How is olive oil processed

Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference. Extra Virgin olive oils are not all the same. Like wines, extra virgin olive oils can vary dramatically in taste, depending upon the type and quality of the fruit that is pressed, the time of harvest, the weather during the growing season, and the region from which the olives were produced.

Connoisseurs generally use the following adjectives in appraising extra virgin olive oils: mild, semi-fruity and fruity depending on the flavor of the olive that can be detected. Further, some oils, such as the finer oils from Tuscany and Southern Italy, have a peppery finish that many appreciate. Colavita is proud that its extra virgin olive oil is the choice of many of the finest chefs — both in restaurants and in home kitchens around the United States. How is Olive Oil Made?

The Olive Tree Olive trees have been on Earth for about 40 million years. Harvesting Methods The olive harvest generally starts in late September and continues through January. Transporting and Storing Olives Bruising and crushing of the olives is avoided by placing them in wooden crates and not in sacks, so air can circulate through the crates.

Olive Oil Production The age old process of extracting the oil from the olives is comprised of separate stages: the crushing stage, the kneading or mixing stage, and the extraction stage. The primary ingredient of olive oil is the oil that is expressed from ripe olives.

In the late spring, small flowers appear on the olive trees. Wind pollination results in the blossoming of the olives, which reach their peak oil content approximately six months later. Thus, the olives are harvested from November to March, after they have progressed in color from green to reddish violet to black.

It is often necessary to harvest olives from the same trees several times in order to gather olives at the same stage of maturation. Since ancient times, workers have knocked the fruit from the trees with long-handled poles. The process has not changed significantly over the centuries. Modern poles resemble rakes. Originally, nets were spread under the tree to catch the falling olives. Many producers are now using plastic covers to cushion the fall and to allow for cleaner, faster gathering.

One quart 0. The only added ingredient in extra virgin olive oil is the warm water used to flush away the bittemess of the olives, caused by the presence of oleuropein. Pure olive oil, that which results from the second pressing, is often mixed with extra virgin olive oil.

The commercial, or non-edible, grades are put through a refining process that may leave traces of soda solutions and bleaching carbons. By regulation, olive is classified into five grades.

Virgin olive oil is that which is obtained from the first pressing. Pure is a mixture of refined and virgin oil. Refined, or commercial, consists of the lower grade lampante oil from which the acid, color, and odor have been removed through processing. This process is carried out with a special washing machine with a constant flow of water that invests the olives. The crushing system of the milled olives is the most ancient instrument, conceptually derived from the millstones used since the Hellenic age.

Today, however, many mills use the most modern hammer crushers, which break the olives by pushing them violently against a metal grid. After pressing the olive paste is subjected to the kneading operation which consists of a continuous and slow mixing of the dough.

The kneading phase is an essential moment for the subsequent extraction of the oil from the olive paste. In fact, the kneading allows the olive paste to reach the optimal temperature in which the natural enzymes present are able to fully activate. In this final phase we proceed to separate the olive oil from the water thanks to the centrifugal force. To find out more about the 5 phases of oil production , we are waiting for you at Villa Campestri, the first Olive Oil Resort in the world!

Now we know well that every city, every country, every region has its own history and also its culinary translations. It is therefore appropriate, when visiting clubs and restaurants, to find the […]. Borgo San Lorenzo and Vicchio are municipalities belonging to the Tuscan Florentine area in the Mugello area , which offer many services for tourists. Above all, those interested in horse riding as a sport can find two respective excellent riding facilities in these towns.

Autumn has arrived and with the advent of this season the characteristic country festivals begin to take place throughout Italy. Color is removed along with undesirable free fatty acids. Bleaching: Using an acid bleaching process, the oil is heated to degrees Fahrenheit. Pigments are removed. Winterization: The oil is quickly chilled, solidified, and then filtered, removing solid matter such as waxes. Deodorization: The oil is heated to a temperature of degrees to degrees F, and steam is used to remove disagreeable tastes and aromas.

Your Friends at California Olive Ranch. Baking Dressing Roasting Sauteing.