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Category: News

Can you use olive oil in a cake?

Many people still don’t know that there’s a healthy way to prepare desserts: by using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. You’ve most probably heard about sponge cake made with olive oil, but you can use olive oil to make other cakes too, and the result is delicious..

CAN YOU USE OLIVE OIL IN A CAKE?

Many people still don’t know that there’s a healthy way to prepare desserts: by using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. You’ve most probably heard about sponge cake made with olive oil, but you can use olive oil to make other cakes too, and the result is delicious.

A cake made with olive oil is infinitely lighter than a cake made with butter. If the olive oil you use is of good quality, the cake flavor is enhanced to a gourmet level.

I highly recommend using Carapelli Organic or Non Filtrato (Unfiltered) extra virgin olive oil for baking. Its aroma of nuts, fresh almond and apple will aromatically complement your cake perfectly. This is a culinary turning point from which you won’t want to return.

SUBSTITUTE BETTER WITH EVOO

Olive oil can substitute butter in practically any cake recipe. However, if the original recipe requires the butter and sugar to be beaten, in order to achieve a spongy mixture you cannot use olive oil in the cake because it won’t result in the consistency you need.

For other cakes, reduce the weight indicated for butter by 15%, or use a ratio of 1:3/4.

If you are a lover of baking like me, you won’t ever want to return to using butter again. Start with a carrot or chocolate cake. You will see for yourself that extra virgin olive oil is perfect for both the flavor of the cake and for you.

What is the olive oil boiling point?

All liquids have a boiling point. I’m sure you have observed on countless occasions how water bubbles wrestle to the surface and then transform into steam when the water boils. Something similar to this happens with olive oil. The olive oil boiling point is reached at around 180ºC (356ºF), a high temperature when compared with water. At this point the oil may get hotter but will risk burning.

Smoke from olive oil

That’s right, although the oil is a liquid, it can burn; it is not like water, which simply evaporates and disappears. Olive oil is constituted of several wonderful nutritional properties that, when heated excessively, can burn and become spoiled. This is why it is extremely important to maintain control of the temperature of our olive oil, particularly when it is used for frying.

So, if you notice that the olive oil boiling point is about to be reached, control the temperature to make sure the oil doesn’t burn. If it starts smoking, it means the oil has reached its temperature limit. At that moment it is best to turn off the heat and not consume the oil, since both its flavor and its attributes will have been spoiled. To get more enjoyment out of your dishes, consume Carapelli extra virgin olive oil at its moment of highest quality.

Is olive oil dressing good for your health?

After years of experience in the kitchen, I’ve come to the conclusion that the dressing that goes down the best and that adds the perfect touch to my dishes is olive oil dressing. Another good thing about it is that you can vary its flavor if you add other condiments that pair perfectly with the dishes that you wish to cook.

IS OLIVE OIL HEALTHY?

Using extra virgin olive oil as a dressing is very good for your health. So good, in fact, that eating it is essential to achieving a balanced diet.

As you are probably aware, olive oil is made up of fatty acids that help to reduce bad cholesterol and also work as antioxidants. By eating it everyday you will notice a big change on the outside – more radiant skin and hair –, and on the inside – more energy and better health. It’s for this reason that I am happy to confirm that olive oil dressing on a delicious salad is the foundation of a healthy diet.

dressing for salad from olive oil and lemon in a serving dish and a silver spoon on a stone table

3 IDEAS FOR OLIVE OIL DRESSING FOR YOUR SALADS

1. Mustard dressing. Mix two tablespoons of olive oil, the juice of two lemons, a teaspoon of mustard, a teaspoon of Carapelli white vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. This dressing is perfect for green salads, and I recommend that you also try it with roast chicken salads. The result is delicious.

2. Kiwi flavor dressing Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a blender, a cut and peeled kiwi, a quarter of an onion, a tablespoon of white vinegar, and a tablespoon of honey. Then you just need to blend it. This dressing is perfect for a steamed vegetable salad; with broccoli, mushrooms and cabbage for example.

