Those of my readers who love real olive oil will be glad to hear of the fantastic deal available at local grocery stores! I found last fall’s pressing of olive oil from California Olive Ranch is available at my local grocery store (Shaw’s). Haven’t seen it at Wal-Mart yet but I keep checking; it’ll come.

Harvest date Oct-Nov 2016

Last year I wrote about discovering California Olive Ranch at Wal-Mart, valuable because of its (relatively) recent harvest date. I found it about nine months after harvest. While purists stick to olive oil harvested within three to six months of consumption,  I have found the fresh flavor and peppery aftertaste are still present, though faded, at closer to a year. Every time I go to Wal-Mart or a grocery store I check the California Olive Ranch bottles to see if the new harvest is out yet. It finally is, in March 2017.

The 2016 Rich & Robust, pictured above, has the flavor of fresh plants, a lot of pepper afterbite, and a slight bitterness. Sometimes I need a pungent olive oil, such as when I marinate chicken breast or make a salad with strong flavors.

The 2016 Everyday has less peppery afterburn than the Rich & Robust and a neutral flavor. It is a good one for oiling a pan. I have even used it in baking to replace corn oil, such as in my carrot cake recipe.

My Mild & Buttery is from the 2015 harvest but still has a tickle of pepper. It has the faded taste of real leaves. I like to cook my breakfast eggs in it. It is my favorite and I can’t wait to get a fresh bottle.

My family has switched to the Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) foodway. You probably already know this means replacing the missing carb calories with good fats, such as olive oil and coconut. I always keep some olive oil on hand for my salads; I never use canned salad dressing anymore.

My local olive oil store, InfuseMe, has top-notch olive oils all within three months of harvest but I can treat myself only a few times a year. It is also about an hour away. I am thankful to have a vein of good quality olive oil available to me when I shop monthly at my local grocery store.

Does your local store have it yet? Comment below when you are able to find the latest harvest on your store shelves.