Crete is an island of agriculture, and extra virgin olive oil is no exception: Our island is home to millions of olive trees (many of them more than a century old) and our travel agency in Chania will present you the story of how Greek and Cretan olive oil is produced!
Contents
Olive oil in Crete – Past and Present
For centuries now, Cretans have been actively cultivating olives for their olive oil. This is why olive oil consumption in Greece is at the top of every list. From Minoan times, Cretans had already understood the significance of Olive oil, which is apparent in the Archaeological sites of Knossos and Phaistos, where clay storage jars have been extensively found.
Olive Varieties in Crete
There are many olive oil varieties in Crete, and Greece and locals are using those trees (which are numerous all around the island) either for olive oil production or for table olives, which means to be used on salads or to be eaten as a light lunch.
The most popular variety of olive trees that are all over Crete is Koroneiki. Koroneiki olive variety is a very productive breed, while its olives are of the highest quality, and excellent for the production of extra virgin olive oil.
Olive Picking in Chania Crete – Olive Picking Tour in Chania[/caption]
Furthermore, there are some other prominent olive oil varieties, such as “Throumba” which is very large, and optimal for table olives, and also “Tsounati” a very ancient breed of olive that is also used both for table olives and for olive oil of excellent aroma and texture.
There are other varieties too, like “Kalamon”, “Manaki” or “Arbequina”, but the 3 we mentioned above are the most usual that you find during your holidays and tours in Crete
Olive Oil Grades and Qualities
As with many other fruits and cultivations in Crete, olive oil is classified with grades that signify the quality of the final product. This is why we have “grade A “ which is for extra virgin olive oil, the “grade B” which is for regular olive oil and “grade C” for the lowest quality olive oil, also called “lampante” which is mainly used in animal food or other uses.
The quality of olive oil is measured by the acidity level. Extra virgin olive oil has an acidity level of up to 0,8%, while regular olive oil can reach from 0,8 % up to 2 %. Above 2 % of acidity, is what is considered “lampante” oil, and is not made for human consumption.
Crete and almost all of the fields and cultivated land we have on our island produce extra virgin olive oil. This is due to environmental, cultivational and microclimate-specific reasons which our island is famous for.
How olive oil is collected
There are numerous methods of collection of olives. The most common way Cretans are collecting their harvest is by mechanical methods. Special plastic mats are laid down on the fields and with the help of vibrating rotating mechanical sticks, farmers shake the tree branches in order to shake the olives down on the plastic mats. Then, we collect the olives in special plastic baskets and get them to the olive oil factory for extraction as soon as possible. It is that simple!
How olives are processed
As soon as the olives reach the olive oil factory, they are meticulously cleaned with mechanical methods, using air suction and water. After their bath with warm water, they get into a divider that divides the leaves, branches and small chunks away from the olives themselves. After this step, they get into a special crusher, where olives get smashed in order to make a thick pulp.
This pulp is rotated in special metal compartments where the inner walls are full of warm water. It is the heat and the continuous mix of olive pulp that helps separate the pulp from the olive oil. This separation procedure lasts for up to an hour, and big caution is being given to the temperature of the olive pulp which must NOT exceed 38 °, otherwise, the quality of olive oil will deteriorate.
The final step is to separate the pure olive oil from other crude matter in the oil pulp, and this is done with the help of centrifugal force. Fresh olive oil is now ready to be consumed!
Olive leftovers
Olive leftovers after the olive oil extraction are basically the wooden “core” of the olive. This is also used as animal feed and in order to produce wood pellets and charcoal for barbeque, or home heating in the winter months. It is safe to say that nothing is being thrown away!
Book an Olive Oil Tour with us!
Our travel agency in Chania offers private exclusive tours to bio olive farms and olive fields in order to understand our island’s top-quality products. After a thorough walk into an olive oil field, we get to taste organic olive oil and see an olive oil factory first-hand. Our guide will show you the whole procedure, and will also inform you about olive oil production in the past years without the use of mechanical methods, thus providing you with a full olive oil tour and olive oil tasting experience in Chania.
Book your olive oil tour now or see all our guided tours for a commendable vacation in Crete!
Comment (0)