As mentioned in earlier links, olive oil has quite the advantages against other vegetable fats. The big questions are:

  • Can I substitute any fat and butter with olive oil?
  • What about calories, nutrients etc?
  • Does flavor change?
  • Does olive oil alter the overall recipe and final result?
  • How much for how much?
  • Let’s see these questions in total!

Any vegetable fat can be substituted with another. You can go from butter to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and back. All vegetable fats have the same amount of calories which is 9.3 cal/ml. Their difference is the composition of the fat in use, and particularly the concentration of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, trans fats as well as cholesterol and salt.

Comparing, we try to choose the healthiest from all options available and Extra Virgin Olive Oil is always on top ranks!

 

How to Substitute

Butter is made of milk solids and water, so we can’t do an even substitution. The simple guideline in amount conversion is that we use 25% less olive oil than the required butter in the recipe. For example 1 teaspoon butter will be ¾ of the teaspoon if olive oil is used.  If we try to substitute in an even amount, the final outcome will be greasy and “oily”.

If the recipe requires some kind of vegetable oil, we can substitute evenly.

Here is a conversion table:

  • Butter -> Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon = ¾ teaspoon
  • 1 tablespoon = 2-1/4 teaspoons
  • ¼ cup = 3 tablespoons
  • 1/3 cup = ¼ cup
  • ½ cup = ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
  • 2/3 cup = ½ cup
  • ¾ cup = ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
  • 1 cup = ¾ cup

And a unit conversion table:

  • 1 teaspoon = 5ml = 0.16 fl. Oz
  • 1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons = 15ml = 0.5 fl. Oz
  • 1 cup = 16 tablespoons = 240ml = 8 fl. oz

So now you know that you can easily leave butter back in the fridge and use olive oil for:

  • Sautéing
  • Frying
  • Deep frying
  • Use in baking
  • Making brownies, cookies and muffins
  • Use instead of melted butter, but alone(*)

And whenever you feel like to, of course!

 

When NOT to Substitute

Some recipes and techniques cannot have olive oil. For example, we don’t use olive oil in:

  • Wok and stir frying. The wok’s temperature will raise the temperature too high for olive oil and it will “steam” the food instead of searing it.
  • Creaming butter. (*) Using melted butter with sugar or icing sugar gives the pleasant light texture in cakes or creams. Olive oil which is highly aromatic will give us a “vegetable” taste in the pastry which is not so pleasant.

 

Sources:

International Olive Oil Council: http://www.internationaloliveoil.org

FoodGeeks: https://www.foodgeeks.com

 

Frying is one of the oldest methods in existence for cooking food.

Recent investigations have shown that frying is beneficial to the organism, particularly from physiological point of view. Because of this, it has extended to areas where formerly it was not as popular. Whether a fried food is digested easily or feels like "lying heavily on the stomach", depends on the type of oil used, the temperature of the oil and the manner in which the food was fried. Studies undertaken on healthy subjects and patients with gastroduodenal problems (gastritis, ulcer, liver and biliary complaints) have shown that there is no relationship between food fried in olive oil and these illnesses.

Olive oil is ideal for frying. In proper temperature conditions, without over-heating, it undergoes no substantial structural change and keeps its nutritional value better than other oils, not only because of the antioxidants but also due to its high levels of oleic acid. Its high smoking point (195ºC) is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food (180ºC). Those fats with lower critical points, such as corn and butter, break down at this temperature and form toxic products. Olive oil should not be mixed with other fats or vegetable oils and should not generally be used more than four or five times.

The digestibility of heated olive oil does not change even when re-used for frying several times.

The oil used for frying should always be hot; if it is cold the food will soak up the oil.There should always be plenty of oil in the pan when deep frying. If only a small amount is used, not only will it burn more easily but the food being fried will be undercooked on top and overcooked on the bottom.

Another advantage of using olive oil for frying is that it forms a crust on the surface of the food that impedes the penetration of oil and improves its flavour. Food fried in olive oil has a lower fat content than food fried in other oils, making olive oil more suitable for weight control. Olive oil, therefore, is the most suitable, the lightest and the tastiest medium for frying.

 

And finally, an excellent potato frying technique by mr. Apostolakis Giannis (chef of MAICh, member of the board of Cretan Gastronomy network) :

1) Cut the potatoes in the desired size and shape. All potatoes should have the same size and shape.

2) Put in them in cold water for 30 minutes and then dry or strain.

3) Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the frying pan - a little bit below the middle. Let it warm up. Add the potatoes in one layer, one next to another and not crowded. Lower a little bit the temperature and fry until the potatoes take a wonderful golden color. 

4) Place on a dish a layer of myrtle leaves (or lemon leaves, rosemary and/or any other aromatic you like) and place the potatoes directly from the pan on top of that layer. Use only a kitchen skimmer to strain the potatoes.

5) Salt with fleur de sal, or any sea salt blossom you like and let it melt on the potatoes.

6) Enjoy!

 

 

Sources: http://www.internationaloliveoil.org

 

Olive cultivation is a staple crop in Creta, together with grape (as a dessert fruit and wine) and wheat (as pasta, bread and flour). As a consequence, olive oil is one of the cornerstones of Cretan diet and gastronomy.

Olive oil can be consumed as soon the extraction process is done. It is used as a dressing, both alone and as an ingredient in dressings and vinaigrette, as well as a raw ingredient in some recipes. Being the only available vegetable fat, attempts to change olive oil with other vegetable oils in a recipe, totally destroys the character of the dish. Finally olive oil can be using sauteing and frying – controlling the temperature so as to not exceed 210 °C keeps the original chemical structure intact and doesn’t allow the formation of trans-fats.

Olive oil is digested by the body by 98% while yielding the same number of calories as all other vegetable oils that are 9.3 per gram. However, the mechanical extraction without further heat or chemical processing, makes it rich in monounsaturated fats and thus, healthier.

Choosing a cold-extracted olive oil can be similar to selecting a wine. The flavors and aromas vary considerably between cultivars and regions. The taste of the olive oil can be influenced by the cultivar, the annual temperatures, the rain and amount of irrigation water, the altitude, sunlight amount, the ripeness stage when processed and many others factors.

In this area of our website we will be posting recipes based on extra virgin olive oil. Expect everything: from cold dressing to sweets and … cocktails!

Read, prepare and enjoy!

 

Sources: www.wikipedia.org