Olive Oil Divine Podcast

Finding Your Perfect Flavor Match: A Guide to Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars

• Greg & Shirley Mueller • Episode 10

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How Do You Select The Best Flavor For Your Needs, Properly Store And Then Use It? 

Feeling overwhelmed by the vast world of olive oils and balsamic vinegars? You're not alone. In this flavorful deep dive, Greg and Shirley Mueller—owners of Olive Oil Divine—demystify the art of selecting, storing, and using these culinary essentials to transform your everyday cooking.

With over 35 varieties of both oils and vinegars available, the Muellers guide us through a sensory journey, explaining how to match specific flavors to different dishes. Discover why citrusy oils like lemon and blood orange pair perfectly with seafood, how herb-infused blends elevate salads and marinades, and why self-proclaimed "garlic-aholics" might want to try both the subtle garlic oil and its more robust balsamic counterpart. Beyond flavor pairing, they reveal how the origin of olive oils—from robust Greek Koroneiki to mild California Mission varieties—significantly impacts your culinary creations.

Perhaps most valuable are the expert storage tips that preserve both flavor and health benefits. Learn why keeping oils away from heat and light in airtight containers should become your standard practice, how cooking temperatures affect the oil's beneficial properties, and why that expensive bottle has a shorter optimal consumption window than you might expect. The Muellers even share that while olive oils remain usable for up to 24 months, their renowned health benefits begin diminishing after just 2-4 months once opened. Their practical wisdom takes the guesswork out of selection and storage, helping you maximize both flavor and nutritional value from every bottle.

Ready to elevate your cooking? Visit Olive Oil Divine online or in-store to explore their exceptional selection, including exclusive blends like their signature melange herb oil. Their team stands ready to help you find the perfect flavor match, complete with a user and pairing guide to inspire your next culinary creation. Your taste buds—and dinner guests—will thank you.

To learn more about Olive Oil Divine visit:
https://oliveoildivine.com/
Olive Oil Divine
2517 N. Roan Street
Johnson City, TN 37601
423-707-7087

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Olive Oil Divine podcast, your go-to source for culinary inspiration. Join Greg and Shirley Muller, owners of Olive Oil Divine, as they share tips, stories and insights to make you a kitchen hero. From authentic extra virgin olive oils to rich-aged Italian balsamic vinegars, We've got everything you need to elevate your cooking. Live divine.

Speaker 2:

With so many amazing olive oils and balsamic vinegars to choose from, how do you pick the perfect one for your needs? We're breaking it down flavor selection, proper storage and how to use these pantry essentials to elevate every dish. Welcome back everyone. Skip Monty, co-host, slash producer, back in the studio with owners of Olive Oil Divine, greg and Shirley Muller. Greg, shirley, how are you guys doing?

Speaker 3:

Hey Skip, we're doing great. Thank you, brother.

Speaker 4:

Hey Skip.

Speaker 2:

Hey good morning.

Speaker 4:

Good morning.

Speaker 2:

Glad we're getting the day started off right. Always have a pleasure to have you guys share your expertise, and today we're diving into the art of selecting, storing and using olive oils and balsamic vinegars the right way. So how do you select the best flavors for your needs? There's so many, and then how do you properly store them and then use it?

Speaker 3:

That's a great question, chip. You know we get asked that a lot because people come into our store and they get overwhelmed with a number of varieties and selection and flavors that we offer. So that's something that is really not a definitive answer, other than, let me say, your taste buds are going to be one of the very first things that you're going to rely upon is do you like the flavor or not? So you know, we've got what? About 35 or 40 oils in the same number of vinegars. So, number one, do you like it? Do you like the flavor that you're looking at or needing? And number two, what type of food are you going to put it on? For example, let's say they're going fish. Well, you know a good lemon olive oil or lime olive oil would be great. As far as balsamics, we've got a jalapeno lime. If people like it a little spicy, of course, anything citrusy is going to be really good with fish. The blood orange is going to be really good for seafood. A lot of the Asian dishes that use seafood are going to use the blood orange olive oil and or blood orange balsamic, if you want to add a little bit of a tang or a bite to it in a good way. So you notice some of the flavors I said, like the blood orange we have in oil and vinegar. Well, we have the lemon is the same way. We have a lemon oil which is a little more mild, and we have a lemon balsamic which is going to be a little stronger, a little bit more pronounced and, of course, the vinegar is going to give it a little bit of a punch. So do you want that flavor and that addition of the Euler vinegar to punch, or do you just want it to be subtly hidden in the background? Yeah, and when people come in, if you come into our store, our team is trained to work with you in this regard and help you to pick out the punch or the subtleness of what you're trying to do.

Speaker 3:

Of course, salads how do you know which salad oil to pick? Well, our popular one is going to be the Italian herb. That's just a nice medley of herbs and spices Basil, garlic, rosemary is going to be in, something like the Tuscan herb. So do you like Tuscan flavors such as rosemary and garlic, or you may not. So you might, you know, steer towards one that is absent of a particular herb that you like, and we've got several herb blends that pretty much will satisfy everybody's taste buds. We have one called melange herb, which is a custom blend just for us. No one else in the world has it. That's a very popular one. That's great for salad dressings.

