FAQs About Extra Virgin Olive Oil

What is Olive Oil?

Olive oil is a natural product - literally the fruit juice of the olive. It can have many differing tastes depending on, to name a few, the elements, variety, soil and the harvest. All of these factors can result in a plethora of flavour descriptors such as, fruity, sweet, bitter, peppery, hot, and many more. The peculiarities of the land, and the olive variety can be apparent in the colour of the oil, which might range from deep yellow to emerald green. The uniqueness of the oil is also revealed in the aroma - artichoke, green apple, freshly cut grass, nutty or toasted bread.

Each olive oil is unique and the result of its place of origin, climate, and the variety of olive used - French viticulturists would call it ‘terrior’, an all-encompassing agricultural happening! However, perhaps just as importantly, it is the result of the work of local men and women who tend the trees, protect the harvest, and oversee the extraction to ensure perfect press conditions. Attentive to each of these criteria, and the oil will provide a quality product with its own unique flavours and aromas.

Tell me about harvesting?

The harvest date is critical to ensure the olives' optimum oil content and pungency of aromas. The way the olives are harvested is important due to the ease with which the fruit can be damaged. Once damaged the fruit rapidly begins to oxidise and ferment, affecting the quality of the finished product. The ideal method of harvest is the time honoured collection by hand into a weaved basket. At Bunnyconnellen, we meld the ancient world and modern by hand picking into containers prior to dispatch to our local press, some 45 minutes away.

What do you mean by First Cold Pressed Oil?

Virgin olive oil is obtained exclusively by mechanical centrifugal or pressing means. Pure fruit juice, the oil has not been subjected to any chemical treatment, although, sadly this cannot be said of light oils. The phrase 'cold pressed' is a commercial term that dates back to a period when the mills, which were less powerful and usually powered by water flow or animal power, made a second pressing with hot water. This term has not really been applicable for a number of decades due to the technological evolutions in the industry; however, it continues to be a favoured term by us, as we do not heat our fruit press relying instead on ambient temperatures thus complimenting the folklore surrounding this old term.

Are there health benefits?

During the 1960s, a major study on public health and different eating habits in Europe led to edifying conclusions: the inhabitants of the Mediterranean island nation Crete had a life expectancy far superior to those who inhabited the countries of Northern Europe due to an astonishingly low rate of cardio-vascular illnesses. This is due to their highly balanced diet. The Mediterranean diet as it is now most commonly known, is not a slimming diet, it is simply a perfectly healthy diet in which olive oil holds a prevailing position. Some medical research has concentrated on the cholesterol-fighting effects, others on the detoxifying and regenerative effects, but all the evidence shows that olive oil is an essential part of any healthy diet thanks to its high content of mono-unsaturated fatty acids, which truly clean and protect the arteries and the digestive system.

Does olive oil keep?

The harvest date is one of the most important items of information when investing in a quality Extra Virgin olive oil. At Bunnyconnellen we display the harvest date. The 'harvest date' normally spans the months of April to June in the Southern Hemisphere and accordingly the oil should be consumed by the end of the following year, as they become about 18 months old. The best principle is to use it not store it!