The viable olive orchards on Skopelos are carefully tended using organic methods - we use organic fertilizers, sustainable pest control, and natural irrigation.
As the olive fruit ripens, it changes color from white to green and then to black. The people of Skopelos closely watch this ripening process and hand pick the olives at just the right time.
The olive harvest is stored in special boxes that allow suitable ventilation and optimal temperature. These boxes protect the olives from decomposing too quickly.
Within a few hours, the olives are washed in cold water.
The olives are only pressed once. Then the oil is immediately stored in clean stainless steel tanks. It is NEVER blended with oils from other sources. Olive oil from Skopelos is of high quality and tastes very different to the oil to be bought abroad.
Greeks first began pressing olives over 5000 years ago and the principles of original methods are still used on Skopelos today, producing high quality olive oil. An olive press works by applying pressure to olive paste to separate the liquid oil and vegetation water from the solid material. The oil and vegetation water are then separated by standard decantation.
First the olives are ground into an olive paste using large millstones. Grindstones, while ancient in design, are a suitable way to grind olives, because this method breaks up the pulp while only slightly touching the nut and the skin. This reduces the release of the oxygenated enzymes present in these organs. In addition, in this extraction method, the introduction of water is minimal when compared to the modern one, thus reducing the washing-off of the polyphenols. The exhausted paste, called pomace, has a low content of water, making it an easier residue to manage.
The olive paste generally stays under the stones for 30 to 40 minutes. This has three objectives:
- to guarantee that the olives are well ground
- to allow enough time for the olive drops to join to form the largest droplets of oil
- to allow the fruit enzymes to produce some of the oil aromas and taste
After grinding, the olive paste is spread on fiber disks, which are stacked on top of each other, then placed into the press. Traditionally the disks were made of hemp or coconut fiber, but in modern times they’re made of synthetic fibers which are easier to clean and maintain.
These disks are then put on a hydraulic piston, forming a pile. Pressure is applied on the disks, thus compacting the solid phase of the olive paste and percolating the liquid phases (oil and vegetation water). The applied hydraulic pressure can go to 400 atm.
To facilitate separation of the liquid phases, water is run down the sides of the disks to increase the speed of percolation.
The liquids are then separated either by a standard process of decantation or by means of a faster vertical centifruge.
The traditional method is a valid form of producing high quality olive oil, if after each extraction the disks are properly cleaned from the remains of paste; if not the leftover paste will begin to ferment, thereby producing inconsistencies of flavors (called defects) that will contaminate the subsequently produced olive oil. A similar problem can affect the grindstones that, in order to assure perfect quality, also require cleaning after each usage. Proper cleaning produces higher quality oil.
On Skopelos, these methods require more manual labour and there is a longer time period from harvest to pressing. This non-continuous process with waiting periods exposes the olive paste to the action of oxygen and light. Even so, the oil produced is of excellent quality.
Why not try it and see!