Debunking Common Olive Oil Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction

In honor of April Fools' Day, we're diving into some common olive oil myths that have been circulating for years. It’s time to set the record straight and clear up any confusion around one of the healthiest and most versatile pantry staples. Let’s start debunking these myths!

Myth 1: All Olive Oils Are Created Equal

Reality: Olive oil is far from a one-size-fits-all product, and unfortunately, the olive oil industry has a reputation for fraud and mislabeling. Just because a bottle says “extra virgin” doesn’t mean it’s of high quality. Many grocery store brands use misleading labels or even dilute olive oil with lower-quality oils to cut costs, making it important to seek certified extra virgin olive oil for authenticity.

Pasolivo extra virgin olive oil is certified annually by the California Olive Oil Council, ensuring it meets the highest standards of purity, quality, and authenticity. This certification guarantees that you’re getting true extra virgin olive oil, not an adulterated product.

Additionally, when it comes to flavored oils, many commercial products are infused with artificial flavors or lower-quality oils, which can compromise both the flavor and health benefits. At Pasolivo, our flavored oils are made through the co-milling or blending process, not infusion. The co-milling method combines fresh olives with fresh produce during the pressing process, such as our Basil Olive Oil. Alternatively, we hand-blend natural oils, like oil from the zest of California-grown limes, with our extra virgin oils to create flavored olive oils, such as Lime Olive Oil.

So, when choosing olive oil, don’t settle for anything less than certified, and always opt for oils that are made with care and integrity.

Myth 2: Olive Oil Is Only for Drizzling and Finishing

Reality: While olive oil is an excellent finishing touch for dishes and drizzling over salads, its versatility extends far beyond that. You can cook with it, bake with it, and even incorporate it into your skincare routine.

At Pasolivo, we offer a range of olive oils perfect for every kitchen need. Our Tuscan Extra Virgin Olive Oil is ideal for cooking meats, thanks to its robust, peppery flavor that complements grilled steaks, roasted chicken, and hearty dishes. For baking, our buttery smooth Soltera Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes an excellent substitute for real butter, adding a smooth, rich texture to cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. Looking to elevate your cocktails? Add a flavored olive oil, such as Lemon Olive Oil or Lime Olive Oil to your drink for a unique flavor boost. With a lab-tested smoke point of 420°F, Pasolivo olive oil is safe for sautéing, roasting, and grilling at moderate temperatures, while keeping its complex flavor intact.

Beyond the kitchen, Pasolivo olive oil is a luxurious addition to your skincare routine. Our Bath & Body products, including the Natural Healing Salve and Ylang Ylang Body Butter, are enriched with our premium extra virgin olive oil, packed with antioxidants and healthy fats that nourish and hydrate your skin. From hand lotions to soaps, olive oil leaves your skin feeling soft, supple, and glowing.

So, don't limit your olive oil use to just the finishing touch – experiment with different Pasolivo olive oils in the kitchen, indulge in our skincare products to pamper your skin, and even get creative with your cocktails!

Browse Pasolivo California Olive Oil Recipes for easy and healthy recipes!

Myth 3: Grocery Store Olive Oil is Just as Fresh as Small-Batch Olive Oil

Reality: Grocery store olive oil is often exposed to a range of conditions that can significantly diminish its quality before it even reaches your kitchen. Many mass-market brands use clear or green-tinted bottles, which fail to fully protect the oil from light exposure. This light accelerates oxidation, causing the oil to spoil more quickly. Additionally, grocery store olive oil is rarely stored at the optimal temperature of 65°F, leaving it vulnerable to fluctuating conditions that further degrade its flavor, nutritional value, and overall quality.

At Pasolivo, we take every precaution to ensure that our olive oil retains its freshness and premium quality. Immediately after harvest, our olive oil is stored in stainless steel tanks with argon gas within a temperature-controlled warehouse, safeguarding it from light, heat, and oxygen—three of the primary factors that can compromise its flavor and health benefits. To further preserve its freshness, we bottle our oils in small batches, ensuring that every drop you receive is freshly bottled and not sitting on a shelf for months. By painting our glass bottles opaque, we shield the oil from harmful UV rays that can cause degradation. Additionally, we offer self-sealing pour spouts to minimize air exposure with every use, preserving the oil’s freshness from bottle to table.

Unlike mass-produced oils, Pasolivo olive oils are available exclusively online or at our tasting rooms, never sitting on grocery store shelves. When you purchase from us, you can be confident that you’re receiving the freshest, highest-quality olive oil, just as it should be!

To learn more about proper olive oil storage, read our blog post Spring Pantry Refresh: How to Correctly Store your Olive Oil

Myth 4: The Source of the Olive Oil's Olives Doesn’t Matter

Reality: The source of the olives used to produce olive oil is crucial to its overall quality, flavor, and health benefits. The transparency of the olive oil production process is just as important as the olives themselves. When purchasing olive oil, you want to know exactly where the olives were grown, harvested, pressed, stored, bottled, and shipped, as each step affects the final product.

Many mass-producing companies source their olive oil from regions like Spain or Italy, but these oils often lack the transparency that comes with small-batch, single-origin oils. Once processed, the oil is then transported across oceans, introducing additional variables in storage and shipping conditions that can further degrade the oil's quality.

At Pasolivo, we take pride in controlling every aspect of our olive oil production. Our olives are grown, harvested, pressed, stored, and bottled all in California—ensuring full traceability and a fresh, high-quality product. California Olive Oil is regulated by law, requiring that it be grown and processed within the state.

We harvest our olives at peak ripeness and cold-press them within hours of picking to preserve their antioxidants and polyphenols. By cold-pressing, we ensure that the oil’s flavor and health benefits remain intact, without the degradation caused by heat during processing.

Mass-produced oils often lack this level of transparency, and it can be daunting to make a safe selection from the grocery store. By buying directly from Pasolivo, you’re receiving the best possible product—no middleman, no guesswork, just pure, freshly pressed olive oil.

To learn more about our harvest process, visit our Pasolivo Harvest page.

The Truth Revealed

With April Fools' Day behind us, we’ve set the record straight on some of the most common olive oil myths. Olive oil is much more than just a drizzle on your salad—it's a powerhouse ingredient that can elevate both your cooking and skincare routine. From sourcing to storage, knowing the truth helps you make informed choices about the oil you bring into your home. So, next time you reach for that bottle, you can be confident that you're getting the freshest, healthiest, and most flavorful olive oil possible—no tricks involved.

Skip the middleman—experience the difference by visiting Pasolivo's olive ranch or shopping directly online for the freshest, highest-quality oils available.