Speaker 3:

Again, it's just an herbal medley that can be used for salad dressing. You can use it for bread dipping, you can use that one for sauteing your meats, your red meats, your chicken A variety of uses for those medleys. And then, of course, we've got the individual herbal oils, such as just straight garlic, and again, we have a garlic oil for subtleness and we have a garlic balsamic that gives it that little punch. So what could you use that on? Anywhere? You're using garlic from your guacamole all the way down to your turkey at Thanksgiving time when you're putting it in the broaster. Or some people even use it for bread dipping. We have garlic-aholics, as I call them, that just come in here and just love garlic and they leave smelling wonderful.

Speaker 2:

I'm sure I'm a garlicaholic, I believe. No question what Greg does. The obviously quality, but the origin of the, either olive oil or balsamic vinegar, does that? Does that influence the taste?

Speaker 3:

Well, it could. You know we have growers that are from different regions and of course they're going to use a different base olive oil for their flavored oils. So, for example, our Greek oils they use a corniki, which is a very robust oil. So you're going to have not only the flavor of what the herb or seasoning you're putting in there, but you're also going to have the robustness of the base oil from the corniki. Then, for example, take some of our oils that we get from California. They're going to use a very mild oil called Mission, which is very, very mild. It doesn't really impart a whole lot of its own characteristics to the flavor. So that's going to be a base that doesn't really add anything in the flavor and while it tastes wonderful on itself, you're gonna taste more of the seasoning or the herb or the flavoring that's put into the oil.

Speaker 3:

And the balsamics they're all from Italy. In order to be a balsamic it has to come from Italy. So region doesn't really make a whole lot of difference there. What's gonna change? There is the growers or the producers. Who's making that particular flavor. We don't buy just from one balsamic producer. We have several that obviously we pick the best of the best from who's making what, but they're all generally from Italy, so they're going to be very similar in taste.

Speaker 2:

Very good. Well, let's say you, pardon me, picked out the best flavor. You're a garlichoholic and you found a garlic oil that you like. What are the biggest mistakes that people that I would make when storing these products and how do you avoid those mistakes?

Speaker 4:

Well, the proper way of storing a good olive oil is you want to keep it away from heat and sunlight. If you come into our store, you'll notice that all of our oils and even our vinegars are stored in a dark green bottle, because that helps filter the light. But when I store my olive oils at home, I keep them them in my cabinet, I make sure they're airtight, I make sure they're away from natural light and heat, because the heat will actually cause the oil to lose its health properties quicker too. It actually breaks it down.

Speaker 2:

And that's the case when you're cooking with it, right?

Speaker 4:

That also happens if you actually cook for a long period of time with a good quality olive oil. It replenishes those health benefits in it as well.

Speaker 2:

So what is the proper temperature to cook with olive oil?

Speaker 4:

We actually depending on the acidity level of that oil. Olive oils can go up to 4, 425. Our acidity levels that we have on each of our oils, the smoke point, is around 4, 425. And I would do that not for a very long period but a short period of time, even at medium heat.

Speaker 2:

Oh, and then when you say short period of time, what are you talking about?

Speaker 4:

heat. Oh, and then when you say short period of time, what are you talking about? Well, let's say you're doing a slow roast and it's a couple hours, as long as it's on a medium heat, I would be okay with that. I wouldn't go all day long, truthfully, because you're losing those health benefits. It's still going to be fine, you're just losing those health benefits with it benefits.

Speaker 2:

It's still going to be fine, you're just losing those health benefits with it.

Speaker 4:

So it still tastes good? Oh yeah, it does.

Speaker 2:

Now, and of course freshness does play a role, I would imagine in the flavor of olive oil. How long can you keep in the cabinet as far as to keep the overall quality where it should? Be how long can you keep it Well?

Speaker 4:

I will say this Skip a lot of our medicinal oils. What I have researched when you have a high polyphenol olive oil, once you open it, it's recommended that you use that oil within that two to three months, even four months, period. An olive oil is good for 24 months, some are even a little longer, but after that 24 months those health benefits have more than likely to plenish on that.

Speaker 2:

Very good to know.

Speaker 4:

And the oil could still be good to use. You're just not going to get the health benefits with it.

Speaker 2:

And may not taste quite as good.

Speaker 4:

Right right.

Speaker 2:

Very good, very good. Well, greg Shirley, we really appreciate you walking us through how to select, store and create ways, how to use all these amazing flavors. I think one of the missing elements, though, is when you're selecting your olive oil. You've got to do it at Olive Oil Divine.

Speaker 3:

Absolutely. Come on in. We'll help you get the right flavor for what you need.

Speaker 4:

And Skip also one thing we didn't talk about. We do have it's called a user and pairing guide Also one thing we didn't talk about. We do have it's called a user and pairing guide. This will also give you ideas of how to use it and what oils and vinegars will pair together, too, in our store.

Speaker 2:

Oh, wow, All right. Well again, Greg Shirley, thanks so much for your time today and we'll see you next time for some more expert insights. All right, thank you. All right, you guys have a great rest of the day.

Speaker 3:

Thanks, you too.

Speaker 1:

Thanks for tuning in to the Olive Oil Divine podcast. Don't forget to visit us online at oliveoildivinecom for our exceptional olive oils, aged balsamic vinegars and more. If you're local, stop by our store and discover how we can make you a kitchen hero. Until next time, live divine.