I get our olive oil supply from our local monthly markets. The stall is womanned by Mrs Mt Torrens, she's on the stall every month and her local small owner business olive oil is GOOD. Really fruity and a bit grassy. Its nice. I tried the other guys at the other olive oil stall and it was dissapointing, cheaper by about three bucks for a 2 litre bottle, but no where near as good. So i get oil from her every month. A few months ago we got chatting and i asked her if she wanted me to return the glass flagons she sells the oil in, or to just put them in the recycling. She said returning them was great for her as she was really peeved with the glass recyclers here in South Australia for clear glass. She said THEY NOW SEND CLEAR GLASS TO HONOLULU for recycling! Now this sounded very odd to me, 'Its a new development' she said, but 'People want to see the oil, hence the clear glass' she said and you cant use plastic as oil pulls the plasticides out of the plastic. But HONOLULU sounds atrocious. Apparently flint glass like this, clear and pure is very difficult to generate from recycled glass as its very sensitive to any glass contaminant. In Australia, a lot of our recycling goes into one curbside bin; a commingling recycling strategy resulting in much broken glass, hence making the glass good for 'commingled' glass product: coloured glass. Apparently we no longer recycle clear glass here, as we just dont have the population or means to support such recycling of pure clear glass. So we get it made, import it and then we send it back! Madness. Now I have to rethink my olive oil strategy. i think i may have to ask her if she can bring a barrel of the stuff and i can refill on site.
6 comments:
Everything I have ever read says to store olive oil away from the light (hence green or brown glass bottles or a tin) to help prevent oxidation and rancidity. I have two, 1Lt bottles (one in use and one ready to be refilled) Goodies and Grains sometimes have them. I suppose people want to see the colour of the oil.
Or maybe you can bring a bottle along before you run out, so she can refill it and bring it back next market day when you need it? Just put a label on it so she remembers that it's yours.
Yes, I was surprised to see a clear bottle, too.
I get my Olive Oil from our farmers market too and they happily refill the bottles.
Theirs are clear too because they're often given as gifts but I always keep it shut away in a cupboard anyway and it doesn't last anywhere near long enough to go rancid. Its soooo good as a dip for bread with some balsamic and some dukka, especially if you make the bread yourself.
pip - yeah me too, but it doesnt last very long here! and i do keep it in the pantry.
veggie-ahh yes, but that means i have to make sure I go! aggh! but a goo didea, i will explore all options!
greenfumb- yes! thats me too, it goes pretty quickly! ohh dukkah, one of my fave things in life that stuff!
I might have missed something, but if you return the flagon to her, can't she just reuse it another day? Better than recycling and it sounds like she is happy to take the bottle back. That might be easier for her than bringing a barrel of the day. Just a thought.
mia- ROFL- no, you didnt miss a thing! In my own miffed mind i lost the plot! Yes, my original behaviour was doin the right thing. Just swapping bottles, no recycling involved. D.O.H!
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