Buy olive oil:

To be precise, the olive oil you can buy here is an untreated and unfiltered raw juice, extracted directly from the pulp (and ground pit) of Koroneiki olives. This olive juice is similar to unpasteurized fruit juice. At this point, we would like to mention that olives can be concretely divided into two main categories:

Table olives, such as our Kalamata olives. These olives are large and have a lot of pulp. Although olive oil can be extracted from this variety, it is not as aromatic and delicious as that from our Koroneiki olives.

Oil olives, such as our Koroneiki olives. Although these are small, they have a very high-quality olive oil content in their pulp and pit. In addition, the fruit juice from this olive produces a very aromatic, digestible, and fruity olive oil.

Basically, it's very simple: Olive oil as a fruit juice is a natural product that has been consumed for millennia. Olive oil has always been made from olives. A "kernel oil," on the other hand, is made exclusively from the kernel of the fruit. To produce this, a mechanical system is required that can exert the necessary pressure to extract the oil.
There is no "pulp" in the strict sense with "kernel oils." From our point of view, this fact defines the essential difference between a kernel oil and a fruit juice.

Nowadays, both olive oils and kernel oils are produced using state-of-the-art technology.

What matters are the details during the harvesting process and some subtleties during production in the oil mill. These extensive criteria largely determine the quality of the olive oil. We also emphasize that, when referring to olive oil as a fruit juice, we only refer to olive oil of the highest quality grade, "extra virgin." This is because other olive oil categories that you can buy in retail stores are obtained from the pomace – i.e., the olive pulp remaining from the first cold extraction – which, unlike our oil, may under no circumstances be declared as fruit juice.

With our ARISTOS olive oil, you are guaranteed to get a naturally cloudy fruit juice for your kitchen, in the production of which we have actively participated!

There is no "x" months or "x" years answer to this question. It depends on how olive oil is stored. As a general rule, we state that if stored in a cool, dark place, our olive oil will last for 3 years. This refers to the time of harvest. It is important to seal the bottle or canister tightly after use and store the oil in a cool, dark place. This way, the olive oil will maintain its extremely high quality for several weeks and months.

The polyphenol content value on the label indicates the concentration of olive oil polyphenols per kilogram of olive oil. The higher this value, the more valuable the olive oil is for our health. Specifically, these natural antioxidants protect our blood lipids from oxidative stress.

Simply put, polyphenols protect our cells from free radicals and promote cell regeneration (the effect of antioxidants is referred to as an anti-aging effect in the cosmetics industry).

To learn more about antioxidants and oxidative stress, please consult a certified nutritionist, your pharmacist, or a doctor.

Oleic acid value:

The oleic acid value indicates the proportion of free fatty acids. The lower the value, the more valuable the olive oil. But beware: according to our chemist in Greece, it is typical for organic olive oils that the oleic acid value in good years is on average higher than that of very good conventional olive oils.

K270:

The K270 value serves as an age indicator. Fresh olive oils have a relatively low K270 value. Old olive oils, for example, oils from the previous year, naturally have a higher K270 value. This makes it possible to determine whether an olive oil has been blended or not.

K232:

The K232 value serves as a freshness indicator. Simply put, this value reflects how quickly harvested olives were processed. You can compare it to a sack full of apples that you leave out in the sun. The next day, they will already start to ferment.

DK:

The DK value can be described as a purity indicator. The DK value of an extra virgin olive oil is always below 0.01 and ideally negative. If an olive oil has been adulterated with another edible oil, the DK value will necessarily be > 0.01.

Peroxide value:

The peroxide value indicates whether and to what extent olive oil has been exposed to oxygen. The maximum permitted value is 20. What does this number mean specifically? Some olive growers and also olive oil bottling plants store their olive oil in food barrels that are not airtight. This means the good olive oil is constantly in contact with fresh air and oxidizes. The peroxide value then increases over time.

Waxes:

As with grape skins, Koroneiki olives also have a natural wax layer on their skin. If an olive oil has been carefully extracted, the wax content is relatively low. A high wax content indicates that a high-quality olive oil has been mixed with a pressed olive oil.

Again and again we are asked how end customers can recognize a good olive oil. Due to the abundance, the many brands and products, it is extremely difficult to recognize a good olive oil. So how do you recognize a good olive oil? Here are the most important quality features you should look for to find a good olive oil (even in the supermarket):

Harvest Time/Harvest Year and Bottling Date

Presumably, you want to buy olive oil from the current vintage. Check if the harvest year is printed on the label. The bottling date alone is not a guarantee that it is olive oil from the current vintage. The bottling date is merely the date on which the olive oil was filled into the bottle. Without wanting to accuse anyone of malicious intent, this alone says nothing about the year of harvest.

We recommend: Make sure the harvest year is mentioned. For example, from March onwards, you will only find olive oil from the current calendar year with us.

Single Varietal or Cuvée

We have to be honest and admit: You can't generally say whether single varietal is always better than a cuvée. Ultimately, your taste decides. Objective quality is one thing, but your palate is the decision-maker. What matters, however, is the following: Is the exact varietal mentioned?
Even better, are the exact varietals mentioned?

