
Malaxing
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the only cooking oil made without the use of chemicals or industrial refining. One of the great benefits is that it can simply by pressed and spun to extract fresh juice that is complete with all its natural and healthy characteristics.
Sounds easy, but it’s an art that benefits experience. Once picked, the olive is susceptible to oxidation and therefore needs to be washed, pressed and transferred to a vat for malaxing as rapidly as possible. The continuous fan screw (see image) coaxes out the droplets of oil from the cell membranes of the olives and this process is potentially more challenging in dry years such as 2017 where the pit to pulp ratio is higher and there is less pulp to work with. The paste is then sent to a centrifuge that literally separates the oil from the skins, stones and flesh and then in to a smaller centrifuge to remove any water from the oil. The result is concentrated, pure extra virgin olive oil that can be enjoyed immediately and in fact is better for you the sooner you consume it when the polyphenols are at their highest level.
We work with the very best producers of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Italy. They fully manage all their olive groves, farm organically, harvest when the fruit is still green and full of the highest level of antioxidants and most importantly own their own mill, so they are in total control of the quality that is in the bottle. These are commitments we feel sure you will appreciate when you taste the 2017 harvest.