What is an Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
admin | January 19, 2010For an olive oil to be classified as Extra Virgin it must be:
- Made from 100% fresh olives
- Extracted from the olive using a mechanical process. This may be:
- A high speed centrifuge whereby the lighter oil is spun away from the heavier water and ‘olive bits’ via the action of centrifugal force. Nearly all EVOO is now made this way!
- A hydraulic press where oil is squeezed out of the crushed olive paste. Compared with centrifugation, hardly any EVOO is made this way any more.
- The mechanical extraction is achieved without the use of “excessive heat” as ‘cooking’ the crushed olive paste prior to the extraction results in larger quantities of lower quality oil.
- A high speed centrifuge whereby the lighter oil is spun away from the heavier water and ‘olive bits’ via the action of centrifugal force. Nearly all EVOO is now made this way!
To meet the EVOO grade the resultant oil must:
- Be free of any undesirable flavours
- Have an olivey taste
- The oils natural chemistry falls within certain limits (i.e. acidity <0.8%)
To be an EV the oil must take the right journey and end up in a particular place!
I’m really looking forward to your informative blog about extra virgin olive oil. Education is the key to understanding and appreciating this wonderful, healthy food. Breaking it down into simple, accurate terms is extremely helpful. Thanks for sharing your vast knowledge and expertise with the world.
Thanks Ginge. Feel free to add anything, anytime. We can all learn from each other. Richard G.