From Grove to Gold: How is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made?
The Process Behind The Best Italian Olive Oil
Olive oil is more than just a fat for cooking; it is the lifeblood of Italian cuisine, a cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, and a product steeped in history and tradition. But have you ever wondered how the humble olive fruit transforms into the beautiful, golden liquid we call Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
At Carluccio's, we believe in celebrating the simplicity and quality of our ingredients. The process of making truly exceptional olive oil is a careful balance of nature, timing, and craftsmanship.
1. The Harvest: Timing is Everything
The quality of the oil starts with the quality of the olives and the crucial timing of the harvest. Olives are typically picked between October and December.
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Early Harvest (Green Olives): These olives yield less oil but produce the most vibrant, complex, and peppery flavour. This is often the mark of premium EVOO.
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Late Harvest (Ripe Olives): These yield more oil and produce a milder, sweeter, and more buttery flavour.
The method of harvesting also matters: high-quality oils, like many of those stocked at Carluccio's, come from olives that are hand-picked or carefully shaken from the tree to minimise damage.
2. Cleaning and Washing
Once harvested, the olives must be milled as quickly as possible—ideally within 24 hours—to prevent oxidation, which can quickly degrade the flavour and quality.
Before milling, the olives are:
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Sorted: Leaves, stems, and small twigs are removed.
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Washed: The fruit is rinsed in cold water to remove any dirt or residue.
3. Milling and Crushing (The Paste)
The clean, whole olives (pulp, pit, and all) are then crushed into a thick, uniform paste. Traditionally, this was done using large stone wheels; today, stainless steel crushers are more common.
The goal is to gently break down the fruit's cell walls to release the oil, without creating too much heat, which would harm the delicate flavour compounds.
4. Malaxation (The Gentle Stir)
This step is where the olive oil paste is slowly and gently stirred in large vats. This process, called malaxation, usually lasts between 20 and 45 minutes and serves two key purposes:
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It allows the small droplets of oil within the paste to merge into larger drops.
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It ensures the process remains cold.
Crucially, Extra Virgin Olive Oil must be cold-pressed. Keeping the temperature low preserves the fruit's flavour, antioxidants (polyphenols), and healthy nutrients.
5. Extraction (Separating the Gold)
Now, the oil must be separated from the water and solid matter (pomace) in the paste. This is most commonly done using a centrifuge:
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The malaxed paste is placed in a high-speed centrifuge, which spins to separate the oil (lighter) from the water and pomace (heavier).
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The resulting liquid is pure, fresh olive oil.
6. Storage and Bottling
The fresh oil is then stored in dark, temperature-controlled stainless steel containers to protect it from light and heat, which are its biggest enemies. It is filtered minimally, if at all, to preserve its natural sediment and flavour compounds.
The oil is bottled in dark glass bottles to protect it until it reaches your kitchen. When you buy our Carluccio's Extra Virgin Olive Oil, you are tasting the direct result of this simple, time-honoured process—the true juice of the olive. Head to our online Italian shop today to try this wonderful product.
