Across the board, are ALL oils really that different when you compare the organic vs. the non-organic versions of them? Is organic extra virgin olive oil that different from regular extra virgin olive oil, or organic canola oil that different than regular canola oil?

The answer really depends on the type of oil and the fruit or seed used to produce it, and requires that we dive a little deeper.

How you store your bulk olive oil can’t just be an afterthought once it delivers. Getting olive oil and storing it in the wrong conditions is like buying ice cream from the store and taking 8 hours to get home and put it into the freezer.

You have to plan what you’re going to do with it before you buy -- in particular if you are a manufacturer, because there's more oil (and money) at stake. But manufacturer or home chef aside, the same still applies. 

Respect olive oil's proper storage conditions, and you will enjoy it -- in its freshest form -- for as long as possible.

Did you know there is a certain way you should taste olive oil?  Olive oil, in particular, has a specific way that it should be tasted to get the full effect and nuance of its flavors -- just like you would with wine.

We love to train both staff and customers on the proper way of tasting.  Here is a quick run down of how to do it like the professionals.

Choosing the right suppliers can have a huge impact on the bottom line for your company. The decisions you make about your vendors can impact your pricing structure, the raw ingredient inventory you hold, cash planning, the overall quality of your product, as well as your company's profitability!  Choices around this topic touch so many parts of your business. So today, we want to help you with the guidelines for a new supplier evaluation. 

These are the questions that, as a buyer, you should be asking yourself as you are evaluating new vendors for bulk ingredient supply.  You may be sourcing oils or you may be sourcing something else; this analysis process should look pretty similar across the board.  Let's dig in!

If you were used to eating cereal with skim milk for years, you would sure notice if you poured heavy cream on that cereal instead of your routine skim milk. You would find yourself in for quite a rude awakening!

Like every food -- how the milk or cream is produced, what it comes from and any of its further processing all comes together to create unique product traits. These characteristics make each make product taste and feel different from each other even though they all still come from the same raw ingredient. 

Olive oil works in this exact same way. Each different grade is produced differently: one grade is the first press, while others are refined or come from a different part of the olive. How the grade is made produces a unique oil, and you can taste and see the difference between each. 

Just like in our example about the heavy cream that you wouldn't put in your cereal, you will want to choose the right grade of olive oil for exactly what you are making. 

When it comes to cooking with oil, smoke points are very important. These numbers indicate at what temperature a particular type of oil will smoke at. If your cooking process goes above that, your oil may impart an unwanted burned flavor into your product.  This is key for allowing manufacturers to choose the right oils for their production. 

The accurate smoke point for each type of oil may depend on who you ask.  You may get different smoke point temperature information from different suppliers -- even when they are supplying the same type of oil.  Smoke points can also vary based on if the oil is high oleic, if it's refined, if it's expeller pressed vs. solvent, and many other characteristics.  

We recently received this question on our blog: Is cooking oil the same as RBD?

First, let me explain what this question means, for anyone unfamiliar with the acronym “RBD".  RBD stands for “Refined, Bleached and Deodorized” and it is the process of refining an oil.  The RBD process involves a number of steps, which we will go through in more detail below. 

To summarize, this person asked — is a cooking oil the same thing as a refined oil (or an RBD oil)?  The answer is a little bit gray: usually yes, but it also depends on your definition of cooking oil.  I will explain more below.

The grades of olive oil that are commonly used in manufacturing are not the same names you may recognize from a retail shelf.  On a retail shelf, you typically see Extra Virgin Olive Oil as the most common type available -- as you should!  But if you are not familiar with the lower grades and new to purchasing bulk olive oil for food/body care production, it can be confusing. 

Here is a review of Olive Oil vs. Olive Pomace Oil -- two common grades used in food and body care manufacturing.  Plus one more!

People are always wanting to know about the different grades of olive oil: how they are made and what they are used for. Let's really dive in and talk about the specific grade of Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sometimes it can seem so straight forward when you hear about organic EVOO this it's easy glance over. 

To really understand, we've outlined some basics below about Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil that you should know. 

There are a few grades of olive oil that are commonly used in manufacturing, which you may not recognize from a retail shelf. While you will most often see Extra Virgin Olive Oil on a retail shelf, there are other (lower) grades of olive oil that are sometimes used in manufacturing.

If you are currently researching bulk olive oil for food/body care production or you are a manufacturer, it will help to know the differences between these different grades.  Today, we will walk through how these olive oil grades are each made, along with how they compare to each other.

The key to storing bulk oil is relatively simple. If you can think of a traditional wine cellar, then you’ve got it!

Take a moment, if you will, and close your eyes. Picture a cold, dark, dreary wine cellar with all those barrels stacked from floor to ceiling. Somewhat of a warm, happy feeling right? Well, we know that most wine cellars don't typically look like that anymore. But it paints a good picture!

Painting that picture for you was to help give you the telltale clues of how your olive oil would also like to be stored. Making a note of these (and then changing your storage conditions to abide by them) will help your oil maintain a pleasant freshness for as long as possible.

Have you ever sourced just plain olive oil? Understanding what you are getting can, at times, be confusing to most buyers outside of the oil industry. We want to explain the grade "Olive Oil" which is better known as "Pure Olive Oil" because many consumers don't fully understand.

Olive oil is simply the juice that comes from an olive. The olive is a fruit, grown on the olive tree. Want to know more than that? The answer to exactly how olive oil is made will depend solely on the type of olive oil, or grade, that it is.

We are going to do a fairly basic review of the grades of olive oil and how they are made. There are many ways you can learn these things whether they are visual slideshows, videos, or reading.

For an easy step-by-step review on how olive oil is made we recommend watching the slide share presentation below:

Can you believe it's already one week away? Neither can we...

We thought it would be fun this year to ask some of our staff what some of their favorite holiday recipes to make for their family and friends are. Here is just a few from our staff. Maybe they will inspire you to use them in your holiday meal. 

Are you looking for a side dish that is easy to make but still will make everyone want more. Well, our sales manager Hannah shared with us this green bean casserole. Here is the all the goods so you can make it.

Did you know that there are major benefits to soap that is made with olive oil?

The majority of Americans simply buy the cheapest soap found in the grocery stores and may be missing out on all the major benefits. Conventional soaps can leave your skin dry, cracked or require more moisturizers to keep your skin in balance. They also can contain many different types of harsh chemicals, sulfates and sulfites. It’s a lot for your skin to take!