My olive oil didn't solidify in the fridge. Is it fake?
After reading about scandals involving adulterated (and sometimes fake) olive oil, I decided to test a bottle of Bertolli olive oil. Bertolli in particular has been sued for selling fake olive oil, and successfully fended off the case by claiming their suppliers defrauded them.
The bottle had about an ounce left in it. I placed it in the fridge for about 11 hours, and it's still liquid. From my understanding, olive oil should solidify in the fridge. Is this conclusive proof that the oil was not real olive oil?
Best Answer
How liquid was it when you say liquid? Our kitchen is very cold in winter and may very well get to fridge temperature at night time and the olive oil gets white balls of solidified oil in it, and then goes very sludgy, making it difficult to pour, if not impossible. But it doesn't exactly solidify. So it depends on whether you mean it is completely liquid like normal or not.
This website implies that most oils should be unpourable by 35F (1.7C), which is the lowest temperature for a fridge (i.e. any particular fridge or part of a fridge may be slightly warmer than this):
http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/freezing-olive-oil
(This same information is found on a multitude of sites, so I do not believe this is the original source)
However, it also says that olive oils may be "winterized" which means they do not clump or cloud, even at 32F/0C. This is so they can be used in salad dressings, etc, that are stored in the fridge. So you would need to find out if your olive oil had been so treated. I am not sure if this process is just used for oil sold for commercial use or not.
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Quick Answer about "My olive oil didn't solidify in the fridge. Is it fake?"
This “test” unfortunately, is completely false and misleading. Read on to see why even the rumor-mongers are confused on this one. Almost all oils will become cloudy and eventually solidify at cold temperatures.Does real olive oil solidify in refrigerator?
The premise behind this test is that exta-virgin olive oil is comprised of mostly monounsaturated fats which solidify when cold. So, if you put real extra-virgin olive oil in the fridge, it ought to become thick and cloudy. Some high-wax varieties of olive oil will even solidify completely.What olive oil does not solidify in the fridge?
Winterized olive oil is any grade of olive oil that has had the waxes removed so that it doesn't solidify in the cold weather (or in the refrigerator).How can I tell if olive oil is real?
True olive oil should smell fresh, like grass or something fruity. Avoid something that smells musty or rancid, or even odorless. In addition to smell, when you're tasting olive oils, you should recognize hints of grass, fruit, and almond.How Can I Tell If My Olive Oil Is Bad?
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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