Basically, the more detailed the information about the varietal(s) used, the more likely the provider has nothing to hide. Why would they? A collection of the best varietals from Greece, Italy, or Spain sounds to us like saying, "We've mixed everything into one pot."

A-brand providers, on the other hand, specifically name the varietals they use to engrain them in the minds of consumers. And rightly so! You know what you're eating, and you like the taste. When buying an olive oil, you then specifically look for features, such as the name of the varietal, which gives you confidence in making the right purchase decision.

We recommend: Pay attention to whether the varietal(s) are mentioned.

Origin and Cultivation Region of the Olives or Olive Oil

Check whether a detailed indication of the olive cultivation region or origin of the olive oil is provided. An indication such as "from EU and non-EU countries" or "from selected regions xxx" means nothing more than that the provider or bottler has bought olive oil from several regions and bottled it in one bottle.

If you read the statement "Italian, Greek, Spanish, Tunisian, Moroccan olive oil," you can assume that the olive fruits were actually processed into olive oil in that country. Unfortunately, it can also happen that fresh olive fruits are purchased abroad and processed into olive oil in one's own country to declare it as *ish olive oil. From a legal perspective, this practice seems to be legitimate.

You see, creativity knows no bounds. The legislator first has to identify abuse or a competitive disadvantage to act. A countermeasure would be if the origin of the olive fruits used had to be stated.

With us, you get an olive oil with a clearly declared origin. Country, city, and village of the olive grove. We exclusively use Koroneiki olives from our cultivation region. Every week, we bottle fresh olive oil here in 89542 Herbrechtingen.

We recommend: Pay attention to whether the exact region of origin is mentioned. This way, you know that the olive oil does not come from, for example, all of Greece, but from a selected region.

Additional Information on the Label

Providers of high-quality olive oils usually also publish more specific information on the label, such as the acidity value or the wax content achieved.

In principle, it is not allowed to publish only the acidity value. Certain values may only be on the label as a "package." As a rule of thumb: the more details about the chemical analysis, the more transparent the offer.

Cultivation and Harvesting Method

This detail provides information on whether it is an "industrial plantation" or traditional agriculture with traditional old olive trees.

The clue here lies in the terms "hand harvest" or "traditional harvest with rakes and sticks."

The background is as follows: To compare it with apples. Here, a distinction is made between orchard fruit and scattered fruit. Orchard trees are cultivated "saplings" that are easy and efficient to harvest. Scattered fruit trees are usually "real" trees with "more" trunk and more wood.

This also makes a difference in price. Industrialized cultivation regions are simply much more efficient in harvesting. This means that the labor unit costs are significantly lower than with us, with the traditional trees. We simply take much longer to harvest the trees and more time per tree. This is one factor why olive oil from "traditional" cultivation costs more than olive oil from modern and more efficient cultivation.

Soil Conditions

You can usually find this information on the manufacturer's website. Depending on the soil conditions, the olive oil gains special aromas. Our soil is stony with red earth.

Quality Grade

The highest quality grade is extra virgin olive oil. On the offer side, there are extra virgin olive oils, virgin olive oils, and olive oils that you can buy in retail. The latter is a product from the refinery.

The Myth of Clear Glass versus Green Glass

Experts from trade journals and documentaries who comment on olive oil tend to advise against buying olive oil in clear glass. However, in our opinion, it is not sufficiently explained why and when clear glass should be avoided.

Basically, the following applies: Olive oil in clear glass is more susceptible to light. This statement is logically correct in itself. However, it depends on how the olive oil is stored.

For example, we also bottle in clear glass and offer it to customers. Our olive oil does not see daylight until it is sold or the package is opened. Therefore, our olive oil can be offered in clear glass without problems. You should only make sure to store your olive oil in a dark drawer. Therefore, you can safely buy our olive oil in clear glass.

However, if you buy olive oil in the supermarket, we also advise you to tend to buy olive oil in green glass. This has a very simple and understandable reason. First, you cannot know how long the olive oil has been on the shelf. Second, the olive oil is exposed to daylight and artificial UV light throughout the opening hours. This causes the olive oil to age faster.

You’ve taken our tips to heart and ventured into your trusted supermarket to find the right olive oil for you? But you can’t find the information that would give you the confidence to buy a great product? What happens next?

We recommend: Pay attention to the statements!
"The best from Europe," "Selected varieties that offer a variety of flavors."
Question: What do these phrases really mean? We maintain that an olive oil with a harvest date has more potential to be a good olive oil than an olive oil with a bottling date. With the harvest date, you know which vintage the olive oil comes from. With the bottling date, you only know when it was bottled, but not which vintage the olive oil comes from.

Olive oils made from several varieties do not necessarily have to be worse than single-variety olive oils. The difference can be, for example, that the producers want to make the olive oil of a more bitter olive variety milder or more flavorful. The goal is to appeal to a wider audience.

But here too, we recommend paying attention to the fact that both the harvest year and the exact variety are openly stated. Because, in our opinion, "the best from Europe" cannot be "better" than a cuvée with a transparent declaration of the harvest year and the olive varieties.

