Somewhere around 350°F to 410°F, depending on the quality of the oil (the lower the free fatty acid, the higher the smoke point). That's plenty for most everyday cooking. But smoke point gets way more attention than it deserves. How an oil holds up to heat is also about its overall stability, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil outperforms all other oils!

Sciabica is an Italian last name in which the “sci” makes the “sh” sound. In Italy, it would be pronounced with the accent on the first syllable: Shà-bee-ka However, here in the US it is pronounced with an accent on the second syllable: Sha-bèe-ka

We get this question A LOT.  While the answer can be confusing, it's best to think about it in two separate pieces.

Virgin:
The concept of "virgin" olive oil is actually quite simple. It means the oil was fresh-squeezed from the olive!

Technically, it means the oil was mechanically extracted from the olive. Many oils are chemically extracted with solvents such as hexane, so that's not allowed for virgin oil. It also means that the oil has not been treated after production to remove flavor defects in a process called refining.

Extra:
The "Extra" in Extra Virgin means the olive oil has "perfect flavor".

An olive oil is "virgin" if it's been freshly squeezed from the olive, but that doesn't mean it tastes good. The olives could have spoiled before pressing creating unpleasant "winey" or "fusty" flavors, or the oil could have oxidized after pressing creating stale "rancid" flavors.

What about First Pressed?
Today, "first pressed" simply means that the oil was mechanically extracted in one pass, so it's actually redundant to say First Pressed Extra Virgin.

(AN INTERESTING FACT: "First pressed" used to refer to the old olive mill presses and how many times the olives were literally pressed, but today nearly all olive oil is spun in a centrifuge so there is no second pressing.)

What about Cold Pressed?
Gently heating crushed olives is a normal part of high-quality olive oil production, BUT heating too much creates flavor defects, so "cold pressed" means olive oil not heated above 30°C (86°F) during milling.

All true Extra Virgin Olive Oil is "first cold pressed", so while it sounds good, you don't need to look for it on the label.

What about all of the other technical jargon?
There is a long list of chemical criteria (like free-fatty acid or peroxide value) used for testing olive oil,  but they do not have anything to do with the meaning.  They are simply enforcers of the Extra Virgin standard and that's a whole separate email ;)

Olive oil should be used every day because it reduces harmful LDL cholesterol while maintaining beneficial HDL. LDL cholesterol sticks in our arteries and causes blockages. Conversely, Jonathan Sciabica calls HDL cholesterol the “Roto-Rooter” for our system. HDL’s job is to flow through and remove the bad LDL, leading to lower risk of heart attack and heart disease. Extra Virgin olive oil retains all of the natural health benefits of the oil. Refined olive oils, such as “100% pure” may not have the effect on your health that EVOO offers. Since all of our oils are extra virgin, you can’t go wrong, though there is some evidence that shows stronger (fall harvest) olive oils have better antioxidant properties which have been correlated with reduced rates of cancer.

In a word, no. There are three terms that often have negative connotations that are not necessarily negative: Calories, Fat and Cholesterol. There are good sides to each of them.

Calories: Calories are essential because they give us energy; however, not all calories are created equal. 100 calories from fruit will burn off extremely fast, but 100 calories from saturated fat will take much more work. Olives are a fruit, and the oil from the olive is not nearly as “fattening” as the saturated and trans fats in fast food! The type of calorie is more important than the quantity. For instance, you can remove 500 calories of saturated fat and add 750 calories of fruits and vegetables and still lose weight! We believe that it is not possible to use too much olive oil 

Fat and Cholesterol: There are two types of Cholesterol, LDL and HDL. LDL is considered “bad” cholesterol and HDL is “good”. Having high cholesterol is not necessarily bad if it is high in “good” HDL. Saturated and Trans Fats have the “double whammy” effect of lowering good cholesterol and raising bad cholesterol. This is obviously bad, and should be avoided. Unsaturated fats do not have the negative effect of raising bad cholesterol, but not all are able to maintain good cholesterol. The Monounsaturated fats in olive oil have the opposite effect of Saturated and Trans Fats; they lower bad cholesterol and maintain good cholesterol. This significantly lowers the risk of blockage and heart disease.

There is also evidence to support the fact that Trans fats may raise the risk of Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, Liver Dysfunction and Infertility.

It's based on an old-fashioned term since olive oil really was "pressed" for centuries, but modern mills like ours use centrifuges to separate the oil instead. The idea is still the same: we're getting the oil out of fresh olives mechanically, without excessive heat.

Using excessive heat in the mill will lead to higher yield at the expense of flavor and aroma, so high-quality producers keep things cool throughout the process. Keep in mind, refined oils have been subjected to EXTREME heat, as high as 500 degrees F, in order to cook off all of the bad flavors and aromas,

The freezing process does NOT harm the olive oil. Yet, depending on how cold it gets, it may take up to a week to thaw!

No, olive oil keeps just fine in your cupboard at room temperature.

Not in the way most foods expire. Olive oil doesn't suddenly become unsafe to eat after the date on the bottle. Instead, it slowly oxidizes and eventually becomes rancid, which affects its flavor, aroma, and quality.

Olive oil is a fresh food, so the fresher the better. Keep it away from heat, light, and air, and don't save the good stuff for a special occasion.

How long will it stay "good"? Of course, it depends on the initial quality; stronger olive oils tend to last longer. If stored properly, it can last anywhere from 2 to 3 years from harvest. However, once you open the bottle, the timeline accelerates due to oxidation. You'll want to use your bottle within 3 months of opening.

What about Bag-in-Box? You can ignore the 3-month rule and simply use it before the best-by date. There is no oxidation.