What is olive oil made from?
Olive oil is made from olives, the fruit of the olive tree. The olives are crushed into a paste, and the oil is separated from the water and solids, usually without heat or chemicals for the best grades.
After harvest, olives are washed and crushed, pits and all, into a paste. The paste is mixed slowly, a step called malaxation, to help oil droplets join together. The oil is then separated, usually in a spinning machine called a centrifuge. Traditional methods used stone mills and presses.
Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade, made only by mechanical means, with low acidity and good flavor. Virgin olive oil is slightly lower in quality. Refined olive oil is treated to remove flaws and is often blended with some virgin oil and labeled simply as olive oil or light olive oil.
Where it comes from
Spain is the world's largest olive oil producer, followed by Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Turkey. Olive oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, which is linked to better heart health. Olive trees can live for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Did You Know?
It takes around 5 kilograms of olives to make about 1 liter of olive oil, though the amount varies by olive type and ripeness.