For My Fellow EVOO Epicurians

[Gilgamesh]

I used to pour 30-40 ml. into a shot glass twice a day and sip with meals. What you're describing seems decidedly non-crazy to someone like me.

[Rosemary]

Hi All,

I'd like to share with you two CA organic olive oil producers. Apollo olive oil looks very good...high phenol levels. I don't think they have been mentioned on this forum. Their web site is informative.

http://www.apollooliveoil.com/organic-e ... our-story/

And a second company is the Moon Shadow Grove.

http://www.moonshadowgrove.com/shop/est ... live-oils/

I haven't posted much on this forum, but I've been following all the posts since its inception. I deeply appreciate and value all of you for sharing your experiences knowledge, and openness. A sincere thank you.

[Julie G]

Waves, Rosemary! Thanks for the EVOO tips and your kind words. Your support means a lot.

Your post reminded me to comment on the Favulosa from Amphora Neuva. The taste IS grassy with a peppery finish. I think the "grassiness" is simply a sign of it's youth. From what I've read, it may mellow a bit with age. Overall, it's quite good; perfect as a finishing oil on vegetables. As Lilly taught me years ago, switching from a typical grocery store variety to a high polyphenol variety is startling . The high polyphenol taste is quite strong and there is a burn that can occur in the back of your throat. I've acclimated well (I actually love the stuff,) but wanted to warn anyone who's considering increasing polyphenols.

[Rosemary]

Thanks, Juliegee! I think I'll order a bottle from Apollo. They sure have received numerous awards worldwide. I'll let you know if I like it.

[Thx4thegenes]

For the folks who live near the olive groves, you are very lucky, as it costs me about $15 to ship one bottle of olive oil across the country! That was great that Juliegee could get us a discount though! A local store does carry the "O" olive oil, but I never bought it due to it's high price. After learning about the high polyphenols and it's importance in our diet, I'll definitely reconsider. It is like purchasing a fine bottle of wine. I emailed the California Olive Ranch company asking what their polyphenol count was in their olive oil and this was their response:

"Thank you for your inquiry. Phenols vary depending on varietal, harvest year, age of oil, etc. so it is hard to put a number on it. California Olive Ranch oils will range between 90-400ppm. The more robust the oil is, like our Rich and Robust and Millers Blend, will be on the higher end of that scale. Also keep in mind to purchase EVOO that is pure and certified, that way you know you are getting a pure product."

I have noticed that their harvest dates are from last fall, but they do carry the COOC label. Thank you all for the information regarding olive oil!

[Silverlining]

I ordered two bottles of the Favulosa a couple of weeks ago and it is pungent, so I know it's good lol. I wanted to mention the olive grove I usually buy from, Berkeley Olive Grove. Their classic mission is 512 ppm count. I've personally not seen a higher count yet. They are currently harvesting and their olio nuovo will be ready very soon. I'm on a wait list for the classic mission probably ready to ship in January, I think. The harvest is limited, so I signed up. Berkeley Olive Grove is a small, organic, orchard, harvesting by hand and using sustainable growth practices. I found them on the internet last year; Darro and Olivia are very responsive to answering questions.

http://www.berkeleyolivegrove.com/index.php

[Gilgamesh]

Hey Silver. Sounds great.

Note that Amphora Nueva's California Mission typically has polyphenol counts of 600-650. It should be available very soon.

GB

[Silverlining]

Hey G, I did not know that. I'll check out their harvest when it comes in. I'm assuming they grow the mission olives onsite? I misspoke above. I purchased the favalosa, (not favolosa) a South African variety from amphora which has ppm of 499.

[Gilgamesh]

Silver, no Amphora Nueva is a distributor. I actually like that about them. The quality control aspect impresses me. I also, really, really want to support companies that are transparent. Amphora puts the chemistry right there on the website. And most importantly, they support the production of, and only sell, oils that meet the new ultrapremium standard.

[sarahb12]

Thanks for finding out. I am still buying Zoe