The next time you purchase a bottle of olive oil, there are few things you should take into consideration.
For instance, did you know that only 15 percent of an olive contains oil? When an olive tree is planted it takes nearly three to four years before it starts producing olives. It was these facts and many more that members of the Vicenza Military Community were educated about when touring an olive oil factory March 25.
The Female2Female organization joined forces with U.S. Army Health Center Vicenza dietitian, Capt. Carly Eckard, to educate members of the Vicenza Military Community about cooking with olive oil and uses for a healthy lifestyle.
"When using a high-quality olive oil, it can be a substitute for many things," Eckard said. "Remember that when cooking, some of the benefits may cook out, so use some again when finishing a dish."
The tour was led by Sabrina Bonamini, whose family has been in the olive oil business at Bonamini Olive Oil near Soave since 1965. The tour began with an explanation of tree pruning and viewing new growth on the trees. Bonamini oil is part of the protected products of Italy and they stamp the harvest date on their bottles because they are not allowed to use expiration dates.
"We process our olives no later than eight hours after harvesting, the second or third week of October, and work straight through until everything is done," Bonamini said.
Bonamini then took the group to view the variety of machines used to extract the oil from the olives. Bonamini spoke about the different kind of oils from extra virgin and how to properly select and store oil.
"Just because a bottle says it was made in Italy and has an Italian name, you never know where the olives came from," Bonamini said. Both Bonamini and Eckard stressed reading labels when purchasing oils.
After viewing the ancient process of making olive oil using animals and stones, the group was then given a tasting. They were instructed to cover the oil so their hands would heat it up, releasing the scent. Then after putting a few drops on your tongue, you suck air through your teeth. By just swallowing, participants found out it would burn their throats.
The group then feasted on pesto with integrale or whole grain pasta. The next course was raw and cooked vegetables. Bonamini mentioned that she uses olive oil to fry with and can reuse it many times.
For dessert, a lemon cake was made using a very mild olive oil.
"I was shocked that they could use olive oil in a dessert and the taste was amazing," said participant Janel Skrabanek. "I've been here several times and love their oils."
Bonamini spoke about other uses of olive oil including hair care. Eckard gave out literature for the group to take home about different kinds of oils and eating healthy while in Italy.
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