Flavor Your Life Reveals Little Known Extraction Techniques That Have Been Used Since Olive Oil’s Origins
Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) March 05, 2014 -- Flavor Your Life, a European Union funded campaign that is dedicated to providing the latest in olive oil news, reveals little known facts about various extraction techniques that have been used from olive oil's origins to present day.
The issue of ‘how to press olives’ is one that has been around for thousands of years. Originally, olives were simply ground using a mortar and sometimes hot water would be added in order to aid in the separation of the oil and the final yield. The crushed olives were then placed in a sack to which two sticks were attached to the edges; by simply rotating the sticks, the olives were crushed further and the oil would be released. The process is similar to twisting a wet cloth to remove excess water.
The first real revolution in olive-pressing techniques was the invention of the rotating olive press. The rotating olive press consists of a large cylindrical stone, called a millstone, which was fitted with a wooden board and operated by hand or with the help of animals.
Later came the lever press, which allowed for further improvements in the yield produced. The olives, which were previously crushed and then placed in bags, are instead placed under a pole that has large stone weights attached to one end. This way the olives were crushed as if they were in a large nutcracker, allowing the precious juices to flow freely.
Arguably the most revolutionary invention for olive-pressing is the Archimedes’ screw. Applying pressure on the end of the lever and then on the screw allowed for a level of pressure that was previously thought impossible. Such presses were constructed in larger versions where the screw was operated with poles, which were initially pushed by hand and then moved by ropes anchored to a vertical axis, allowing for further rotation of the press. One obvious evolution was the replacement of the wooden screws with similar structures in iron.
The spread of electricity in the early years of the last century allowed for considerable improvements in the efficiency of these olive-pressing systems, but the basic method of oil extraction remained until the 1970s. It was only in the 1970s that a totally new extraction system was utilized: the centrifugal method. In the centrifugal method, the olive paste is pressed and then placed in a large horizontal centrifuge or decanter, which separates the oil from water and pomace.
Flavor Your Life, a campaign supported by the European Union, Unaprol and the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, is dedicated to providing the latest in industry news and health information about European extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil enhances the flavors of your recipes while providing health benefits. Flavor Your Life campaign, the voice of olive oil production quality control, aims to educate consumers so they can make informed decisions when purchasing olive oil.
Scott Darrohn, Flavor Your Life, http://flavor-your-life.com/, +1 (855) 347-4228, [email protected]
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