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The advantages of smale-scale production
What makes olive oil great
Choosing the right olive oil can sometimes be challenging. At Mezzogiorno, we can certainly understand that. Just like with wine, olive oil is a matter of taste. Fortunately, there are some guidelines to help you choose. Let's start at the beginning: At Mezzogiorno, we promise you that our farmers' olive oil is of excellent quality. But what makes olive oil high-quality? You'll find out in this article. In a future blog post, we'll delve into the different flavor profiles of olives from Southern Italy. However, the initial step lies in selecting a high-quality olive oil.
Oxidation
The quality of olive oil is determined by the amount of oxidation that occurs in the production process. Olive oil is naturally formed in the olive through the creation of triglycerides. Each triglyceride consists of three fatty acids linked together by a glycerol molecule. Because this bond is not very strong, it can be easily broken in an oxidizing or aggressive environment. When the bond is broken, free fatty acids are formed. This oxidation occurs when the skin of the olive is broken, allowing oxygen to come into contact with the triglyceride. Preventing damage is therefore the basis for producing high-quality olive oil, and all steps are crucial.
Control over Olive Cultivation
As an olive mill, you have three different ways to make olive oil:
- You buy olives from large olive cooperatives.
- You buy olives from local farmers (allowing you to control the quality of cultivation).
- You grow your own olives and press them in your own olive mill.
The first method is all about bulk. This is what you find in Dutch supermarkets: olives from Tunisia, pressed in Italy to be called "genuine Italian olive oil." Well, you can guess what we think of that. Personally, we are especially fans of the third method because everything is controlled by the farmer. On the other hand, when done well, using olives from local external farmers can't do much harm as long as their cultivation is done well. And you can check that.
From Harvest to Pressing
From the moment the olive is harvested, the oxidation process accelerates. Any damage to the olive results in an acceleration of the oxidation process. Therefore, it is important to minimize contact of the olives with the ground and other "foreign" surfaces and to avoid pressure on the olives during transport to the olive mill, for example. The best olive oil comes from olives that are hand-picked and transported in small crates to the olive mill.
The time between harvest and pressing is also crucial for making good olive oil. Because the olive oxidizes faster from the moment it is picked, it is important to press the olives as soon as possible after picking. Many olive oil producers set the limit at 24 hours; even better is to press the olives within, for example, 4 hours. This can only be done through local cultivation and small-scale processing.
Did You Know?
Many large "bulk" olive oil producers buy their olives far from the press, often even North African olives are purchased to be pressed in Italy as "genuine Italian olive oil." The time between harvest and pressing is, of course, incomparable to locally grown olives that go directly to the press. When buying olive oil, it is crucial to pay attention not only to where the olive oil is produced but especially to where the olives come from. "Italian Olive Oil" is no guarantee of Italian olives.
Method of Pressing
When pressing olives, two factors influence the yield. The higher the temperature and the more pressure applied during pressing, the higher the oil yield per olive. Although this is tempting for the oil producer (you get more oil, all of which can be called "first pressing"), it leads to the loss of vitamins and (poly)phenols. These elements have important health aspects and contribute to the flavor. Moreover, oxidation accelerates at higher temperatures. So, the colder you press, the better the oil. The legal maximum for this is 27 degrees.
Storage Method
Finally, the storage method has a significant impact on the quality of the oil. After pressing, the oil is stored in large stainless steel tanks at the press. This prevents air and light from reaching the oil, keeping the oil of high quality. In our case, the oil is only bottled just before transportation, ensuring that the oil has been preserved optimally until the last moment. This is in stark contrast to supermarkets where the oil goes through a long logistical chain before ending up on the supermarket shelf, and it's uncertain how long it has been in the bottle.
Did You Know?
Many large olive oil brands artificially lower the acidity of their oil by mixing different oils together after production. They blend a special olive oil with extremely low acidity with a cheap olive oil with high acidity. On average, they will end up with an acidity of 0.79%, which allows it to be classified as extra virgin, but this certainly does not mean it is high-quality oil. Always make sure you know the origin of your olive oil: which region, which olive type, and preferably, which farmer.
Acidity Level
By performing all the previous steps as carefully as possible, you can minimize oxidation. This results in the lowest possible amount of free fatty acids. To measure the quality of olive oil, the percentage of free fatty acids in the oil is used: Acidity Level. Extra virgin olive oil has a maximum acidity level of 0.8%. The lower the acidity level of an olive oil, the better.
So far, everything has been simple (right?), in a future story, we will delve further into the different flavor characteristics of olive oil. We will explain that each olive oil is unique and that the moment of harvest and the almost infinite variety of olive types all contribute to a unique flavor. But, as a passionate olive oil maker from Puglia told us, "it starts with high quality; then we can talk about taste."
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When we talk about Southern Italian cuisine, we often refer to la cucina povera, the "poor mans' kitchen." The further you travel down the boot, the poorer the environment generally becomes. This is also reflected in the culinary traditions. However, this does not mean that the cuisine is not rich in extravagant flavors! On the contrary, a good dish from the cucina povera is truly delicious!
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Organic Wine
Many small winemakers in Italy work organically. This means that the grapes they use to make wine are grown without using chemical products such as fertilizers and pesticides. Almost all of our winemakers work completely organically, but this does not always mean that they have the BIO certificate. In Italy, and in many other countries, obtaining this certificate is a bureaucratic and expensive process. As a result, some of our winemakers choose not to obtain the certificate, but this does not make their wine any less organic.
Scarcity leads to higher prices and more tampering.
The price of olive oil has skyrocketed in recent years, with the last year setting an absolute record. Unfortunately, our farmers are also feeling the pinch, leading to increased prices for us as well. This surge has many causes. Harvests are being affected by droughts in Southern Europe and by increasing olive diseases spread by insects. Moreover, labor costs for olive picking are rising, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find people for this task. Together, these factors contribute to a high price of the basic product: the olive. Additionally, producers are facing inflation in packaging materials and the energy required in the production process. Price hikes are evident across the entire market spectrum, affecting both small-scale quality oil production and mass-produced supermarket varieties.