There are various procedures that can be used to obtain Olive Oil. The most artisanal and the healthiest is to obtain it without using high temperatures in the course of its production. Many dietitians and doctors recommend cold extracted oil, because it ensures that all its properties remain intact, which also ensures that the oil is the highest quality.
What does ‘cold extracted’ mean?
A cold extracted Olive Oil is an oil that has been obtained at a temperature below 27ºC (81 F). There are two methods for achieving this: artisanal and the industrial methods.
The artisanal technique is used in small-scale oil production. The olive paste is placed on pressing mats, which are then stacked on top of one another and pressed with a metal plate to extract the liquid from inside. With the industrial method, centrifuges are used that maintain a low temperature, the olive oil being extracted in these little by little.
These techniques are normally differentiated through the use of different labeling. The oil obtained using the artisanal method is the so-called ‘cold pressed oil’, while the second method described above is ‘cold extracted oil’. Nevertheless, both methods ensure a high quality oil.
Other procedures increase the temperature of the oil in order to obtain it quickly and in greater quantities. However, high temperatures can modify the properties of the oil. Indeed, certain characteristics of the aroma and flavor may end up evaporating and being lost, as may some of the nutritional values of the oil.
That is why it is important to buy a high quality oil: an Extra Virgin Olive Oil obtained through processes that maintain a low temperature. When the properties and the quality of the oil are respected, your health and that of your family are also being respected.
