The oil mill
Our oil is produced using a traditional production method: the olives are first washed and then crushed using a milling machine made of local stone, containers are filled with the olive paste produced using a hydraulic press, which are closed when the rising pressure reaches 400 bar.
The dark yellow liquid which is produced during the pressing is put into the centrifuge, which has the function of "cleaning" the oil. The centrifuge separates the oil from the water , which comes from the fruit used in the processing.
The oil produced is decanted into steel cylinders and stored in a dark place at a constant temperature for a month. After a month the oil is ready for filling. Each production cycle takes about 60 minutes and processes about 260 kg of olives. On average 10 kg of olives produce 2 kg of oil, but results vary from year to year, with a minimum of 1,5 kg and a maximum of 3 kg.
The advantages of this type of production derive from the processing method. The reduction of the olives means that the oil obtained is sweeter and pleasanter in taste. In addition the use of the centrifuge allows the production of a "cold blooded" (cold pressed) oil. It is to be noted that this does not cause any changes in the composition of the oil.
