The traditional method of extracting olive oil from the fruit is virtually the same today as it has been for thousands of years. At harvest time, which varies from region to region, olives are harvested by hand, and collected in nets placed around the foot of the tree. Almost immediately, the olives are taken to the mill. Giant stones weighing several tons are used to crush the olives and pits into mash.

The olive mash is then spread onto thin mats. These mats are stacked, and placed into a machine "press." As the press applies several hundred pounds of pressure, oil and water from the mash seep out of the mats, and drip into collection vats. In the traditional method, no heat is applied in the pressing hence the term "first cold pressed." The oil is allowed to settle, and any vegetable water is removed either by centrifuge or decantation.

Oil extracted from the mechanical pressing of the olive is described as "virgin" olive oil, because it is pure, unrefined and unprocessed.

These terms are interchangeable and have been used in the past when initial pressure applied by hand presses produced only a small amount of olive oil from olive paste. To extract even more oil, hot water was applied to the olive paste to improve the flow of oil. This is where the terms cold pressing and first pressing came from.

Producers use these terms on their labeling to affirm that extra virgin olive oil is a natural product that has undergone very little processing.

Extra virgin oil may be consumed either in a filtered or unfiltered state. Filtration is the process by which the microscopic bits of the fruit of the olive are removed from the oil. Unfiltered oil will be cloudy until it settles to the bottom. Some consider unfiltered oil superior because of the added flavor from the fruit, while others say it shortens the oil's shelf life. Ultimately, it is a matter of personal preference.

No. extra virgin olive oils can vary dramatically in taste, depending upon the type and quality of the fruit that is pressed, the time of harvest, the weather during the growing season, and the region from which the olives were produced.

Connoisseurs generally use the following adjectives in appraising extra virgin olive oils: mild, semi-fruity and fruity, depending on the flavor of the olive that can be detected. Further, some oils, such as the finer oils from Mideterranian, have a peppery finish that many appreciate. We are proud that our extra virgin olive oil is the choice of many of the finest chefs--both in restaurants and in home kitchens and around the world.

It may seem more expensive than most cooking oils, but, because iit is so flavorful, healthy, and tasty, a little goes a long way. You don't need to use much olive oil to get all of its many delicious benefits.

A tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no cholesterol. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated, and nine percent (9%) is polyunsaturated fat; fourteen percent (14%) is vegetable-derived saturated fat. Virgin olive oils also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin E, as well as the phenolic compounds tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol.

Olive oil does not age.  A peppery oil will sometimes mellow a bit over a few months but olive oil often goes bad under the best storage conditions in a few years.  Light and heat are its enemies.  Storage in a dark cool cupboard or in dark glass or tin is preferable.  Keep only a small amount next to the range where you need it for cooking as the heat from cooking degrades it. Storage in a refrigerator is fine but the oil will turn almost solid so you must warm it before using.

No. Olive oil is cholesterol free.

Three things make olive oil superior to vegetable oils: taste, nutrition and integrity.

Taste is the most obvious difference between olive oil and the commercially popular vegetable oils such as corn, soybean and canola oils. These oils are tasteless fats. You would not want to eat a piece of bread dipped in vegetable oil; for the same basic reason, many chefs refrain from adding tasteless fat to the foods they prepare. When you cook with oil, get the most flavor and texture you can.

Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, adds a flavor and textural dimension lacking in other oils. In fact, more and more restaurants are serving extra virgin olive oil, both plain or flavored with salt and pepper, as an alternative to butter for bread. Nutritionally, olive oil contains more monounsaturated fat than any of the popular vegetable oils.

Moreover, vegetable oils are industrial, processed foods. Vegetable oils are generally extracted by means of petroleum-based chemical solvents, and then must be highly refined to remove impurities. Along with the impurities, refining removes taste, color and nutrients.

The flavor, color, and consistency of olive oils vary. This is due to different olive varieties, location, and weather. Oil color can be deceiving sometimes, quality of oil cannot be judged only by color.

All olive oils that are less than 0.8% acidity and produced by the first pressing of the olive fruit through the cold pressing process is called extra-virgin olive oil.

According to Paul Armas Lepisto, Director of The Olive University, most olive oils today are extra virgin in name only, meeting only the minimum requirement. Extra virgin is a chemical requirement that does not indicate quality and taste.

