Olive oil is a staple in many kitchens, and its health benefits are well-known. But do you know how it is made? The process of extracting olive oil involves several steps that ultimately result in the delicious, golden liquid we all love.
The first step in olive oil extraction is harvesting the olives. This can be done either by hand or with machines that shake the trees to loosen the fruit. Once harvested, the olives are washed to remove any dirt or debris and then crushed into a paste.
Next comes malaxation, which is the process of mixing the paste to release the oil droplets. This can be done using either traditional stone mills or modern centrifuges. After malaxation, the resulting mixture is separated into two parts: oil and pomace (the leftover solids).
Finally, the oil undergoes a refining process to remove any impurities before being bottled and sold. Some producers choose to skip this step for their extra-virgin olive oils, which are considered higher quality due to their lack of refinement.
Overall, there are several methods for extracting olive oil from raw olives – some more traditional than others – but they all involve similar basic steps. So next time you drizzle some delicious olive oil over your salad or pasta dish, take a moment to appreciate all of the hard work that went into producing it!
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