Processing Stages
Following the harvesting, the fruit is transported to the oil press where the processing stages begin:
- Delivery of the fruit and weighing.
- Supply and removal of the leaves. The removal of the leaves is necessary because the crushing of the olives while there is a large quantity of leaves attached gives a bitter taste to the olive oil and enriches it with chlorophyll which is a negative factor in the quality.
- Washing
- Breaking and milling, whereby the fruit gets crushed with mechanical hammers (in previous years, mill stones).
- Kneading of the olive pulp.
- Centrifugal separation of the stone of the olives.
- Collection of oil from the olive pulp.
- Final separation where the water is separated from the oil and the oil is cleaned.
- Packing
The conditions of hygiene of the mill are very important as well as the temperatures which determine the quality and the maintenance of the nutritious and quality characteristics of the oil.
Also, the tanks must be stainless steel and located in shady areas in order for the oil to be kept in a safe place without further quality deterioration.