Sylmar Tutors Come To You

Sylmar is most famous for it’s olive oil, the olive groves were first planted in the 1890’s. Soon after, the area previously named ‘Morningside’ became Sylmar, meaning ‘sea of trees’. By the late 1890’s over 200,000 olive trees had been planted. Fifteen years later Sylmar was officially home to the largest olive grove in the world.

Sylmar tutors often have to differentiate between the different types of olive oil, as there is much confusion about what ‘virgin’ and ‘extra virgin’ olive oil actually means. There are international guidelines that must be observed and they dictate that the olive oil must meet both chemical and sensory standards in order to be labeled and sold as ‘extra virgin’. The chemical standards are simple enough to evaluate. The olive oil is laboratory tested, to verify that it meets or exceeds certain parameters that indicate the careful handling and storage of both the olives and the oil. The difficulty in earning the ‘extra virgin’ label is due to the second half of the verification process. If the olive oil is to be labeled as ‘extra virgin’ it must also be free of defects of flavor and odor. A trained ‘sensory-panel’ is responsible for evaluating the olive oil and judging if it meets the requirements. This testing unfortunately cannot be conducted by laboratory tests.

The U.S. has been known to be more relaxed in it’s methods of establishing the quality of its olive oil. Sylmar tutors believe that up until 1998, when the California Olive oil Council established its Seal Certification Program, that many local olive oil bottles may well have been incorrectly labeled. You may find in the grocery store that there are many different types of olive oil available from different countries. Now if you select one from California you can be sure it meets these exalting standards.

Unlike wine, olive oil does not need time to mature, it is never better than when it is first pressed. The advantage in purchasing California olive oil is that it can be available to purchase in your local grocery stores in just days after it has been pressed. The flavor of the olive oil varies significantly depending on the topography and soil quality and climate of where the olive trees are planted. Some olive oil can be very buttery and soft and other olive oil may seem more spicy and sharp. Flavors of pepper, lemon or grass may be present.

The best time to consume olive oil is therefore when it is at it’s freshest. The COOC (California Olive Oil Council) recommends for the most health benefits that olive oil should be purchased within 1 year to 18 months of its harvest date. Once opened it should be consumed within six months. They also recommend to store the oil in a cool dark place.