What is Cold Pressed Olive Oil?
Have you ever heard the term cold-pressed oil? Do you know what traditional elaboration with presses and capachos consists of? Did you know that this oil continues to be produced, but in a very minority and artisanal way? In this post we talk about the Cold pressed virgin olive oil and how the production of extra virgin olive oil has evolved. Let’s start!
Traditional elaboration: Cold pressed olive oil
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil is the one that follows the most traditional elaboration, a Artisan and already a minority way of obtaining the “liquid gold” through the olive, which has been used for centuries.
First, it is necessary to obtain the olive paste after the fruit is milled and beaten. then, a press is used and the so-called capachos, a kind of esparto grasscoat (although there are currently more materials). For this type of elaboration, the ground paste is placed between the capachos, which are pressed to get the oily must, which is a mixture of oil and water. Next, it is necessary to subject the mixture to a process of Decantation, in which the oil will float.
Currently, it is very rare to find extra virgin olive oil on the market of what is called “first cold pressed”, since its artisanal production is very expensive and it is difficult to adapt to current quality and hygiene standards. for example, Capachos must be perfectly washed from one pressed to another.
The name of “first cold pressure”
The labeling of olive oil is very strict in terms of terminology so that the consumer can be clear about what he is acquiring. Therefore, only oils that have been extracted below 27ºC by first mechanical pressing of the olive paste can count on the phrase on their label of “First cold pressure”.
Specifically, this type of oil is obtained thanks to the freshly grinded olive paste and it is essential that it has not been pressed before. The process consists of pressing it in the press with the capachos, which must be perfectly sanitized so as not to intervene in the flavor.
It is important not to confuse the term “first cold pressure” with the name of “cold extraction”, corresponding to oils that have been extracted at less than 27°C by filtration or centrifugation of the olive paste.
How do you get olive oil today?
Currently, the production processes of olive oil have improved thanks to the technology to obtain a greater amount of extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality, ensuring all the hygiene requirements required by food safety. For this reason, Most of the mills use the continuous system in the elaboration of olive oil And cold pressed oil is more difficult to find on the market, since it is produced in an artisanal way.
In the centenary mill in which Beloleum is made, the tradition is united with innovation to obtain an olive oil of excellent organoleptic qualities and worth the distinction of extra virgin olive oil in our two varieties, IMPLERT and Arbequina, as well as in our Coupage Selection.
As in most of the mills, to extract the olive oil the paste is fluidized by adding water, and then separated in the vertical centrifuge the oil from the water and the pulp and bone that still remained.
Here you can Know the entire process of elaboration of the EVOO
What terms always correspond to the EVOO?
Although not in all olive oil labels you will find “first cold pressure” and “cold extraction”, in any extra virgin olive oil that is sold as such you will have to be able to read: “higher category olive oil obtained directly from olives and only through mechanical procedures”. Because there are many Differences between an EVOO and a virgin olive oil or other minor qualities!
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