For thousands of years, humans have been picking and pressing the fatty fruit of the olive tree into rich, green-gold extra virgin olive oil. And for almost as many thousands of years, people have been trying to pass off cheaper, less nutritious oils as the real thing. The earliest known written mention of olive oil — from Syria, 24 BC — describes how court-appointed inspectors would tour olive oil processing facilities to ensure quality, purity, and the absence of fraud. In ancient Rome, the vessels containing olive oil bore detailed information including varietal of fruit, place of origin, name of producer, the weight and quality of the oil, plus the name of the official who inspected it.
Today, all you need is the Azure Market label.
At Azure we’re very careful about the products we put our name on. Every item that is chosen to be our Azure Market bulk brand is painstakingly screened, tested and verified to meet the Azure Standard. Azure Market Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil fits the bill.
Our oil is expeller pressed from organic, Mediterranean olives. There’s no chemical processing, no hexane or heating involved. The olive oil is third-party tested for all the attributes of purity, so there are no steroidal hydrocarbons, pesticides or additives.
We buy in large quantities from organic producers on family farms and estates throughout the Mediterranean. We then pour the olive oil into our new, convenient, Azure Market jugs in order to save you money. Nothing is added — the oil is not modified or adulterated in any way. Azure’s virgin olive oil is flavorful and pure. Plus, you’ll save a lot of money by buying in bulk.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is a staple for many cultures in the Mediterranean region, where the people are revered for their longevity and their luscious hair and skin. Thanks to its delicious flavor and unique phytonutrient composition, olive oil has become a legendary culinary oil with hard-to-match health benefits. It’s a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and has been proven beneficial in many ways.
It’s a well-known fact that olive oil is full of healthy, monounsaturated fats, which help reduce bad cholesterol and fight cardiovascular disease. And some research shows that monounsaturated fatty acids may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, which can be especially helpful if you have type 2 diabetes.
Good-quality olive oil contains important vitamins and nutrients and is loaded with antioxidants. Olive oil is also noted to be gentle on your digestive system, and may help in preventing gallstones and soothe ulcers.
Thanks to a high concentration of oleic acid, which is loaded with polyphenols, olive oil is also known to be an effective anti-inflammatory. (It is one of the few oils that contains about 75 percent of its fat in the form of oleic acid, a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid). So eating plenty of extra virgin olive oil may help reduce chronic, low-level inflammation that’s been tied to many diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.
COOKING WITH OLIVE OIL
All oils have a temperature at which they start to break down and are no longer considered healthful or tasty. The important thing about cooking with any oil (olive or otherwise) is to keep the oil below that temperature, known as its smoke point, where the oil burns and gives food an unpleasant taste.
Extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoke point than some other oils, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't cook with it. (Extra virgin olive oil smokes at a temperature between 300 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on its free fatty acid content.) The average stovetop is 250 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit on low heat, so try to aim for the lower end of that range.
For those who want the health benefits of olive oil without the low smoke point, Azure Market's olive oil-canola oil blend is the solution. By combining one part organic olive oil with three parts organic canola oil, olive oil-coconut oil blend delivers the same great flavor as regular olive oil plus high resistance to burning and low saturated fats. Use this oil to fry, sauté, bake, dip, in salad dressings and whenever you use cooking oil.
Olive oil is one of the cornerstones of the healthy Mediterranean diet. It is very versatile and, with its unique flavor and aroma, has become a must-have in the American kitchen. Olive oil can be used for browning and as an ingredient in marinades and sauces such as mayonnaise, pesto, or romesco, and as a condiment, drizzled over various dishes. Olive oil is of course always appreciated as a bread dipper or simply dabbed on a toasted piece of country bread that has been scratched with a clove of garlic.
As soon as you open the bottle, the oxidation process accelerates and the olive oil will begin to degrade. Make sure you keep your oil in a closed bottle, in a dark container or pantry, away from sources of heat such as your stove. You do not have to refrigerate olive oil, although refrigeration will not hurt the oil.