Flavor Your Life Details the Differences Between Traditional and Modern Methods of Making Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Bohemia, NY (PRWEB) October 05, 2013 -- Flavor Your Life, a European Union funded campaign dedicated to providing the latest news about the health benefits of European olive oil to the public, shares some differences between the traditional and modern methods of creating olive oil.
The traditional method, also known as the pressure method, involves grinding olives using a large mortar. When it came time to separate the olives from the oil and any other yield or by-products, hot water was added. The process of extracting the olive oil from the yield was labor intensive. The crushed olives were squeezed by using a sack with two sticks on the end. When the olives were added to the sack, the sticks had to be rotated, which would squeeze the oil out of the olives.
The pressure method is no longer used because it is less effective and fails to meet some olive oil health and safety requirements. It also doesn’t ensure the complete separation of the oil from the olive, which results in a lower quality product.
The modern method, or the centrifugation method, was first developed around 1830. The first hydraulic press was invented by Pietro Ravanas. From there, progress towards what would be the new modern method began with the use of electricity. However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that the centrifugation method was created. This new extraction system involved placing all of the olive paste in a decanter or centrifuge after the olives have been crushed. This ensures a better separation of olive oil from the yield, pomace and water. The modern method meets the quality needed to produce extra virgin olive oil.
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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