Frequently asked questions.
Q. What is the shelf life of Olive Oil?
A. Consumers should use Olive Oil within 14 months from crush/ harvest date. Olive Oil benefits and quality decreases with time. It's important to remember olive oil is a perishable food–all bottled oil will go rancid eventually–but it is said when properly handled, sealed, and stored in a cool dark place, olive oil will be 'good' for 18-24 months from the date it was harvested. If your bottle is older than two years, consider starting with a fresh one.
Q. Are your Olive Oils filtered?
A. No - our Olive Oils are not filtered.
We pump our oils into large stainless steel tanks housed in our warehouse. Gravity then causes particulates that were separated out with the oil during milling to sink to the bottom of the tank. This process is called “racking.”
The most noticeable difference between unfiltered and filtered oil is appearance. The unfiltered oil may look a bit cloudy, because of residual particles that weren’t removed through gravity in the settlement tank.
Q. What affects the quality of Olive Oil?
A. Time - Olive Oil benefits and quality decreases with time.
Light - Extended exposure to light can deteriorate the quantity and quality of the antioxidants found in olive oil.
Heat - The optimal storage temperature for olive oil is 60 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm temperature causes olive oil flavor to change.
Oxygen - oxidation of the oil occurs, which causes off flavors in the olive oil and deteriorates the quality of the oil.
Q. Can I cook with Extra Olive Oil?
A. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the best oils to cook with! Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for not just cooking, it is great for; frying, sautéing, poaching, dressing, and baking. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a high smoke point that can hold up to high cooking temperatures. [410 degrees F]
Q. Can I substitute Olive Oil for butter in baking?
A. Yes - below is the conversion chart. Note that solid fats act differently than liquid fats. When substituting liquid for liquid (such as veg oil) the results are the same. When substituting solid to liquid there may be a change in texture and crispiness.
Q. Are your Olive Oils Kosher?
A. Yes - Our EVOO's and our Custom blend Oils are certified - Kosher [Pareve]
Q. Are your Olive Oils Gluten-Free?
A. Yes - All our Olive Oils are gluten-free.
Q. Are your Olive Oils Dairy Free?
A. Yes - All our Olive Oils are dairy-free.
Q. Is your butter olive oil dairy-free?
A. Yes - the butter flavor is derived from a plant-based natural essential oil. Proprietary blend of botanical herbs.
Q. Is your butter olive oil soy-free?
A. Yes - the butter flavor is derived from a plant-based natural essential oil. All our flavored oils are soy-free and this is listed in our allergen statement.
Q. Are your balsamic vinegars Kosher?
A. No - our balsamic vinegars are not Kosher certified.
Q. Are your balsamic vinegars Gluten-Free?
A. Yes - All our balsamic vinegars are gluten-free.
Q. Are your balsamic vinegars Dairy-Free?
A. Yes - All our balsamic vinegars are dairy-free.
Q. Are your balsamic vinegars Vegan?
A. Yes - they are both Dairy-Free and Vegan.
Q. Is there added sugar to your balsamic vinegars?
A. No - the sugar found in the balsamic vinegars are natural sugars from the fruit/ plant /ingredient. We do not add any artificial colors, artificial flavors, ingredients, or preservatives to our products. Products are all-natural.
Q. Are your balsamic vinegars pasteurized?
A. No - our balsamic vinegars are unpasteurized therefore contain antimicrobial compounds, acetic acid, and antioxidants.
Q. What is the shelf life of your balsamic vinegars?
A. We recommend 5 years. The acidity in the vinegar acts as a natural preservative. We suggest to use within 5 years to obtain the best flavor profile. Vinegars do not really expire they simply become more acidic causing a change of appearance and flavor.
Q. What is the "Mother" in balsamic vinegar?
A. Mother of vinegar[1] - also called Mycoderma aceti (a New Latin expression, from the Greek μὑκης (fungus) plus δἐρμα (skin), and the Latin aceti (of the acid)[2] - is a substance composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, which turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air. It is added to wine, cider, or other alcoholic liquids to produce vinegar.
Mother of vinegar can also form in store-bought vinegar if there is some non-fermented sugar and/or alcohol
contained in the vinegar. While not appetizing in appearance, mother of vinegar is completely harmless and the surrounding vinegar does not have to be discarded because of it. It can be filtered out using a coffee filter, used to start a bottle of vinegar, or simply left in and ignored.
Q. Can you define what natural flavor is on the ingredients?
A. Natural flavors are derived from the fruit/ herb themselves - botanical essential oils.
Q. What are natural sulfites (found in Balsamic Vinegar)?
A. Natural sulfites develop naturally as a by-product of fermentation. Sulfites are chemical compounds found in nature, they preserve food and prevent bacterial growth. Naturally occurring sulfites are generated in very small amounts ranging from 6-40 ppm.
Q. Do your Balsamic Vinegar's contain soy lecithin?
A. No, they are soy-free as stated in our allergen statement. This applies to both the White and the Dark Balsamic Vinegars.
Q. What is the difference between White Balsamic and Dark Balsamic?
A. Dark Balsamic Vinegar is made with Trebbiano grapes and on occasion with some Lambrusco grape must. The balsamic undergoes cooking and caramelizing in a copper kettle over an open wood fire before being aged the traditional Solera Method - Modena, Italy. The balsamic is placed in old wood barrels that previously held older batches of aged balsamic vinegar. These barrels, similar to wine barrels, are made from different woods including oak, chestnut, acacia, cherry, mulberry, ash, and juniper. These woods add character to the vinegar.
White Balsamic Vinegar is made by blending white grape must with 100% Italian barreled aged white wine vinegar, both made from Albana, Trebbiano, and Montuni grapes which grow exclusively in the region of Modena, Italy. The traditionally cooked grape must is then lightly filtered to remove any skins from the cooked must and is placed into new white oak barrels for aging. The white balsamic condimento is less complex and has not been caramelized over an open wood fire in copper kettles, as the dark condimento has been.
Q. FODMAP diet and the use of garlic in our products:
A. Our garlic olive oil and several of our other oils such as the Tuscan Herb use essential oil of garlic which is distilled.
Q. What is the base oil of the infused varieties:
A. The base oil is always an Arbequina, as this variety is mild in bitterness and intensity. The base oil changes every 6 months just like our EVOO change. During the Northern Hemisphere harvest the base oil is a Portuguese Arbequina, when the harvest is during the Southern Hemisphere the base oil changes to a Chilean Arbequina. The rotation is done usually when the bulk of the oils change hemispheres.
Oct- Nov crush = Late January, early February.
May- Jun crush = Late August, early September.
