Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, olive oil goes bad. Unlike other highly refined oils, olive oil is natural and direct from the olive fruit. Being natural it has many health benefits & nutrients that can break down. Most don’t even think about cooking oils as something that can go bad, but the truth is that olive oil is quite sensitive to things like light, air and heat. Stored improperly it can turn “rancid” very quickly – in some cases in a matter of weeks. Although rancid oil can make you ill, you generally will notice the pungent and acidic nature of expired oil. However a good filtered oil stored out of the light and air at room temperature can last years! All our Parthena products are good for 1 year from the date of opening!

If you haven’t cooked with olive oil yet you have been missing out! Olive oil is a fantastic and healthy alternative to butter, margarine & any refined oils! The Greek culture goes through 2L a week easily, and its the only oil they use! Fry eggs in it, use it in baking instead of other oils, use it in stir fry’s, pasta, grill vegetables, sear chicken, roast potatoes or deep fry french fries! It adds flavor, its healthy and can spice up your cooking in seconds. Olive oil, salt and oregano can dress the perfect salad, or any meal! Check out our recipe section for some ideas!

Filtration is the process by which the microscopic bits of the fruit of the olive are removed from the oil. While unfiltered oil will be cloudy until it settles to the bottom. Some consider unfiltered oil superior because of the added flavor from the fruit, while others say it shortens the oil’s shelf life considerably – especially when not stored properly. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. We choose to pass our oil through a filter once to remove the majority of the fruit, giving us an oil that is golden in color and keeps fresher and tastes better much longer. When unfiltered oil starts to turn rancid people generally start to complain about a pungent taste & a burn in their throats.

Olives are grown in countries that  border the Mediterranean Sea like Greece, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey etc. are the major olive oil producers in the world as well as California and South America. 

You bet! EVOO has a smoke point around 410 degrees Fahrenheit, where most other cooking oils have a smoke point around 250-350 degrees. If you take a look at our recipes you will find some great ideas like how to make your own french fries, eggs and more using EVOO!

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade for olive oil–the best you can buy, it is produced by a simple pressing of the olives, and may be called “extra” if it has less than 1% free oleic acid, and if it exhibits superior taste, color and aroma. Thus, the “extra” in extra virgin olive oil means “premium,” or simply, “the best.”

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade for olive oil–the best you can buy, it is produced by a simple pressing of the olives, and may be called “extra” if it has less than 1% free oleic acid, and if it exhibits superior taste, color and aroma. Thus, the “extra” in extra virgin olive oil means “premium,” or simply, “the best.”

Ordinary “olive oil” is actually a blended oil product. Olive oil producers start with low quality virgin olive oils. For these oils to be fit for consumption, they must be refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. The resulting “refined olive oil” is largely colorless and tasteless.

Olive oil blends like canola oil  are sometimes used as a more economical substitute for olive oil (but not as a substitute for extra virgin olive oil). Because the production of good olive oil is labor intensive–the olives must essentially be picked by hand–the resulting product is more expensive than other vegetable oils.

A tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no cholesterol. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the fat in olive oil is mono-unsaturated, and nine percent (9%) is poly-unsaturated fat; fourteen percent (14%) is vegetable-derived saturated fat. Virgin olive oils also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin E, as well as the phenolic compounds tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol.

The three things make olive oil superior to vegetable oils: taste, nutrition and integrity.

Taste is the most obvious difference between olive oil and the commercially popular vegetable oils such as corn, soybean and canola oils. Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, adds a flavor and textural dimension lacking in other oils, making it a suitable substitute for butter and margarine in almost any recipe. In fact, more and more restaurants are serving extra virgin olive oil, both plain or flavored with salt and pepper, as an alternative to butter for bread.

Nutritionally, olive oil contains more monounsaturated fat than any of the popular vegetable oils.

Extra virgin olive oils are not processed or refined. Extra virgin olive oil is essentially “fresh squeezed” from the fruit of the olive tree, without alteration of the color, taste, and nutrients or vitamins. Because of the integrity of the product, and its antioxidant components, olive oil will keep longer than all other vegetable oils.

Yes! Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been described as “buttery” by many consumers in taste tests. Ahigh qualityExtra Virgin Olive Oil can be used in place of butter or margarine in many recipes. Try using EVOO in place of butter in your muffin or bread recipes. It is also a great way to grease a pan for baking.

Making a perfect EVOO is hard work and these oils are best appreciated as they are. Flavored oils are usually made from oil which is of lesser quality because olive oil is quite susceptible to odors and flavors, and will easily absorb a flavoring agent. Flavoring also makes the oil turn rancid quickly, so if you are a fan of flavoured oils we recommend you make small quantities at home!

