Olive oil comes from olives through a process of grinding and extraction.
The Production Process of Olive Oil
The journey of olives to become olive oil involves a few key steps:
- Harvesting: Olives are picked from olive trees when they are perfectly ripe. The ripeness is important because:
- Green olives usually yield a more bitter oil.
- Overripe olives can lead to oil with fermentation defects.
- Grinding: Once harvested, olives are ground into a paste.
- Extraction: The oil is then extracted from this paste. This can be done using:
- Mechanical means: This method uses pressure to separate the oil from the olive paste.
- Chemical means: This method uses solvents to extract the oil.
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Harvesting | Olives are picked at perfect ripeness, avoiding underripe (bitter oil) and overripe (fermentation defects) olives. |
| Grinding | Olives are ground into a paste to prepare for oil extraction. |
| Extraction | Oil is separated from the paste using either mechanical pressure or chemical solvents. |
By carefully managing these steps, producers can create high-quality olive oil.
