Last Day of Greenmarket:Cutting Fruit and Veg samples --and what is GOOD olive oil?

Kips Bay Greenmarket on Sunday carries on as usual--although this is its very last day--a developed has gotten them thrown out as of July 1--, with all the locally grown fruit and veg (we think, anyway, maybe they are conning us)--

And also, I noticed, some imported Olive Oil..

I was just listening to Public Radio show the other day where someone who was an expert was explaining all about what made for good (and the best) olive oil.

I have always known the extra virgin appellation was good, (like virgin wool) but the whole show left me more confused than ever...

Ok, let us see if we can find something coherent and not too long about what makes good olive oil...and let's hope this woman knows what she is talking about...

Types of Olive Oil

The level of acidity is a key factor in choosing olive oil

By Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, About.com Guide

Olives

© 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone

Types of Olive Oil

Nope, we are not talking about Popeye's girlfriend but a condiment some describe as liquid gold. Olive oil is highly-prized not only for its health benefits, but also for its wonderful flavor.

The best olive oil is a blend of oil from a mixture of red-ripe (not green and not fully ripe) olives and a smaller proportion of oil from green olives of a different variety. Cold-pressing, a chemical-free process using only pressure, produces a higher quality of olive oil which is naturally lower in acidity.

When purchasing olive oil, it is important to check labels for the percentage of acidity, grade of oil, volume, and country of origin. The level of acidity is a key factor in choosing fine olive oil, along with color, flavor, and aroma. Here are the different categories of olive oils:

• Extra virgin olive oil:  cold-pressed result of the first pressing of the olives, with only 1% acid; considered the finest and fruitiest, and thus the most expensive; ranges from a crystalline champagne color to greenish-golden to bright green; generally, the deeper the color, the more intense the olive flavor.

• Virgin olive oil:  also a first-press oil, with a slightly higher acidity level of between 1-3%.

• Fino olive oil:  (meaning fine in Italian) is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils.

• Light olive oil:  This version contains the same amount of beneficial monounsaturated fats as regular olive oil, but due to the refining process, it is lighter in color and has essentially no flavor. This makes it a good choice for baking and other purposes where the heavy flavor might not be desirable. This process also gives it a higher smoking point, making it a prime candidate for high-heat cooking.