I was recently sent a sample of The Artisanal Kitchen’s “Three Olives” 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil to try (first cold pressed). This olive oil is both grown and produced in California (I LOVE local products) and is an olive oil made with the Arbequina (native to Spain), Arbosana, and Koreneiki (original to Greece) olives.
While I try not to have too much oil in my diet, I do cook with olive oil and use it in dressings, so it is important to me that I have a good olive oil on hand. It is also important to me that my olive oil be grown without pesticides. The information I received from The Artisanal Kitchen did not speak to this issue, so I contacted Anna Zoitas, the owner and creator. Anna’s response to me was:
Although we are currently not certified organic we do not apply pesticides directly to olives or olive trees. We do add copper and other nutrients to the soil in the orchards. Fortunately, we haven’t had an encounter with olive fly.
Hope that helps!
Best,
Anna
There are many great farmers out there that do not use pesticides, but haven’t gone through the Organic Certification process which can be very costly and time-consuming.
The flavor of the olive oil was great. I wanted to try it in different applications so I used it in salad dressing and when I cooked. I appreciated the mellow flavor and low acidity (below 0.5%).
For more information about The Artisinal Kitchen and Anna Zoitas click here.
