Interprofesional represents 500,000 olive farmers, 1,740 mills (1,329 with dispenser), 178 bottling plants, 28 operators and 22 refineries, all working in the promotion of consumption of Olive Oil both in Spain and abroad and in the promotion of research, innovation and market monitoring, in order to achieve its objectives, namely: increasing the consumption of Spanish olive oil worldwide and improving its image of quality product.

Ours is one of the main sectors of the Spanish agro-food system, as well as an essential driver of our economy. Its estimated net economic value amounts to 3,000 million euros (INE 2007).

Spain is world leader of olive oil production, commercialisation and exportation. The average commercialisation of recent campaigns has increased up to around 1,200,000 tons per year, equally distributed between the national and international market.

The Spanish olive grove (2,500,000 h), with 300 million olive trees, is the biggest in the world, and it is not only part of our landscape and environmental heritage, but also of our culture and history.

The virgin olive oil obtaining process is relatively simple, but in spite of its simplicity every production phase must be done with exceptional care so as to obtain highest quality olive oil.

 

 

Harvest

Olive harvest starts in autumn. There are several traditional harvest systems, such as ordeño (olives are picked by hand); vareo (the olive tree is beaten with long and flexible poles so olives are caught in the tarps prepared at the bottom of each tree); and harvest by mechanical means (olives are obtained through mechanical tree shaking methods).

Separating ground olives (the ones that fall naturally at its optimum ripeness) and air-collected olives (those that are still in the tree) is vital to meet the highest levels of olive oil quality demands.

 

 

Transport to the oil mill

 

Harvested olives must be transported to the mill, where the olive oil production phase takes place. Transport must not alter the fruit’s quality. In order to obtain high quality olive oil, olives must be processed within 12-24 hours after their harvest.

 

Cleaning/Washing 

 

Olive batches are then transported to a weighing bin that feeds the conveyor belt that removes the leaves by means of an air current. If necessary, they are washed with running water.

 

 

Grinding, pressing and extraction of virgin olive oil

 

The grinding process consists of crushing the fruit until it becomes a paste ready to undergo a mixing process. Water is added if deemed necessary in order to favour the grouping of olive oil vacuoles. Subsequently, the solid part or pomace (pulp, solid waste, etc.) is separated from the liquid part or oily juice (a substance containing a mixture of olive oil and alpechĂ­n -olive residues-) to finally isolate olive oil from the rest.

Obtention of virgin olive oil

The co-existence of traditional systems with state-of-the-art milling techniques –a factor that makes the productive infrastructure of our country unique-, has been favoured by the concentration of production plants in relatively small areas.

1) Continuous system (by centrifugation)

 

In the modern so-called continuous plants, olive paste is taken to a horizontal centrifuge where solids are separated from the oily juice. This juice is then taken to a vertical centrifuge that separates olive oil from the fruit’s vegetable water. There are horizontal centrifuges (decanters) with two- or three-phase systems, depending on the number of products and sub-products obtained from the decanting.
 

2) Traditional system (pressing)

 

This system, which has been used for centuries, uses classic discontinuous plants. The ground paste is placed between “capachos”, round esparto, coconut or polyester mats that are piled up and then pressed so as to squeeze out the oily juice that is later left to decant, as the oil floats to the top due to density differences.

 

 

Storage

 

The olive oil thus obtained is stored in oil cellars until its commercialisation. Walls and ceilings should insulate against high temperatures and should not add strange smells to the oil, as oil takes smells easily. The ideal conservation temperature is between 15 and 18ÂşC, allowing oil to mature without oxidation. There must not be much light and tanks must be made of an inert material (stainless steel for high quality olive oil, and glazed ceramic, polyester glass-fiber, etc. for ordinary olive oil).

 

 

 

HOW TO USE SPANISH OLIVE OIL?

 

Olive oil provides a pleasant aroma and taste to different dishes. In addition, there is a great commercial selection (extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil or olive oil) so olive oil can be chosen depending on each person’s taste or the menu and aroma desired: more or less fruity or intense, or a little differentiated product, with limited aroma or taste.

 

Raw extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salads, sauces and for dressing vegetables. It is olive juice and therefore it keeps all its aroma and taste. It can also be eaten raw, along with toasts or dipping bread in it, and even with smoked fish or meat, table olives, meat, sandwiches, cold meat, etc. It is very versatile and can be used in the preparation of all kinds of sauces.


In light frying and stews, always over a low heat and temperature and especially with pulses and vegetables, extra virgin olive oil keeps all its properties.


Olive oil is the most stable of all vegetable fats and, under normal conditions, it does not produce toxic reactions when fried, roasted or boiled, improving the gastronomic quality of food. Thus, olive oils are perfect for cooking at high temperatures to cook sautéed, roasted, stewed or fried dishes.


High-temperature frying - between 130 and 180 degrees Celsius - evidences the benefits of olive oil. At this temperature, olive oil creates a thin but dense superficial layer, golden and crunchy, that prevents the product from absorbing more oil. Therefore, the food manages to keep its juice, resulting in appetizing dishes whose nutritional value has not been reduced. In addition, as olive oil hardly penetrates into the food, the latter becomes lighter and digestive. Olive oil fries but does not boil, as other oils do.



It is advisable, when frying, to use a container with tall and straight walls and a reduced diameter so more oil can be held in a smaller surface. It is also advisable to fold the food to be fried little by little in order to prevent the temperature of olive oil from descending sharply.

 

Did you know that...

 

• Olive oil is excellent for greasing barbecue meat, as it helps it keep its natural juice.

 

• Charcoal-grilled meat is tastier if olive oil is added when it is browning.

 

• Any meat, fish, or vegetable fried with olive oil becomes tastier, as it creates a thin and crunchy layer around it that prevents it from absorbing more oil and becoming greasy.

 

• Meat marinated in olive oil before cooking is tastier. As olive oil is a delicate product, it is ideal for mixtures with aromatic herbs and spices.

 

• If you wish to prepare a delicious appetizer, spread some garlic on a toast and then add a splash of olive oil.

 

• Using olive oil to cook pasta prevents it from sticking.

 

 

• To achieve best results, dry all ingredients before frying them

 

• Make sure the frying pan contains enough olive oil to cover all the ingredients. If there is not enough olive oil in the frying pan, food will either be too soft or it will burn.

 

• Before frying any food, olive oil must be hot, but it must not smoke.

 

• Food must be fried in small quantities so as to prevent the frying temperature of olive oil from descending.

 

• Olive oil expands when heated, so it goes further than other oils.

 

• When olive oil reaches temperatures of up to 180 degrees Celsius its structure stays unaltered, so it can be re-used up to 3-4 times with absolute guarantees, as long as it is filtered after every frying to remove any solid waste left.

 

• Frying oil should be kept in an enamel, ceramic glaze or stainless steel recipient to prevent its oxidation.