Where to buy the cheapest extra virgin olive oil?
Does quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) have to be expensive? Not necessarily, but it certainly must have its price like other high-end food products. Remember that for many years olive oil was treated as a “common” product; all were considered the same and certainly had to be cheap. In fact, it continues to be one of the food products with the lowest commercial margin, between the price at the mill and its final retail price.
Consequently, due to this pressure to lower prices, the producer cannot develop, invest in new machinery, or research, which condemns the end product, olive oil, to stagnate and not improve. In fact, until very recently, prestigious extra virgin olive oils such as Oro del Desierto, Oro Bailén or Rincón de la Subbética, were almost exclusively destined for export, as they did not have much demand in Spain due to their high price.
Thus, this paradox emerges where the world’s leading olive oil producing country does not consume its best products! Many Spaniards have taken decades to taste our first EVOO, discovering that it has nothing to do with supermarket olive oil; in fact, they are different products. Fortunately, it seems that the trend has changed, and now people are beginning to recognize that good EVOOs have a price consistent with their quality. We need to understand that if we are willing to pay 20-30 euros for a good wine, the same should happen with a good EVOO.
Also, consider that producing one liter of extra virgin olive oil requires about 15kg of olives, which are often hand-picked due to the complex terrain where some olive trees grow. Moreover, if we want quality extra virgin olive oil, the extraction (milling) must be done cold (maximum 27 degrees), which yields much less oil from each olive.
Buying cheap EVOO
That said, as with everything, if we do a little research, we can save on the purchase of extra virgin olive oil, in addition to being an enriching experience. The first thing we need to know is that there are many varieties of olives, and thus of EVOO, Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina, Cornicabra, Royal, and many others, which are different, some spicier, more bitter, fruity or sweet. The choice will depend on the dish we want to prepare, a strong Picual for meats, for example, or a sweet Arbequina for a grilled white fish.
Knowing this, generally, we should avoid supermarkets and large stores, and go to a Gourmet shop on the street or online, avoiding large formats (2l, 3l, and 5l in PET), as they do not allow optimal preservation of the oil, and in fact, prestigious brands avoid them. Thus, we will look for opaque 500ml or 750ml bottles, which ensures that light has not harmed them and they can be better preserved.
Olive Oil Tourism
Certainly, if possible, we should visit an olive mill, especially during harvest months, starting from October-November. There, we can taste EVOOs freshly extracted and choose the one we like best. We will also be able to understand the complex processes of harvesting, milling, filtering, etc. Moreover, we will naturally get a better price on olive oil than at the final store by cutting out commercial intermediaries.
Finally, consider that a good EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) has a price not lower than 12-15 euros/bottle 500ml. Enjoy it!
From Aceite del Campo we promote the culture of extra virgin olive oil as a Gourmet product that should be cherished and savored like a fine wine.