It is made from olives that are slightly riper than those used in the production of extra-virgin oil. Virgin olive oil is produced in the same way, but it is essentially defective or low-grade extra virgin oil. This oil's acidity is a slightly higher level of 1 1/2%.

Olive oil known as "refined olive oil" is made by refining virgin olive oil to reduce acidity level which is usually higher than 3.3%, using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes The final product has very low acidity level and basically lighter flavor, color, and odorless.

Ordinary or Pure "olive oil" is actually a blended oil product. The producer blends into the refined olive oil a percentage of quality virgin olive oil to provide color and taste. Pure refers to the fact that no non-olive oils are mixed in.

Light olive oil is a variation on ordinary olive oil. Producers of this product use a highly refined olive oil, and add less quality virgin oil than that typically used to blend olive oil. The only thing "light" about light olive oil is the taste and color; it has the same caloric and fat content as other oils.

Olive-pomace oil is the residue oil that is extracted by chemical solvents from previously pressed olive mash. This oil must be highly-refined to remove chemical impurities using methods which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. Like ordinary olive oil, refined olive-pomace oil is enriched with virgin olive oil prior to sale. Although this grade is commercially attractive for its low price, we don’t really recommend it to our customers.

SOURCES: Beauchamp, G. Nature, Sept. 1, 2005; vol 437: pp 45-46. News release, Monell Chemical Senses Center. WebMED Medical News. University of Granada.

Aug. 31, 2005 - A daily dose of olive oil may act as a natural pain reliever, according to a new study that shows the Mediterranean staple contains an anti-inflammatory ingredient.

Researchers say they've discovered a previously unknown ingredient in freshly pressed, extra virgin olive oils that acts as a natural anti-inflammatory, much like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin or ibuprofen.

They say the soothing effects of the enzyme, which they named oleocanthal, may be responsible for some of the health benefits associated with the Mediterranean diet, such as a reduced risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some forms of dementia, all of which have been linked to inflammation.

"Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat," says researcher Paul Breslin, PhD, of the Monell Chemical Senses Center, in a news release.

Researchers say they began researching the potential anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil after observing that fresh extra-virgin olive oil irritates the back of the throat in the same way that NSAIDs do.

After isolating the throat-irritating enzyme, they found that it also inhibited the inflammatory activity of Cox-1 and Cox-2 like the anti-inflammatory drugs. Inhibiting these reactions impedes the production of the chemical messengers that cause the pain and swelling of arthritis inflammation.

The results, published in the Sept. 1 issue of Nature, show that a 50 gram (1.75 ounce) daily dose of olive oil is equivalent to about 10% of the ibuprofen dose recommended for adult pain relief.

That dose is relatively low and won't relieve a headache, but researchers say low doses of other anti-inflammatory agents, like aspirin, have been shown to provide substantial health benefits when taken consistently over time.

Researchers say the finding is significant because chronic inflammation is increasingly thought to play a role in a variety of diseases, from heart disease to cancer.

(University of Granada)

In the 1960s, Ancer Keys, a US expert on nutrition, studied the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet for the first time. Since then many studies on the benefits of olive oil have been conducted. According to several studies performed in Italy, Spain and Greece (the main olive-oil-producing countries), the incidence of diseases is lower in these countries than in Northern Europe.

The Environmental, Biochemical and Nutritional Analytical Control research group, directed by Professors Alberto Fernandez Gutez and Antonio Segura Carretero, used the most advanced analytical techniques for a precise study on the antioxidant properties of olive oil, characterized by its polyphenolic composition and its potential to combat degenerative diseases.

The study was completed with the collaboration of the Institut of Nutrition and Food Technology of the University of Granada and the Nutrition Team of the Hospital Virgen de las Nieves (Granada). Together with the research group, they have determined that consumption of olive oil rich in polyphenols (natural antioxidants) improves the lives of people suffering from oxidative stress, and is also highly beneficial for the prevention of cell aging and osteoporosis.

This research has stirred the interest of the Control Board of the Designation of Origin Sierra Segura. After analyzing samples from 15 olive oil mills, researchers have demonstrated that olive oil is very rich in polyphenols. According to Professors Alberto Fernandez and Antonio Segura, "as preventive substances, polyphenols help to combat any oxidative disease associated with the degenerative process."

The Environmental, Biochemical and Nutritional Analytical Control research group of the UGR has carried out several related studies, such as the creation of a system aimed at guaranteeing the quality of bee honey and determining its geographical origin, or the polyphenolic characterization of food products such as honey and propoils.