OLIVE OILEric Decker

(olive oil)

(olive #1)

(olive #2)

(olive #3)

History

• Native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria, and Palestine to the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago.

• Brought to America by the missionaries, and started in southern California.

(Asia Minor)

Asia Minor

Growing• Main types are Frantoio,

Leccino, Moraiolo, and Divastro.

• Tuscany: Sweet & Fruity

• Umbria: Hot & Sweet

• Sicily: Hot & Zesty

(Map of Italy)

Harvesting

• Early Harvest (Fall)– Less Oil, takes more olives– Bitter, peppery, leafy taste.

• Late Harvest (Winter)– More oil, but riskier due to frost– Mellow, sweet, floral taste

Picking

• Hand picked results in better quality control, but is slow

• Machine picked allows more olives to be pressed quicker, but quality is reduced.

Before Pressing…

• Cleaned

• Grinded into paste by mill

• Malaxation: Paste is slowly mixed to help remove oils from the paste.

Pressing

• Centrifuge, not vertical press

• Cold Press: Olives are not heated above 80º F.

• Heating degrades flavor but increases quantity.

(Press “Il Molinetto”)

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

• First cold press

• No solvents or chemicals

• Low acidity (less than 0.8%-1%)

• Green to gold in color, but does not indicate quality.

• Low smoke point (~406º F)

• Best used cold

Virgin Olive Oil

• First cold press

• No solvents or chemicals

• Higher acidity than Extra, but must be under 2%

• Subtler flavor than Extra Virgin

Olive Oil

• Mixture of virgin and refined– Refined by chemical, heat,

solvents, or excessive pressure

• Light in color and flavor

• Higher smoke point, use for cooking or light flavor.

• Acidity less than 1.5%

Light Olive Oil

• Lightest in color and flavor

• NOT lower in calories– Still 120 per Tablespoon

• High smoke point (~468º F)

Other Types• Flavor / Blended

– Blended for constancy– Mixed with other oils to decrease cost– When adding flavors like lemon, basil,

etc, it’s technically “fruit juice”

• Lampante– Refined, for technical use only

• Olive Pomace Oil– Made from oil of the ground up pits,

used mostly for soap.

Questions?

The Joy of Cookinghttp://www.oliveoilsource.com/definitions.htmhttp://www.italianvirginoliveoil.comhttp://www.foodnetwork.com