Ultimately, however, the price also counts. Question whether "the best from Europe," at a significantly more attractive price than olive oil with a harvest year and variety declaration, really has the potential to be "better." We claim: A top product cannot be offered at a rock-bottom price.

Excursion: A supplementary note on a specific marketing statement

Specifically, we are referring to the statement, "traditionally produced in a stone mill." Best of all, there's even a donkey pictured on the label operating the stone mill. This sounds very romantic and idyllic, but the quality is in the details.

Olive oils from stone mills can only be very high quality if not much olive oil is extracted! The background is as follows:

• It simply takes longer than with modern facilities.
• It is more difficult to maintain hygiene in the stone mill. There is a particularly high potential to contaminate olive oil if, for example, old pomace from the previous day was not properly removed (this applies to all oil mills, however).

In our opinion, an olive oil produced in a stone mill can only compete with olive oil from a modern facility if the batch is extremely small and the price is correspondingly higher. Otherwise, the significantly higher effort cannot be justified.

We produce our olive oil in a highly modern facility. This is very fast, and the olive oil can be immediately sealed to prevent oxidation. The hygiene standards at our mills are also up to date. Since the mills sell their olive oil to delicatessens worldwide, great care is taken to ensure that the mill is cleaned every day. Olive farmers who do not bring fresh olives are not allowed to extract olive oil here. This measure ensures that only high-quality olive oil is produced.

The price level for olive oil can be divided into three main categories. These categories have been determined by the EU, with the help of measurable criteria. The three main categories are:

Extra virgin olive oil – highest quality olive oil category (no sensory defects allowed)

Virgin olive oil and – more affordable olive oil category (slight sensory defects allowed)

Olive oil – most affordable olive oil (possibly post-treated olive oil, mostly obtained from olive pomace)

At their core, these main categories determine the price level of the respective olive oil. Further price differences within each main category naturally still exist.

Why are there such large price differences for "extra virgin olive oil"?

The price difference of an extra virgin olive oil has many causes. To define these, we must first determine a common denominator. Assuming that all producers of extra virgin olive oils adhere to the rules, then factors such as cultivation method, harvesting method, harvesting time, and soil conditions have the greatest impact on the price.

We would like to illustrate this using the example of the harvesting time: If we harvest at the beginning of November, we obtain an early-ripe olive oil, but compared to harvesting in December, we only have 30-50% of the possible yield. The costs remain approximately the same. Thus, the lower harvest affects the price. You acquire a rarity. Early-ripe olive oil is more pungent and aromatic than "normal" olive oil.

Oil pulling refers to using olive oil as a treatment for the oral microbiome. This is an Ayurvedic method to extract toxins from the mouth. We do not have a medical-scientific report to substantiate this, but numerous sources swear that impurities, bacteria, and much more can be flushed out of the body through oil pulling.

To do this, simply "pull" a good tablespoon of olive oil in your mouth for 2-3 minutes every morning before you have eaten or drunk anything. This means swishing the oil around in your mouth and pulling it through your teeth. After oil pulling, spit the oil into a paper towel and dispose of it in the household waste, so that the bound bacteria and toxins do not end up in the drain (and never swallow it). Finally, rinse your mouth with water and brush your teeth as usual. You should apply the oil treatment every morning for at least four weeks.

The first few times, this procedure takes some getting used to, but you will quickly figure out how to do it correctly. Initially, you can also start with less oil and gradually increase the amount - until you can manage a full tablespoon. You will notice a difference in taste after the very first course.

Is olive oil suitable for removing make-up? Of course! Our team has already tested it extensively. Simply dispense a little olive oil onto a make-up removal pad and gently wipe it over the areas to be cleaned. Super easy! Tip: just don't get it in your eye, it stings!

This is not our idea – our farmers' market customers constantly tell us how they use our ARISTOS olive oil as a cosmetic product. Of course, also for hair care. Put a little olive oil in your palm, rub it, and massage it into your hair ends. Done!

Olive Oil as a Hair Treatment

According to our research and discussions with our customers, the following olive oil hair treatment has proven effective:

Massage some olive oil into your hair ends, wrap your hair in a towel, and let the oil work overnight. The next day, you can wash your hair as usual. Our customers recommend using a mountain tea-vinegar mixture as a "rinse" for this.

We haven't personally tried this yet, but we'd be delighted if you shared your experience with us!

Olive oil is particularly good for use as a facial oil in the evening. Apply it to damp skin with your fingers or a cotton pad and massage it in. Leave the olive oil on overnight and wash your face the next morning with a gentle soap. It's best with lukewarm to cold water! We have found that our olive oil has a positive effect on the skin's feel after just the third night.

Making facial creams with ARISTOS olive oil

If you already have experience making your own olive oil facial creams, you are welcome to use our olive oil. For those who have not yet had this experience: feel free to write to us, and we will send you our own recipe for making a vegan facial cream.

Olive oil for dry skin patches

Olive oil is best used in the evening to care for dry skin patches.
We recommend massaging the dry skin patches with a little olive oil in the evening, covering them, and enjoying the night.