How Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Made? From Olive to Bottle

Extra virgin olive oil is made by crushing whole olives into a paste and separating the oil from the water and solids by mechanical means only. No heat and no chemicals are used. The whole process, from tree to tank, can take less than a day.

1. Harvesting

Olives are picked by hand, with hand-held rakes or with machines that shake the trunk. Timing matters more than method. Green olives picked early give less oil but more polyphenols and a sharper, grassier taste. Riper olives give more oil and a softer flavour. See Early Harvest vs Late Harvest Olive Oil.

2. Getting to the mill fast

Once picked, olives start to ferment and oxidise. The best producers mill within hours. Our Early Harvest olives are cold-extracted within 4 hours of collection.

3. Cleaning

At the mill, leaves and twigs are blown away and the olives are washed.

4. Crushing

Whole olives, stones and all, are crushed into a paste. Modern mills use stainless steel hammer or disc crushers. Traditional stone mills are now rare.

5. Malaxing

The paste is slowly mixed for 20 to 60 minutes. This lets tiny droplets of oil join into larger ones. Temperature is kept low. To be labelled "cold extraction", it must stay below 27°C. Read more in What Is Cold Pressed Olive Oil?

6. Separating

A horizontal centrifuge called a decanter spins the paste and separates oil from solids and water. A second, vertical centrifuge polishes the oil. Old-style mat presses are rarely used today, which is why "first cold pressed" is mostly a marketing phrase.

7. Settling or filtering

The new oil is either left to settle so particles sink, or filtered. Unfiltered oil looks cloudy and is best used quickly. See Filtered vs Unfiltered Olive Oil.

8. Testing and storage

The oil is tested for acidity and other chemical markers, and tasted by a panel. Only oil that passes both can be sold as extra virgin. It is then stored in stainless steel tanks, often under nitrogen, away from light.

9. Bottling

Good oil is bottled in dark glass or tins to protect it from light. Our oils are bottled in Spain and dispatched to UK customers from Lytham St Annes.

How long does the whole process take?

Harvest to oil in the tank can take under 12 hours at a good mill. Most of the quality is decided in those first hours.

Frequently asked questions

Is olive oil made with heat or chemicals?

Extra virgin and virgin olive oil are not. They are made by mechanical means only. Refined olive oils are treated with heat and chemicals, which is why they can't be called virgin.

Are olive stones crushed too?

Yes. Whole olives, including the stones, are crushed together.

How much oil does one olive tree produce?

It varies with the tree, the year and the harvest date, but a single tree typically gives a few litres of oil a season.