3. Sweet dressing. Mix three tablespoons of virgin olive oil, one of white vinegar, another of honey and add a pinch of salt. Add a little to your salad and enjoy the delicious mix of olive oil and honey. I love to use it in salads with cheese; especially those with goat cheese.

These innovative olive oil dressings are a sure hit for all types of salad. It’s just a small example of the many different types of dressing that you can create. There are a great many different flavors. Eating healthily whilst delighting your palate is possible and, in my opinion, necessary in order to live a full life.

Sauteed Garlic and Rosemary in Olive OIl

How long does it take an olive tree to bear fruit?

Throughout the time that we’ve know each other, I’ve written lots about virgin olive oil: its properties, how to eat it, and other interesting facts. Nevertheless, I’ve told you little about the plant they come from: the olive tree. The truth is that nowadays we don’t know much about the raw material of most of the products that we consume. That’s why I thought it was important to pass on this knowledge and tell you how olives grow.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE AN OLIVE TREE TO BEAR FRUIT?

The first think that you to need to know is that it is a mistake to talk about the olive tree in general. Another time I told you about the different types of olive tree that there are: how each one has adapted to a specific ecosystem and how this changes its growth and the fruit that it produces. Therefore, each variety of olive tree takes a different amount of time to bear its fruit.

In order to talk about, how olives grow it is therefore essential to talk about the different varieties. The only problem is that there are so many varieties that I could spend days telling you about the different growth times. That’s why I’ve decided just to tell you about the olives that are used in the best extra virgin olive oil: our very own, Carapelli oils.

HOW THE FINEST OLIVES GROW

The Arbequina olive has an early flowering time compared with other varieties of olive tree. It takes around three years to produce its first fruit. Once the first olives appear, the olive tree’s productivity increases considerably. It produces fruit constantly, meaning that it is a very fertile variety. This variety offers a delicate and fruity oil.

The Coratina olive variety is an Italian variety that flowers after approximately five years, although it can take longer. How do Coratina olives grow? They grow to a large size, in fact the olive is characterized by this, as well as its oval and asymmetrical shape. It is harvested when it has turned maroon. The oil from this variety has a strong, bitter, sometimes spicy taste.

The Hojiblanca olive flowers medium-late. It is used as a black table olive and for olive oil. This variety produces an extra virgin olive oil that delights the palate: it is smooth and sweet at the start, but we soon get a bitter and spicy taste. It produces very pleasant sensations that change in the mouth.

The Picual olive is notable for being one of the most harvested in Spain. This variety flowers early and its fruit starts to emerge three years after being planted. It is aromatically different from the rest, and its flavor leaves a bitter and spicy taste in the mouth.

Now you know how olives grow that are used in the most select olive oils. I recommend that you try them, find out which best suits your palate and pair them with different foods to find the combination that you like the best.

Olive tree just before the harvest.

Is it healthy to fry with olive oil?

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN OLIVE OIL HEATS UP?

Many food products lose their properties when heated. Some of them even change at the molecu-lar level and can become toxic. Frying with extra virgin olive oil gives your food a very pleasant taste, as well as enriching it with its multiple properties (such as vitamins and antioxidants). There-fore, one of the main advantages offered by extra virgin olive oil is that it retains its nutritional properties when used in frying.

FRYING IN OLIVE OIL IS HEALTHIER THAN YOU THINK

The high number of antioxidants contained in EVOO means that the oil does not degrade when exposed to high temperatures.

The ideal temperatures for frying with EVOO:

• 130º-145º for bulky foods with a high water content, such as vegetables.

• 160º for pre-cooked foods, such as breaded fillets.

• 180º for small items that are fried quickly, such as croquettes, potatoes and eggs.

Fried Mac and Cheese Bites with Dipping Sauce

Think of the number of properties that extra virgin olive oil has and that these attributes remain in the fried food that you like so much. Who would have thought that eating fried food could be healthy? Frying in olive oil is always the best option, especially if it is Carapelli.