“Cold pressed” means that olives are washed in cold water, then pressed at room temperature to yield their oil, without heat or chemical assistance. ( below 26.5 degrees celsius ) This process preserves the nutritional element in olive oil that is sought after. Once the “first cold press” is finished, heat and detergents are added to extract the remaining oil from the fruit mash – this secondary oil is used for other purposes – ie. virgin or industrial oils.

The first pressing of the olives by hydraulic pressure alone yields Extra Virgin Olive Oil, an absolutely pure, natural product that meets the highest standards for color, clarity, bouquet and flavor.

Parthena EVOO can be found in many specialty stores through out western Canada. Please take a look at our ‘store finder’ and find a location near you.

If you cannot find our products, ask your local store to carry them or email us and we would be happy to assist you.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very sensitive to light, air and heat. Given the proper storage conditions you olive oil should last you over a year without any issues. Olive oil is best stored in a dark place that stays at room temperature, like a cupboard. NEVER store olive oil in the refrigerator as it will coagulate and lose its flavor. It will stabilize again at room temperature and is still good but it is not advised. salad dressings and such are fine in the refrigerator but may need to me mixed once removed from the cold. Parthena’s Food Grade Stainless Steel packaging is excellent because it keeps out the light, and air keeping your products fresher longer. Also, because we don’t use glass you can show off your great new oil on your table or counter top without worrying about it losing quality!

It is also advised to NEVER buy any olive oil in clear packaging for these same reasons, clear glass and even 75% of tinted glass does not protect the olive oil. Many cheaper suppliers have been known to use tinted glass to simulate the quality of Italian glass – which has a dark green appearance and built in UV protection. The Chinese glass may look green but does not have the UV resistance.

Tin cans used for the larger 3L sizes and larger are also used for packaging which do eliminate light, but recent studies have shown that the acidic properties of olive oil can react with the tin which ultimately degrades the quality of the oil. 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is very sensitive to light, air and heat. Given the proper storage conditions you olive oil should last you over a year without any issues. Olive oil is best stored in a dark place that stays at room temperature, like a cupboard. NEVER store olive oil in the refrigerator as it will coagulate and lose its flavor. It will stabilize again at room temperature and is still good but it is not advised. salad dressings and such are fine in the refrigerator but may need to me mixed once removed from the cold. Parthena’s Food Grade Stainless Steel packaging is excellent because it keeps out the light, and air keeping your products fresher longer. Also, because we don’t use glass you can show off your great new oil on your table or counter top without worrying about it losing quality!

It is also advised to NEVER buy any olive oil in clear packaging for these same reasons, clear glass and even 75% of tinted glass does not protect the olive oil. Many cheaper suppliers have been known to use tinted glass to simulate the quality of Italian glass – which has a dark green appearance and built in UV protection. The Chinese glass may look green but does not have the UV resistance.

Tin cans used for the larger 3L sizes and larger are also used for packaging which do eliminate light, but recent studies have shown that the acidic properties of olive oil can react with the tin which ultimately degrades the quality of the oil. 

It is a question of quality – Food Grade Stainless Steel protects the contents from the deteriorating effect of light. Even a few weeks of light exposure will accelerate the aging of olive oil. The fact that so many olive oils are in clear bottles is certainly a question of marketing. Tin cans which are quite common are also advised against because olive oil and tin can react spoiling the oil. 

No, EVOO will become cloudy and thick under refrigeration. And, as with wine, we have found that extended refrigeration can result in diminished aromas and muted flavors, even after the oil is back to room temperature.

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Our shipping policy appears below.

Orders also are governed by our Terms of Use, which you should review. At this time we only ship WITHIN CANADA.

Canadian Orders

Most internet orders placed before 12pm EST Monday thru Friday will be processed and confirmed within 48 business hours.

Holidays and weekends are not business days.

Order confirmation will be provided via email after the order is placed.

Large, Oversized, Multi-boxed items may incur additional shipping charges. Additional shipping charges will be added on the shopping cart page automatically. Once the item is in your cart, the shipping charge you see is all you will be required to pay for the selected method of shipping.

Orders are shipped via Canada Post & FedEx.

Expected Delivery Dates:

All dates are estimates and may vary. Standard Ground: 3-7 business days after order processing 2-3-Day Express: 2-3 Business days after order processing Holidays and weekend days are not counted as business days.

Standard Shipping Rates:

Shipping Rate will be calculated based on the weight of the purchased products.

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