The best olives, at the right degree of ripeness, are harvested directly from the tree and stored in well-ventilated boxes, it is one of the most delicate operations due to its effects on the quality of the oil. The olives are transported in a very short time to the mill for processing, too long intervals in the processing phases could in fact affect the final acidity of the oil.
Thanks to this step, the olives are separated from the last remaining leaves and washed with plenty of running water. This step is fundamental and strictly necessary to obtain a quality oil as any residues of leaves or earth can alter the organoleptic characteristics of the oil.
The crushing of the olives follows through a mechanical process thanks to the millstones or hammer crushers that crush the olives without heating the paste obtained.
It consists in the continuous and slow mixing of the olive paste with machines called kneading machines. Through this step, the cells containing the oil are broken inside the paste. This step takes place in huge tanks at a temperature not exceeding 25-26 degrees, so that the oil retains all the chemical and organoleptic characteristics that guarantee the quality and authenticity of the product.
It separates the three elements that form the paste: the pomace (the most solid part) is released definitively, while the liquid part (made up of water and oil) is sent to the separator
It concludes the production process by definitively separating the water from the oil; the must obtained (previously tested in the laboratory for the appropriate classifications) will then be ready to be tasted and packaged.
What types of olives do you find in our oils
It is an oil produced using olives of only one variety or "cultivar". It is an oil with a strong personality, which perfectly represents the territory that generated it, because if it were produced in another place it would be... different! Only a very small percentage of the oils produced in Italy are monovarietal: in most cases, in fact, the oil is produced by combining different varieties (hence the term "blend"). The monocultivar therefore perceived by connoisseurs as a rare and precious oil, capable of giving a unique and exquisite flavor to every dish
It is the oil art of knowing how to meticulously combine extra virgin olive oils of the highest quality - appropriately selected - extracted from different cultivars, each with its own organoleptic characteristics, with skill, professionalism and experience such that each oil is able to give its individual contribution to the final product without predominating, thus resulting in the union (the blend) being better than the sum of its components.
How to recognize a quality oil
To evaluate the quality of our production, here is a comparison between current legislation and the main chemical analysis parameters of our Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
We always guarantee you maximum packaging values significantly lower than the limits prescribed by law.
What does the chemical analysis of an oil tell us?
The determination of acidity is perhaps the oldest and best known means used to evaluate the quality of an oil; it is not perceptible in terms of taste, but its increase corresponds to a general worsening of the sensory characteristics.
The lower the acidity level, the more assured that the extra virgin olive oil is of high quality, coming from healthy and intact fresh olives, carefully harvested from the olive trees at the right degree of ripeness and after a few hours cold-pressed with true miller art.
The number of peroxides, which are formed by the reaction of the oil with oxygen, indicate the oxidation state of the oil: an oxidized oil has probably been stored (e.g. exposure to light, high temperature) and/or worked in incorrect way. The lower the number of peroxides, the better the quality of the oil and its state of conservation, while a high number of peroxides indicates an oxidation process that has already started and is irreversible.
They are compounds contained on leaves and fruits, normally present in minimal quantities in Extra Virgin Olive Oils, therefore they are a useful parameter for detecting any commercial fraud as they add high values only in pomace oils for which they are recognition factors. A high wax content (above the legal limits) is undoubtedly an indication of an illicit addition of pomace oils to olive oil
It highlights the refining processes or the oxidation and aging phenomena of the oil; it measures both the genuineness and the purity of the oil, as well as the state of conservation of the same (genuineness above all means that it has not been milled/mixed with other oils or polluted by different substances).
Low values of the spectrophotometric indices are an indication of a good quality of the oil, while high values are an indication of blending with refined oils, both seed and olive.
Try tasting an oil like a pro
?
Pour the equivalent of a tablespoon of oil into two small glasses (you can use the plastic ones for coffee)
?
Warm the contents of each with the palms of your hands to release the volatile aromas so they can readily be detected by the nose
?
Bring the oil as close to your nose as possible and inhale slowly and deeply two or three times in a row; memorize the sensations received and, if you deem it necessary, repeat after about a minute.
?
Bring the oil to the mouth, a small amount is sufficient (about a tablespoon)
?
Clench your teeth, move your tongue until it touches the back of your upper teeth, and with your lips semi-closed, use your stomach muscles to inhale rapidly two or three times in a row.
?
The air mixed with the oil wets your tongue and palate. Inhale again with the tongue against the palate and with the lips semi-open
?
Expel the oil by continuing to move the tongue against the palate and evaluate the retro-olfactory sensations