Source: Psychology Today

How much oleic acid is there in olive oil?

OLEIC ACID AND IT’S BENEFITS

The monosaturated fatty acid par excellence– part of the Omega 9 family – is oleic acid. This is mainly found in vegetable oils, although not all of them retain the same amounts. If you would like to know how much oleic acid there is in olive oil, I can tell you that this oil is considered the richest, most natural and direct source for consuming this fatty acid.

Oleic acid is essential for good health. It is responsible for reducing bad cholesterol, and for increasing good cholesterol. This is how is protects the cardiovascular system and prevents related diseases. It also helps to prevent gallstones in the liver. This is why eating it is essential for a healthy life.

Olive oil with bread on a wooden table.

EXACTLY HOW MUCH OLEIC ACID IS THERE IN OLIVE OIL?

As you probably know, olive oil is one of the most stable oils. This means that its oleic acid content is rather high; so high, in fact, that it is the main component of this oil. But, specifically, how much oleic acid is there in olive oil? Its percentage is between 66% and 78%. This percentage depends on the type of oil and the climate it comes from.

Carapelli cares about your health and well-being, and that is why are oils are of the highest quality. I recommend that you have two tablespoons of olive oil each day – whether in salad, in a milkshake, in a stew or when frying – so that you consume the necessary oleic acid and enjoy good health.

Source: FDA

Our best EVOO – Extra Virgin olive oils reviewed

LET YOUR PALATE ENJOY THE FINEST

All our oils are of the highest quality, and it is hard to crown one as the best. I’ve been thinking about which of them could be the best EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), and after tirelessly trying all of them, I’ve chosen the three that, in my opinion, are the best on offer.

THE ART OF CARAPELLI AT IT’S BEST

I would like to begin with Carapelli II Centenario EVOO. The ancestral taste of olives collected exclusively from centuries old olive trees can be savored in the aroma that they give off. This oil is a gift to the senses. Its aroma is elegant and wild at the same time, bringing to mind tomato and artichoke. Its balanced flavor is a perfect harmony between sweet and sour.

Another of our EVOO favorites is the 125 Years Celebration olive oil. Ideal for your most refreshing recipes. Its aroma has a subtle blend of freshly cut grass, green banana, almond, tomato and apple. It has, in addition, a slightly bitter and somewhat spicy touch at the end that will tickle our palate.

Finally, one of our oils filled with history: Carapelli Founders Edition. It highlights the charisma of the brand creators and reveals how art becomes oil. This unique liquid gold is born from the combination of 4 varieties of olives: Hojiblanca, Cornicabra, Nocellara de Belize and Arbequino. Its fruity flavor, with a slightly bitter and spicy touch, makes it a must for your kitchen.

I invite you to try the best EVOO on the market, and you’ll see how your senses are awakened as soon as you open the bottle.

Why is olive oil good for you?

I imagine that, like me, you enjoy the taste of top quality extra virgin olive oil. Feeling the density, the aroma and the aftertaste that it leaves on the palate is a favorite obsession of mine. This is something obvious, but there is something else that cannot be perceived so easily: why is olive oil good for you?

Oil pouring and dripping to the spoon close up

WHY IS OLIVE OIL GOOD FOR YOU?

As I mentioned before, the taste of a good extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is unmistakable. Taking this for granted, I want to tell you about the properties of this oil, which will greatly improve your health.

EVOO contains monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, Omega 3, polyphenols and oleocanthal, among other properties. These benefit your cardiovascular health, because they cause a reduction in damaging cholesterol and triglycerides.

It is also an antioxidant food; this means that it keeps cells young and strong, preventing potential carcinogenic cells. On the other hand, polyphenols also help to prevent loss of bone density, reducing problems of osteoporosis.

It also acts as a natural antiinflammatory, owing to its oleocanthal content. It can thus be considered beneficial for people with fibromyalgia, and those who experience pain from any kind of inflammation – arthritis, migraines, etc.

