How Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Made

2009-05-04T04:36:00.000-07:00

For many many years, going back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, people have used presses to extract olive oil from the olive, the press is used to separate the olive oil and vegetation water from the solid body of the olive. Once these two have been separated, a decanter is used to separate the oil from the water. In able to gain a fine olive oil, there is a process that must be used before the olive is pressed.

First of all the olives must be ground into paste by using millstones, ancient, heavy rocks, they can also be called ground stones. To make sure that the olives are fully ground into a paste, that the fruit enzymes gather enough flavors and aromas and to make sure that the olive drops form into larger drops, the olives must remain under the millstones or approximately forty minutes.

Once the olives have been grounded the past is placed on fiber disks. These fiber disks are stacked one on top of another and put into the olive press. Pressure is then placed onto the disks, compacting the olive paste and percolating the olive liquid and vegetation water. To make this process a lot less complicated, water is run down the sides of the press to facilitate the percolating process.

When the pressing process is over the two liquids are placed in a traditional decanter to separate them, although this process can also be done using a vertical centrifuge. This process separates the two liquids a lot faster then when using a traditional decanter thus completing the process of olive oil extraction a lot quicker.

Once the extraction process has been fully completed, the cleaning process begins. This process has to be done thoroughly because if not the remaining past will begin to ferment on the millstones and disks causing other oils to get contaminated and change the taste of the oil completely. Every time new oil is to be made, a complete check that the press and millstones are completely clean must be done.

The advantages of making olive oil using this traditional pressing method include a better grinding of the olive and easier to pomace as less water is added. But there are also disadvantages that include a difficult clean process, a lot more manual labor and a longer time space between harvesting the olives and pressing them.

Welcome To Gourmet Olive Oil Reviews

2008-12-20T04:36:00.001-08:00

Thank you for stopping by. I'm going to assume that if you're reading this, then like me you're a Gourmet Olive Oil lover. If so, then I hope you'll love my Gourmet Olive Oil reviews.

First, let me start by saying I'm no expert in Olive Oils or taste test. However, one of my hobbies is trying Olive Oils from around the World. I know what I like in an Olive Oil and I'm assuming that there are some other people who like what I like also.

So in upcoming post, I'll try and show you some Gourmet Olive Oils you may not have tried or have been thinking about buying. Also, for those who have come here to find out about Olive Oils, I'll be writing some post on how to select Olive Oils, the benefits of Olive Oil, things to watch out for when buying Olive Oil and much more.

Just like Wine, each person seems to develop a special preference for a certain type of Olive Oil. Sometimes that preference changes with their mood. I know that some days prefer a hearty, robust Gourmet Olive Oil with my food while other days I just want a light but flavorful Olive Oil.

I'll also be going over where to purchase your Olive Oil. I want to tell you, that chances are you'll not be finding the best Gourmet Olive Oils in your local Wal-Mart, although there are two brands I will buy there, if they have them in stock.

If you know of a particular Olive Oil you would like me to sample, just contact me and I'll try and get it on the list. Also, I'd love it if you'd share with my readers and myself your favorite recipes that include Olive Oil.

I'm sure other food will be mentioned! The nice thing about Olive Oil is that it can go with so many types of foods. From Salads to grilled Filet Minon, Olive Oil is one of those foods that all the other food loves.

So again, thanks for stopping by and don't be shy. Contact me and we'll get to tasting some really fine Gourmet Olive Oils from around the World!