At the oil-press
A very significant role is played by the oil mills which undertake the first pressing of the olives, i.e., the place where the olives are crushed to release their oil.
The oil press is a small factory consisting of the following parts:
- Delivery of the olive fruit, where the olives are emptied from the sacks and washed with clean water.
- Crusher where the fruit is pressed using mechanical hammers (in previous years, mill stones were used).
- Softener where olive paste is softened.
- Centrifugal where the olive stone is separated.
- Separator where the oil is separated from the water.
The hygienic conditions of the mill itself are very important along with the temperature which is very important to the quality and the maintenance of the nutritious and quality characteristics of the olive oil. Also, the tanks must be stainless steel and situated in shady areas, so that the olive oil can be maintained safely for a long period of time without losing its quality.