Olive oil is the oil extracted from the natural fruits of an olive tree.This oil can most commonly be found in the Mediterranean region, where natural plump olives are found in abundance. In addition to that, they are even grown in parts of California, Australia, and South America.Olive oil extraction is a multifold process that includes the right time of harvest, separation from water and vegetable solids through centrifugation, and grounding it into a pulp or paste. The crushing apparatus and methods used for extracting the oil can vary from traditional Roman presses to modern, mechanical hydraulic presses. This oil is now commonly used for many purposes. Popularly used in cooking and dressing salads, this oil can now also be found in various cosmetics, soaps, lamp fuels, and pharmaceuticals. The early phase of cultivation of olives most likely took place in Mesopotamia and Persia and spread to other places from there.There are many different types of olive oils that are available. But out of these, only a few can be sold directly to the customer. The commonly found olive oils are extra virgin olive oil, the highest quality oil, virgin olive oil, extra light, pomace, and refined. These different types of oil vary in quality. Spain accounts for almost half of the total olive oil production in the world and is the biggest producer, followed by producers like Italy, Tunisia, Greece, and Turkey. Greece, apart from being one of the biggest producers of this oil, also has the highest per capita consumption of this oil.Keep reading to find out more about one of the healthiest fats on the planet. If you enjoyed reading this article about how olive oil is made, why not check out how is popcorn made and how is paint made on Kidadl to boost your knowledge further?How is extra virgin olive oil made?We get olive oil from the olive fruit of olive trees. The modern extraction process of this quality oil is simple and does not involve mixing it with any other oil or solvents. The extracted oil from the process of crushing is absolutely pure. Olive oil can actually be called the ‘juice’ of olives. The extraction process of olive oil takes place in different stages.The first stage is harvest. The first and perhaps the most important phase is choosing the correct and high-quality olive from the olive tree. While harvesting, you have to factor in time and ripeness to decide when olives are harvested. The best olives are selected on the basis of their maturity, color, and size.The second stage is the removal of dirt. This process requires cleaning all the olives and separating them from all the leaves, sand, and twigs.Next is the churning of olives. After cleaning them and grinding them into a paste, the process of malaxing begins. Malaxation involves the slow churning of olives. The fruits are churned for about 40 minutes to release the oils. For cold-pressed oils, the temperature cannot exceed 71.6-77 F (22-25 C) and the extraction is done at controlled atmospheric pressure.Finally, it is the separation of oil from solids. The obtained high-quality oil is then separated from the solids and water. This process is mostly done by centrifugation.How is adulterated olive oil made?Extra virgin olive oil, which is known for its health benefits and complex taste is unfortunately very easy to doctor. Let’s see how.The most common method of adulterating is mixing extra virgin olive oil with lower grade olive oils or regular and cheaper oils like canola, soya, or colza. It is then colored and flavored to replicate the flavor of the original oil. Sometimes adulterated oil can also be produced from rotten olives.How is extra virgin olive oil made in Italy?Italy is the second largest exporter of olive oil in the world. More than 80% of the total oil produced in the country comes from South Italy.The processes involved in making this flavorful oil include harvesting the finest olives, separating them from stems, dirt, twigs, then comes the important part of crushing the olives, followed by extraction and separation of the oil from the water and solids.There are different types of olive oil. What are the different types of olive oil you have tried? Besides extra virgin olive oil which is obtained using the freshly harvested, highest quality olives without the use of any chemical treatment or mechanical refining methods, you can also purchase virgin olive oil which is slightly of a lower quality than the former. Other types of oil include refined olive oil, pomace oil, and extra light oil olive.How much olive oil is made in Greece?Almost all the countries in the world use olive oil. However, some countries love it more than others.Over 600,000,000 lb (272,155,422 kg) of olive oil is made annually in Greece. The love for this oil is evident as Greece is one of the biggest in the world in terms of production. It also has the highest per capita consumption in the world.Olive oil has been an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. Olive oil is known to be very high in antioxidants that help protect against cellular damage. Olive oil has also been shown to play a major role in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases as well by protecting bad cholesterol or LDL from oxidation.However, this oil, much like any other edible oil, is a highly calorically dense food and may be bad for you if consumed in excessive quantities. One modest tablespoon of olive oil can give you a whopping 120 cals. It may be hard to draw the line between one or a couple of tablespoons while cooking. This ambiguity can add unaccounted calories to your diet, which can perhaps lead you astray from your health and dietary goals and become bad for you. Another big red flag in consuming excess olive oil has to do with the ratio of omega 9 and 3. Excess consumption of omega 9 has been known to constrict the flow of blood in our blood vessels.Making Your Own Olive OilEven though the extraction of olive oil requires effort, it is very easy to extract and make your own. The process remains similar to that of extracting the oil in a factory.Just be sure to use fresh fruit and not canned olives. The flavor of the oil will depend on the color of the olives. You may choose green, black, unripe, or ripe olives for the oil. The olives then must be cleaned and pitted. The olive fruit after that, needs to be grounded in a blender with a little bit of hot water until it becomes a thick pulp or paste. After this, put the olive paste in a tightly tied cheesecloth with a bowl under it. You can also weigh down the cheesecloth to ensure proper extraction from the paste. This entire process can take up to half an hour. Once completely extracted, allow the oil to float on top and separate from the water. Your homemade olive oil is ready to use.Be sure to store this in a cool and dry area in a glass bottle. This olive oil needs to be used within two to four months as it does not have a long shelf life compared to the commercially produced ones. While you’re at it, you may even want to make your cold-pressed jalapeno-infused olive oil. The process of cold pressing requires the olives to be turned into an olive paste and oil is mechanically pressed out without the use of cooking or chemicals. To make this oil one can simply include jalapenos while pressing the olives to make a beautifully flavored oil concoction.Olive Oil And SoapHaving explored the dietary role of olive oil it is fascinating to note that olive oil can even be an ingredient in making organic soaps. Saponification refers to the process of soap making, and it describes the chemical reaction between oils and water with an alkali subject to heat.The simple explanation for the saponification of olive oil is as follows. Saponification of oil requires a strong salakali, the most commonly used alkali used is sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. It may cause one to doubt the safety of such soaps when such chemicals are used but according to the USDA, if the process to harvest is duly followed and oils are converted into soap and glycerine then it is ’truly safe and non-toxic’.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for how is olive oil made then why not take a look at are birds warm blooded, or are black diamonds real.
Olive oil is the oil extracted from the natural fruits of an olive tree.
