The Mediterranean diet has attracted a lot of attention because of the lower incidence of coronary heart disease and other degenerative diseases in populations that consume it. Health experts believe that it is the combination of grains, fresh vegetables, and the best extra virgin olive oil in their diets that prevents cell damage and inflammation, two leading causes of many diseases.
Virgin oil sources
Olive oil comes from the olive, a round green fruit that grows well in areas with warm summers and wet winters.
Olives were produced mainly in the Mediterranean countries like Italy and Spain and are now found worldwide in countries like Australia and the United States. While there are over 800 hundred types of olives planted around the world, only a few can be used for making virgin olive oil.
To get the best extra virgin olive oil, the highest standards of selection and production are used.
Fruit selection
The olives are carefully selected using the following criteria:
1. Appearance: Only those that are not damaged or bruised will be picked for production.
2. Maturity: The fruit must neither be under-ripe nor too ripe and it must secrete some fluid at the stem end when squeezed.
3. Free stone effect: An optional but better test of maturity entails making a cut around the fruit and twisting it in half to see if the stone is readily released. A free stone effect is the best sign of maturity.
Production
The olives are immediately washed and the oil is extracted under low temperatures to avoid over processing or the application of high heat which may destroy its plant chemicals. High quality oil is produced only if it is immediately extracted after harvest, avoiding high temperature and chemical additives during processing.
Some producers resort to adding enzymes and chemicals to yield more oil from the fruit. Oils resulting from over-extraction no longer contain the antioxidants that olives are known for and are considered low quality. Often marketed as “pure” or “light” oils, these types contain the least amount of essential fatty acids and polyphenols that experts no longer consider as healthy.
What makes virgin oil the best
Polyphenols or antioxidants that occur naturally in plants are abundantly found in virgin oil. These compounds that are responsible for protecting the oil from oxidation also work against oxidative stress in the human body, a leading cause of cell damage and most degenerative diseases.
A growing number of studies show its protective effects against diseases like inflammatory bowel disease, coronary heart disease, and sunburn which are why health experts recommend only consuming the best extra virgin olive oil.
A Coffee Grinder Is The Perfect Accessory
By · CommentsCoffee purists will invariably tell you that the best coffee originates from beans ground immediately before the coffee is brewed. This is a common statement that experienced coffee drinkers know by heart. It makes sense, therefore, that no kitchen can be complete without a coffee grinder equal to the job of transforming your preferred beans into a perfect cup of espresso.
What Makes A Great Coffee Grinder?
In the world of the coffee grinder presently there are two basic styles: burr grinders and blade grinders. What differentiates the alternatives is actually how the beans are prepared. Burr grinders use, obviously, burrs, that resemble plates with gears on them. One of the burrs spins and grinds the coffee beans against the other burr, which is stationary. A blade coffee grinder utilizes a spinning blade to grind the beans.
On the subject of excellent coffee, there are numerous factors that affect the finished product. The most important of these are heat and uniformity. Considering that the process of grinding coffee is comparatively violent, both burr and blade grinders generate some warmth. Heat is undesirable in a coffee grinder as it causes damage to the coffee. The faster the grinding process, the more heat that becomes imparted to the coffee. Finer grinds also accumulate heat due to the extra time they spend being ground.
One way around the difficulty associated with heat is to buy an overpriced but amazing low-speed burr grinder. The reduced speed could mean it requires slightly longer to change your coffee beans into ground coffee, but virtually anyone who has used one of these beauties will confirm the standard of coffee they produce.
Another significant quality factor is the uniformity of the grind. In the extracting process, the water spends a certain period of time passing through the grinds. Uniform grinds are much more effective at imparting flavor to the water. It might be difficult to tell at a casual glance, but blade grinders perform a poor job of producing a standard grind. Burr grinders, conversely, produce exceptionally uniform grinds, providing a significantly better cup of coffee.
Undoubtedly, when choosing a coffee grinder, the burr coffee grinder is the ideal solution. A few of the higher-end brands may cost several hundred dollars, putting them outside the reach of many shoppers. This does not mean that a limited spending budget always will get an inadequate coffee grinder. A number of websites offering burr grinders have styles below $100. While that may appear somewhat pricey, it is an investment in improving a daily habit, and who is able to place a dollar value on a better cup of espresso each day?
Learning About Homemade Wine Making
By · CommentsAt one time, wine making was a popular hobby that was undertaken by many immigrants to the United States during the early part of the 20th century. In time, this hobby somewhat faded away from popularity and this was a shame. Homemade wine is not only wonderful to drink it is also a great deal of fun to make. Thankfully, the popularity of homemade wine has increased tremendously in recent years and more and more people are taking to it as a fun hobby that has the fringe benefit of supplying unlimited quantities of wine and spirits! And, no, this is no where near as hard of a hobby as many people may think
The Different Types
There are a number of different types of homemade wine one can make and they include the traditional grape wine, or vegetable wine or even the very popular dandelion wine that was common in Italian households in generations past. Of course, there are also other types of wine that one can make and the type of wine that one opts to make is only limited by personal taste and preferences. So, the sky is really the limit when it comes to the different flavors and brands of wine you can make.
It is important to remember that each wine recipe tends to differ, especially between fruit wines and flower or grain wines. You will need to find out the specific directions from the particular recipe that you use, in order to ensure your wine turns out as best as possible. When fruit wine making there are many different types of fruits that you can use then add a personalized label to each bottle. You may also want to note the dates that you made each bottle of wine, as aged wine always tastes better and so you can drink the older bottles first.
With red wine, once the grapes are crushed and the needed sugar and yeast are added, the peels remain in the juice throughout the fermentation processed. They are removed when the juice is strained to be put into the bottles. For homemade wine making, the peels are removed before the fermentation process begins, and the wine is usually not fermented in wood barrels. When making rose wines, the peels are removed about half-way through the process and then allowed to ferment before being transferred to bottles.
The art of wine making is an ancient one, with proof showing it has been around for thousands of years. Many families have been involved in wine making on a personal level for many generations while some other are just realizing the fun and excitement they can experience by making their own beverage.
Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
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- Classic cookbook with classic, no fail recipes.
Product Description
All proceeds go to Sophie’s Circle, a non profit animal welfare org.
Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook
