bake so rarely, I just made up my mind to use butter. If I baked a lot, I would probably use some butter and some oil. Even my old recipes that call for shortening I now simply use butter. Sure it is saturated, but it isn’t hydrogenated! And baked goods are not health foods; in our house, they are treats eaten rarely.

[silibran]

Originally Posted by jaminhealth

I never used Canola and over yrs I read a lot of negative reviews on canola in general, organice or not.

People get confused about what canola is. You can buy non GMO, organic canola. Canola oil is gotten from a hybrid plant, not a genetically modified plant.

I’ve read the doggonest things, like it has an awful smell and leaves a funky taste. Not true at all. It has no taste. It has a high smoke point. It is often grown by smaller farmers, though that is not guaranteed. But if it is guaranteed organic, it has to have been carefully grown.

I like tasting the olive oil I use. I think cooking with it is a waste, and besides, olive oil has a lower smoke point.

[greatblueheron]

Butter makes everything better.


[/b]

Originally Posted by silibran

Oh, I know—how to choose fats for baking with all the conflicting info. Since I now bake so rarely, I just made up my mind to use butter. If I baked a lot, I would probably use some butter and some oil. Even my old recipes that call for shortening I now simply use butter. Sure it is saturated, but it isn’t hydrogenated! And baked goods are not health foods; in our house, they are treats eaten rarely.