Dear Kosterina Family,
Ever wonder how good EVOO is made?
Our mission is to always provide you & your family with the best-quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We only use early-harvest, cold-pressed Koroneiki olives to maximize flavor and health benefits (they are naturally higher in polyphenols!). But how do you take a small fruit like an olive and spin it into liquid gold? Here's how:
1. Harvesting: The process of making ultra premium extra virgin olive oil begins with harvesting the olives early in the season when the olives are still bright green. By hand picking or using a long-handled rake, our farmers shake the branches, causing the olives to fall onto nets spread beneath the trees.
2. Processing: Once harvested, the olives are then transported via crates & sacks as they make their way to the mill. From there, the olives are sorted to remove any leaves, twigs, and damaged fruit. They are then washed thoroughly to eliminate any remaining debris.
3. Malaxation: Next, the olives are crushed into a paste releasing the oil from the fruit's cells. This olive paste undergoes malaxation, a process of slow churning or mixing, allowing the oil droplets to merge and separate from the solids.
4. Pressing: After malaxation, the olive paste is pressed via centrifugal extraction. These machines spin the olive paste at high speeds, creating centrifugal force. This force separates the oil from the solids and water, allowing the oil to be collected while the solids are left behind.
5. Filtration: The extracted oil is then filtered to remove any remaining particles, ensuring clarity and purity.
6. Storing/Bottling: Finally, the olive oil is stored in stainless steel tanks. These tanks protect the oil from exposure to light and oxygen, which can degrade its quality over time.
And that is how our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made! All the way from Greece to your table, we take meticulous care in ensuring you get the best-quality EVOO. Pure, flavorful, and always Greek!
Peace, Love, and EVOO,
Katina & The Kosterina Team
