Olive oil has been cherished in kitchens around the world for thousands of years. The journey from olive tree to your table involves a fascinating process combining both tradition and modern techniques. Here's a glimpse into how that golden liquid in your kitchen is created:
Growing the Olives
The story begins in the grove...
Olive trees thrive in Mediterranean-type climates with mild winters and hot, dry summers, which we're lucky to have here in California! These hardy trees are planted in well-draining soil and, with proper care, can produce olives for hundreds of years.
New trees require 3-5 years before their first significant harvest, and reach full production after 7-9 years. During this time, farmers carefully prune the trees to ensure good air circulation and sunlight penetration, while providing just the right amount of water and nutrients.
Harvest Time
When autumn arrives, the excitement of harvest begins. The timing is crucial—pick too early and the yield is lower, wait too long and the quality may suffer. Most premium olive oils come from olives harvested when they're just changing from green to purple.
Harvesting methods range from traditional hand-picking to modern mechanical harvesters that gently shake the olives from the branches. Whatever the method, speed is essential—the best oils come from olives that are pressed within 24 hours of harvest.
From Fruit to Oil
At the mill, the magic happens in several steps:
- Cleaning: The olives are washed to remove leaves, twigs, and any debris.
- Crushing: The entire olive (pit and all) is crushed or sliced before it moves into the malaxer phase of the mill.
- Mixing: The olives are malaxed (mixed into a paste with a large corkscrew-like tool) until droplets of oil gather in the corners of the bin. This is a very important stage in making quality olive oil. Temperature is closely monitored. Flavor comes out in this step.
- Separation: The oil is separated from the solids and water, either through traditional pressing methods or modern centrifugation systems.
For flavorful, high quality olive oil, all of these processes are monitored by a skilled miller and happen at temperatures below 80°F (27°C), which preserves delicate flavors and healthy compounds.
Quality Assessment
Fresh olive oil undergoes rigorous testing (lab and sensory) to determine its quality and grade:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The highest quality, with perfect flavor, no defects, and free acidity less than 0.8% (California standards are stricter with free fatty acids less than 0.5%)
- Virgin Olive Oil: Good quality, with slight flavor defects and free acidity less than 2%
- Refined and Standard Olive Oils: Made from lower quality oils that have been processed to remove defects.
- Lampante Olive Oil: As the name suggests, it's not fit for human consumption (it won't hurt you but it'll smell and taste terrible!). Use it to light oil lamps.
Professional tasters evaluate the oil for fruitiness, bitterness, pungency, and any defects, similar to wine tasting. Janell Pekkain, owner of Olive This Olive That, is a trained professional olive oil taster currently a member of the Applied Sensory Tasting Panel that meets regularly to evaluate olive oil.
Bottling and Storage
Once the oil passes quality testing, it's stored in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, protected from light and oxygen which can degrade the oil.
When it's time for bottling, the oil is typically packaged in dark glass bottles or tins that protect it from light. Quality producers include harvest dates and best-by dates to help consumers enjoy the oil at its peak freshness.
From Our Groves to Your Kitchen
Like fine wine, olive oil reflects the region where it's produced—its climate, soil, olive varieties, and production methods all influence the flavor. Some oils are bold and peppery, while others are mild and buttery.
The next time you drizzle olive oil over your favorite dish, take a moment to appreciate the journey it made—from carefully tended trees under the Mediterranean sun to the skilled hands of harvesters and millers, all working to bring nature's liquid gold to your table.
Remember that fresh olive oil is at its best, so check those harvest dates and enjoy this ancient culinary treasure at the peak of its flavor!