Now you know why olive oil is good for you. Given that it helps maintain your cardiovascular health, prevents potentially serious illnesses and is delicious, you don’t need any other excuses to enjoy it. With two tablespoons of olive oil a day, and a balanced diet, your health will improve.

Sources:
Heart
NCBI

Uses of olive oil in the kitchen

I was thinking about the different ways olive oil can be used to prepare a wide range of dishes, and I just had to list them. I couldn’t be more in favor of this product; you just have to see how versatile and healthy it is. It is wonderful how it can be used both raw and heated up, and how it gives such fantastic, healthy and varied results.

THE 5 USES OF RAW OLIVE OIL

1. Olive oil is a part of my diet right from the early morning. I personally love to wake up, go to the kitchen and smell freshly toasted bread combined with olive oil. If I want to add something fresh, I also spread on some crushed tomato. And if I feel like something sweet, the combination of oil with marmalade or honey is the perfect way to start the day.

2. The most common use of olive oil is as a dressing for salads and cold dishes. It’s true that the combination of fresh vegetables with this liquid delicacy is perfect for hot days and to achieve a balanced diet that is low in calories.

3. And what about gazpacho? This super refreshing, vitamin rich drink is one of my favorite summer moments. It is also present in cold and warm soups.

4. “Detox” shakes are also the order of the day. The mix of extra olive oil and pineapple and ginger is fantastic for detoxing the body, as well as being a delicious mix. Or a shake with olive oil, lemon juice, spinach, ginger and apple is another option for detoxing and enjoying yourself. This is one of the most innovative olive oil uses to date.

5. Sauces are also often made using extra virgin olive oil. For example, you can make egg or garlic mayonnaise or chimichurri to accompany your favorite dishes.

3 WAYS OF USING OLIVE OLI TO COOK

1. Extra virgin olive oil is fantastic for dishes that you eat with a spoon, like soups; it gives them that homemade taste I like so much.

2. On the other hand, frying with extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest option for eating fried food, owing to the stability of this oil: it doesn’t lose its properties at high temperatures or become toxic, unlike other oils.

3. A splash of olive oil for making any fried dish is a cooking staple. Whether vegetables, meat, chicken or fish, the result is magnificent.

I could keep talking for hours about the many uses of olive oil that exist. But I think that one thing is now clear: olive oil is an essential in the kitchen, owing to its versatility. Given its excellent properties, and the number of things that you can do with it, choosing the best oil is always a wise move.

Healthy green smoothie

What’s the Difference Between virgin vs extra virgin olive oil?

We all know that there are three different types of olive oil: olive oil, virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. Nevertheless, not everyone knows the difference between them. If you like olive oil as much as I do then it’s important that you know these differences so you can always choose the one that’s the highest quality.

OLIVE OIL

This olive oil is lower quality. It is usually a mix of virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. And what is refined olive oil? The oil made from lampante – defective olive juice – and pomace – residues. This oil goes through a chemical refining process in order to become an edible product. After reading this, you will agree with me that it will be healthier eating extra virgin olive oil, which has a highest quality.

Olive oil in a glass bottle with olives and olive leaves

VIRGIN OLIVE OIL VS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are natural; that’s to say, they don’t go through a refining process. These are oils that are obtained from natural, unspoiled olive juice. This means that they have all the nutritional properties.

Virgin olive oil is of a lower quality than extra virgin. This is because it goes through a degradation process when green olives are harvested. It is still a healthy oil, but their acidity levels increase and, therefore, their beneficial health properties are reduced.

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest quality as it is taken from 100% natural olive juice using mechanical processes and when cold. This type of oil is difficult to obtain because of the high standards of extraction required (the olive must be in perfect condition and at this optimum ripening point to obtain EVOO). In addition, its taste and aroma are unmatched.

The difference between virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil is a question of quality and experience. The most refined palates know how to distinguish between when they are tasting liquid gold, and when they are tasting low quality oil. This is why at Carapelli we are dedicated to producing extra virgin olive oils, to be ensure maximum enjoyment and good health.