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Contrary to popular belief, olive oil is not typically "pressed". Rather, the oil is extracted from olives using modern equipment. Contemporary olive oil extraction processes result in higher quality olive oil and better yields from the fruit. Read on to learn more about how olive oil is extracted.
Here is a breakdown of what is depicted in the above graphic
Crushing/Grinding/Milling
After the olives are prepared for extraction, they are crushed or ground using mills or grinders. The mills may be stone or metal hammer mills.
Malaxing
The olive paste is put into a malaxer which is a trough with spiral mixing blades. The temperature within the malaxer is monitored to ensure that the olive paste is not heated above 27ºC (80.6ºF). Malaxation takes 20-45 minutes.
Separate solids and water from oil
After malaxation, the mix is passed to a centrifugal extractor. The objective is to separate the pomace (skins, pits and olive solids) from the oil.
Polishing/separating
The olive oil may be passed to another separator which spins the olive oil and removes any remaining water from the olive oil.
Why isn't olive oil pressed anymore?
Image credit: This image has been created during "DensityDesign Integrated Course Final Synthesis Studio" at Polytechnic University of Milan, organized by DensityDesign Research Lab. Image is released under CC-BY-SA license. Attribution goes to "Cecilia Della Longa, DensityDesign Research Lab". - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link
The North American Olive Oil Association is committed to supplying North American consumers with quality products in a fair and competitive environment; to fostering a clear understanding of the different grades of olive oil; and to expounding the benefits of olive oil in nutrition, health, and the culinary arts. | © North American Olive Oil Association. All Rights Reserved.