Olive oil is enjoyed around the world. It is used in baking and cooking recipes as a bread dip and salad dressing. You may even find it in some personal care products. You can buy it in most grocery stores, but is olive oil gluten free?
What Is Olive Oil?
Olive oil is an oil that comes from pressing fresh olives. Although olive oil is often thought to come from Italy, it will probably surprise you that Spain produces the most olive oil, a whopping 35%. Italy and other countries are close behind.
Olive oil comes in several grades, from virgin, which includes extra virgin olive oil, to lampante olive oil, which is not suitable for human consumption.
Extra virgin olive oil is considered the highest quality of olive oil, and it is made by cold pressing the olives to extract the oil. No solvents are used in extra virgin oil.
Refined olive oil is processed, and you will typically see it labeled pure olive oil. It is refined with charcoal and chemical filters. Many with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity may wonder if olive oil is safe to eat.
Check out what condiments are gluten free, so you know what to use.
Answer: Is Olive Oil Gluten Free?
If you are wondering if olive oil is gluten free, yes, most of the time, olive oil is gluten free! In most cases, olive oil is pure olive oil without any additives.
Where you need to be careful is when olive oil has flavoring added. Smokey-flavored oils can have barley added, so always read the label to ensure your olive oil is gluten free.
Also, keep an eye out for olive oil processed on shared equipment. It is probably very rare, but olive oil could be processed where other oils like wheatgerm oil are processed. Just check the label.
How To Use Olive Oil:
You can use olive oil in many recipes, from baking to cooking. There are several grades of olive oil, and each has its uses.
- Add fresh or dried herbs and minced garlic to some olive oil as a dip for crusty bread.
- Mix olive oil and balsamic vinegar to make salad dressing. You can check to see is balsamic vinegar gluten free.
- Sprinkle olive oil, herbs, and lemon juice over fish to get delicious flavor cooked in!
Note: You do want to be careful using olive oil in some recipes because of its lower smoking point. Olive oil tends to get rancid when it is heated too high. You can check my list of oils and their smoking points in this Air Fryer Oil write-up.
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