Switching to the Mediterranean dietary pattern can help control most lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and obesity. The Mediterranean diet incorporates healthy foods like plant-based foods, legumes, fruits, whole grain cereals, and fish. What enhances its health benefits further is the use of olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), known for its healthy fats, antioxidants, and heart-beneficial aspects. Olive oil is the principal source of fat in the Mediterranean diet, and it contains essential fats that can be consumed only through diet, as our bodies cannot produce them on their own.
Four common types of olive oils are used for cooking in India: refined olive oil, virgin olive oil, olive pomace oil, and the best cooking oil in India is the cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil.
What is Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Oil?
The edible oil is extracted from Olea Europaea, the botanical name of the olive plant. The mesocarp is the fleshy part of the olive fruit from which the oil is extracted. To a normal consumer, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, refined olive oil, and olive oil may appear the same, but there is a considerable difference. The distinguishing parameter is their methods of extraction and subsequent processing. From a health perspective, cold-pressed cooking oils are considered the best because they retain the natural bioactive compounds and other nutritive content. If we compare all the types of cold-pressed cooking oils, the extra virgin olive oil takes a higher place due to its high nutritional value, and that’s why it is the best cooking oil in India.
The Process of Extracting Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The end-to-end process of extracting the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil involves physical and mechanical input. It starts from collecting olive fruits, washing them, and applying mechanical pressure to extract the oil.
Let us understand the oil extraction process in detail.
1. Collection of Olive Fruits
Good quality olive fruits are picked from olive trees that are around 3 to 5 years old. They are to be carefully picked and transported to the mill in time to avoid bruising and fermentation. It is detrimental to keep the timeline in mind and be cautious while picking the olive fruits. The journey of extracting the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil begins here.
2. Cleaning and Washing
Once the olives arrive at the mill, cleaning commences to remove dirt, stones, and particles that may lower the quality of olive oil. After cleaning, the washing process follows to ensure olive fruits are free from impurities and pesticides. Cleaning and washing protect the machine from damage and help ensure that olive fruits remain fresh and pure. Clean olives ensure the oil tastes fresh and pure. This stage prepares the olive fruits for the next process.
3. Crushing the Olive Fruits
In this process, whole olives are crushed using hammer crushers, disc crushers, or stone mills. The aim is to rupture the cell walls of the olive pulp (mesocarp) so that the tiny oil droplets trapped inside the cells are released. Here, olives turn into a paste form, which makes the next process easy and efficient.
4. Malaxation
The next process in the extraction of the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is malaxation, which also means ‘mixing slowly. In the malaxation process, the tiny droplets released during the crushing process slowly group to form large oil drops. The olive paste is gently mixed for about 20 to 45 minutes at a temperature below 27°C. Low temperature is maintained to preserve the nutritional value and flavours of the oil.
5. Mechanical Pressing
Mechanical or cold pressing is the traditional method of extracting the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil and does not involve heating or chemical treatment. The olive paste is spread onto circular mats or disks, stacked on top of each other, and placed into a hydraulic or mechanical press. Then pressure is exerted to squeeze the paste to push out the olive oil and water from the solid part, known as pomace. Pomace is the remaining solid part, containing a small percentage of oil, but it cannot be extracted through mechanical pressing. The leftover pomace is not discarded; rather, it is collected and sent to specialized facilities to extract the oil using the solvent extraction method, and this oil is known as pomace olive oil. The content that squeezes out during cold-pressing is olive oil and vegetable water, which is sent for further processing.
6. Decantation
The residue left after mechanical pressing contains pure olive oil mixed with water and tiny solid particles of olive fruit, which need to be separated to purify the oil. The separation is done through decantation, a natural settling process. The oil is poured into larger containers and is left for a few hours or days. This process allows the heavier water and tiny solid particles to sink and settle at the bottom, leaving the lighter oil to rise to the top. The clear oil that surfaces on the top is then carefully separated. This is the purest version of first-pressed extra virgin olive oil without further filtration and is considered the best cooking oil in India.
7. Filtration
Some oil manufacturers skip filtration to maintain a more natural taste and texture, while other cooking oil brands in India prefer to include this process in their production cycle. The filtration process ensures that the olive does not contain tiny particles. It also improves the clarity and shelf life of the oil, but some producers leave the extra virgin olive oil unfiltered for a more natural taste.
Conclusion
That’s how the best cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is made – step by step, with care and no chemicals or heat. Each stage helps keep the oil pure, healthy, and full of natural goodness. It’s not just any cooking oil – it’s the best cooking oil in India that improves heart health and overall well-being. So next time you use it, you’ll know the journey behind every drop!
Choose Jivo cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil as your healthy cooking oil—it’s processed naturally, chemical-free, and retains all the goodness of pure olives, making it the ideal choice for you and your family’s well-being.