Olive Oil
Olive oil
Olive oil is the oil that comes from the olives (Olea europea). Virgin virgin olive oil is produced by mechanical processing of olive fruit in olive mills. It is a key element of the Mediterranean diet and is considered a healthy food product due to its content of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, etc.
The olives are collected by hand or by shaking the tree with sticks or machines. After collection, the fruit is transported as soon as possible to the olive mill (or olive mill, commonly called liotrivi, "loutrivi" or factory) to avoid fermentation and mold growth that degrades the quality of the olive oil. In oil mills, processing begins with weighing, separating and washing the olives. The olives, placed in crates or sacks, are transported by elevator to a large basin located on a hill in the oil mill. From there they fall with hopper pipes into crushers or millstones. This is followed by the massage of the olive pulp, stirring for half or an hour on devices called "softeners". There, the oil mass can be heated to improve oil performance. For good quality olive oil, the massage is done "in the cold", ie at room temperature.
After the massage, in the traditional presses (which are now few in Greece), with the help of strong hydraulic presses, the liquids of the olive are extracted, which is a mixture of olive oil with watery ingredients of the fruit. In modern olive mills, the separation of liquids from solids is done by centrifugation in devices called "decanters". The remaining solid by-product is called the "core". The liquids obtained from the decanter (basically a mixture of water and oil) are led to one or more centrifugal separators where the oil is separated from the water part due to a difference in density. The watery ingredients that are excreted are commonly called "goat" and are dark brown in color and have a characteristic odor.
In the oil mills there are also tanks where the mulberries and the waters of the washing of the oils are collected. Liquid waste from oil mills (also known as "cigarette butts") used to be disposed of in the environment, which is why most oil mills were near streams or even near the sea. In modern times, this waste is considered an environmental pollution and various measures are taken to process it or store it in septic tanks. In some cases, liquid waste from centrifugal waste produces industrial olive oil intended for either refining or industrial use. In any case, the management of liquid waste in olive mills is difficult because they have a high organic load and odor.
Solid waste is commonly referred to as "kernel" or "kiosk". It consists of cellulose substances from the stone, flesh and skin of the olive. The kernel contains a significant amount of olive oil which is obtained by physicochemical methods in kernel oil mills. There, the material is mainly dried and then the olive oil is extracted with an organic solvent. The olive oil produced there, the crude oil, is unsuitable for eating due to its high acidity and unpleasant odor and taste. To make it edible, it is refined or "refined" in special factories called "refineries". Refining is an intense chemical process that destroys much of the flavor, aroma and some useful nutrients of olive oil. The olive oil produced is no longer called "virgin olive oil" and is only consumed as a mixture with virgin olive oil. It is the lowest of the edible olive oil categories available on the market.
Processing the core leaves the dry matter or "core wood" commonly used as fuel, often returning to oil mills that need enough energy to heat water. The kernel can also be used as fertilizer or feed.
The commercially available olive oils are divided into edible and industrial. The former are basically distinguished in virgin olive oils and in simple olive oils. The latter are mixtures of virgin olive oil with refined olive oil or kernel oil. Depending on the stage of maturation of the oils, some virgins are called olive oils. The average yield of 100 kg of oil, which varies depending on the quality, year and processing system, is about 10-25 kg of oil, 35-50 kg of olive kernels and 35-50 kg of liquid residues. In some countries it is allowed to sell a mixture of olive oil with seed oils. This is not allowed in the European Union.
Refining of olive oil
This treatment is performed on lower quality olive oils, which have an unpleasant odor and taste, because they contain high acidity or impurities of foreign substances, unwanted color, etc. Thanks to refining, olive oils lose their undesirable acidity at the same time.
Olive oil is the oil that comes from the olives (Olea europea). Virgin virgin olive oil is produced by mechanical processing of olive fruit in olive mills. It is a key element of the Mediterranean diet and is considered a healthy food product due to its content of monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, etc.
The olives are collected by hand or by shaking the tree with sticks or machines. After collection, the fruit is transported as soon as possible to the olive mill (or olive mill, commonly called liotrivi, "loutrivi" or factory) to avoid fermentation and mold growth that degrades the quality of the olive oil. In oil mills, processing begins with weighing, separating and washing the olives. The olives, placed in crates or sacks, are transported by elevator to a large basin located on a hill in the oil mill. From there they fall with hopper pipes into crushers or millstones. This is followed by the massage of the olive pulp, stirring for half or an hour on devices called "softeners". There, the oil mass can be heated to improve oil performance. For good quality olive oil, the massage is done "in the cold", ie at room temperature.
After the massage, in the traditional presses (which are now few in Greece), with the help of strong hydraulic presses, the liquids of the olive are extracted, which is a mixture of olive oil with watery ingredients of the fruit. In modern olive mills, the separation of liquids from solids is done by centrifugation in devices called "decanters". The remaining solid by-product is called the "core". The liquids obtained from the decanter (basically a mixture of water and oil) are led to one or more centrifugal separators where the oil is separated from the water part due to a difference in density. The watery ingredients that are excreted are commonly called "goat" and are dark brown in color and have a characteristic odor.
In the oil mills there are also tanks where the mulberries and the waters of the washing of the oils are collected. Liquid waste from oil mills (also known as "cigarette butts") used to be disposed of in the environment, which is why most oil mills were near streams or even near the sea. In modern times, this waste is considered an environmental pollution and various measures are taken to process it or store it in septic tanks. In some cases, liquid waste from centrifugal waste produces industrial olive oil intended for either refining or industrial use. In any case, the management of liquid waste in olive mills is difficult because they have a high organic load and odor.
Solid waste is commonly referred to as "kernel" or "kiosk". It consists of cellulose substances from the stone, flesh and skin of the olive. The kernel contains a significant amount of olive oil which is obtained by physicochemical methods in kernel oil mills. There, the material is mainly dried and then the olive oil is extracted with an organic solvent. The olive oil produced there, the crude oil, is unsuitable for eating due to its high acidity and unpleasant odor and taste. To make it edible, it is refined or "refined" in special factories called "refineries". Refining is an intense chemical process that destroys much of the flavor, aroma and some useful nutrients of olive oil. The olive oil produced is no longer called "virgin olive oil" and is only consumed as a mixture with virgin olive oil. It is the lowest of the edible olive oil categories available on the market.
Processing the core leaves the dry matter or "core wood" commonly used as fuel, often returning to oil mills that need enough energy to heat water. The kernel can also be used as fertilizer or feed.
The commercially available olive oils are divided into edible and industrial. The former are basically distinguished in virgin olive oils and in simple olive oils. The latter are mixtures of virgin olive oil with refined olive oil or kernel oil. Depending on the stage of maturation of the oils, some virgins are called olive oils. The average yield of 100 kg of oil, which varies depending on the quality, year and processing system, is about 10-25 kg of oil, 35-50 kg of olive kernels and 35-50 kg of liquid residues. In some countries it is allowed to sell a mixture of olive oil with seed oils. This is not allowed in the European Union.
Refining of olive oil
This treatment is performed on lower quality olive oils, which have an unpleasant odor and taste, because they contain high acidity or impurities of foreign substances, unwanted color, etc. Thanks to refining, olive oils lose their undesirable acidity at the same time.
Comments
Post a Comment