Production and Extraction Of Olive Oil

Since ancient times, Olive oil   made up the basic component in the Greek Diet.

There were three qualities of olive oil in ancient Greece 

•          Omotrives or Omfakenon was the excellent quality olive oil (nowdays- extra virgin) and was extracted by early harvest olives without the use of heat.

•          The deuteron geumatos was good quality olive oil what we call today virgin.

•          Hydeon eleon characterized lower quality olive oil and it was extracted by olives that were over ripe and damaged olives.

Olive oil except its use as a basic food also stood as the essential lighting fuel, since   they  used it for their lanterns .  This use keeps until our days since we strictly use olive oil to burn vigil lamps.

Also prelavent was the use of olive oil for physical hygiene purposes. Applied to the body it protected it from the cold and heat.  After bathing it was rubbed on the body and hair combined with essential oils.  Olive oil was the base ingredient used in perfume making.

In Our Days.

Olive oil is a live product, a product that needs special care, its quality and its taste are directly affected  by many factors. Close attention is needed in every stage of its life  starting from the orchid and until it reaches the final consumer.

A very important factor in the quality of the olive oil is the olive press

The olive press is a factory which belongs to the processing industry and transforms  transforms the olive fruit into olive oil and pomace.

The Olive Press is made up by the following compartments.

Olive Fruit Reception area, where the olives are emptied from the sacs and washed with clean water.

•         Crusher, where the olive  fruit is crushed using mechanical hammers (formerly stones were used instead)

•         Softener,  olive fruit paste is kneaded

•         horizontal centrifuge (decanter) where the core, water and olive oil are separated .

•         Vertical centrifuge - (separator), where the oil is separated from impurities.

Of very high importance are the cleaning standards  of the olive press and also the temperatures are crucial for the quality and the preservation of nutrients and characteristics of the olive oil.

Last but not least the olive oil should be able to be safely stored for long periods  in stainless steel tanks without its quality being compromised.