A virgin oil is a cooking oil which is obtained exclusively using mechanical processes without preheating the raw materials. It is not subjected to chemical or thermal treatment or to any other refinement process and thus preserves its authentic, natural taste and the essential components of the raw material. This also makes it suitable for eating raw.

Olive oil is made up primarily of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (58 – 70 %) as well as saturated acids (13 – 17 %) which are much more heat-stable than polyunsaturated acids (content in olive oil: 11 – 15 %). This means that Olive oil, in contrast to other vegetable oils like Flaxseed or Walnut oil, is very well suited to frying. But Olive oil can strongly influence the taste of the fried goods. If you dislike the taste of Olive oil, you can use our BIO PLANÈTE Cooking & Frying Olive Oil, which is designed especially for this purpose.
But as for all oils: do not heat beyond the smoke point! In addition, only filtered Olive oils should be used for frying because otherwise, the suspended particles may lower the smoke point. Therefore, our unfiltered Olive Oil Fraîcheur is not suitable for frying.

 

Olive oil is a little bit like wine: the character of each Olive oil is strongly influenced by the variety used and by the typical traditional and cultural influences of the region. But the climatic conditions in each harvest year also play a special role in relation to taste. As a result, the profile of each Olive oil – like that of wine – is slightly different every year.

On the contrary: the more bitter the olive oil, the higher the content of essential polyphenols. They protect the olive from spoiling due to oxidisation. Olive oil polyphenols also perform these anti-oxidative functions in our bodies and thus protect us from free radicals. They e.g. obstruct the oxidisation of damaging LDL cholesterol and support beneficial HDL cholesterol, thereby offering effective protection against cardiovascular diseases. In addition, olive oil polyphenols can block the enzymes involved in inflammatory reactions. As such, they have anti-inflammatory properties.

They are different ripeness levels. Green olives as used for our Fraîcheur are very young and only just ripe. They have a strongly bitter taste and thus a high polyphenol content. Yield after oil pressing is quite low. By contrast, riper black olives produce more oil during pressing. The oil is more fruity and less bitter.
 

Yes, you can freeze Olive oil without impacting on quality or taste. Some of the oil may solidify to form small white flakes. This is entirely natural and they will dissolve again at room temperature.

In contrast to wine, Olive oil does not get better with age. Its essential components, such as mono-unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E and polyphenols are broken down when stored for a long time. This also creates substances which negatively impact on taste. That's why you should use Olive oil within a year or at most two years of it being harvested. The use-by dates give you a safe guidance value of good quality and taste.

The BIO PLANÈTE Classic category includes one mild, one medium-fruity and one fruity Olive oil. For reasons of taste, we sometimes create these oils as so-called "olive oil cuvées": In individual cases, batches are mixed together carefully and based on strict criteria in order to obtain an optimal taste. This means that we can reliably ensure that the bottle will actually contain a mild, medium-fruity or fruity Olive oil at all times.
As with wine, Olive oils from the same growing region can be very different year on year – depending on the climate or harvest time. So they can also taste very different each year. If you choose one of the country-specific Olive oils with a protected designation of origin from our gourmet category, you can be sure that only olives from the respective country or growing region are used. Our Olive oil "Fraîcheur" is also an authentic Olive oil made from Arbequina olives.

Most Olive oil is used as food. But Olive oil is also used in cosmetic products for skin and hair, including to make soap. In addition, Olive oil is used to grease clocks and as fuel in oil lamps.

The smoke point depends on the free fatty acid content in the oil. This content e.g. increases significantly over time for oil which is repeatedly used for frying. The more free fatty acids in the oil, the lower the smoke point. The smoke point of our Olive oils is likely to be around 190°C, but this can vary year on year.
Olive oils in the quality category "natural extra" are subject to high quality requirements. Their free fatty content must not exceed 0.8 %. Other vegetable oils can contain as much as 2 %. In reverse, this means that the smoke point of high-quality Olive oils is relatively high.

No. Our olives are harvested by hand using gentle rocking techniques. The olives fall on a collecting screen which the farm labourers can remove. We maintain continuous close contact with our farmers and can definitively confirm that, in the absence of highly automated harvesters, no songbirds are killed. Our farmers grow their olives in traditional regions using old, large olive trees on rocky ground which make it impossible to use such harvesters.

Olive oil should always be protected from light irradiation. That's why we always fill our BIO PLANÈTE Olive oils in high-quality light-protection bottles which shield the oil from light and oxygen. Olive oil can be stored in the fridge, but this is not a requirement. It also lasts for many months at room temperatures.

Olive oil can become flaky at temperatures below +7°C. This is normal and does not influence its quality or taste. If you increase ambient temperature again, the oil will liquefy again within only a few hours.