Olive Oil
At the Biostore all our extra virgin olive oils are served loose from 50 litre stainless steel tanks the traditional way in rural Italy. This is a great system and has many benefits, the oil is kept in perfect condition, we can purchase oil directly from small independent farmers who do not have their own production facilities but produce some delicious extra virgin oils.
We select our oils only by their distinctive tastes not by the pretty label, to this end we have approached a ‘Taster’ or ASSAGIATORE, a member of ‘ORGANIZZAZIONE NAZIIONALE ASSAGGIATORI OLIO DI OLIVIA’ in Imperia Italy and he has agreed to offer his expertise in choosing the right oils. Our philosophy ensures each of our olive oils can be bought ‘by the bottle’ to have its own unique taste, smell and character.
The greater part of the olives we import is the pure product from one sort of olives, our peppery ‘Apulia oil’ for instance is made from 100% Coratina olives, whereas oils imported from this region are nearly always blended. We sell oils only from olives originating from the respective regions. For example: Arbequina olives belong in the Garrigues region, near Lleida in Northern Spain. The oil which is sold there is famous for its fine light and fresh character. It is far more delicate than the oils from Andalusia.
In addition we stock a great range of 1/4, 1/2 and 1lt fine, strong glass bottles complete with sturdy flicktopstoppers, totally reusable just pop in with your empty, choose a favorite or experiment. Feel free to ask for a sample.
Online or instore we have a full and detailed production history for each oil - what region?, what date?, what production process?, hand picked or machine? the works! We also stock two very tasty organic balsamic vinegars.
Enjoy!
OLIVE OIL - THE FACTS
Production
Olives are harvested from October to March. The green colour of the young olives changes to purple/brown/black in autumn. To allow for a certain selection picking is usually done by hand, but nowadays vibrating machines are used as well. Nets are spread under the trees for the olives to drop on. The harvested olives are transferred to the press as quickly as possible, where first of all they are are washed and cleaned of leaves. Traditionally the olives, pit and all, are ground with heavy millstones and some water added to produce a thick paste. This paste is spread on round mats. A massive pile of these mats is then squeezed in a hydraulic press. The liquid coming out is terribly bitter. Not only does it contain oil full of tastful aromas, but a watery solution of bitter flavours as well. In a high-speed centrifuge these two liquids are seperated. In former days the oil and water mixture was left to settle quietly in large barrels. After a couple of weeks the oil slowly emerged on top of the water.
Nowadays an increasing number of presses apply a more sophisticated continuous process, in which grinding, pressing and seperation are combined into a closed system that prevents the oil from making contact with air, thus minimising the risk of oxidation. Some oils are subsequently filtered through thick layers of paper while others remain cloudy. It takes about five kilos of olives to produce one litre of olive oil.
First cold pressing
Because formerly the presses were less powerful than nowadays the same olive paste was pressed several times.Finally, hot water was shed on the paste so that even the last drops of remaining oil could be squeezed out. Nowadays however presses are so powerful that all the remaining oil can be extracted out of the pulp in just one press. In fact the term 'First Cold Pressing' has become void. Of major importance are the official denominations 'Extra Vierge' and 'Vierge', referring to the respective percentages of oil-acid. 'Extra Vierge' olive oil should contain a maximum of 0.8 percent of oil-acid, whereas 'Viegre' is restricted to a maximum of 1.0 percent. Incidentally, the presence of oil acid cannot be detected by taste, but only in a laboratory test. The oil has to meet certain organoleptic quality demands as well. Testing panels of specially trained tasters carry out tests under controlled conditions to establish the quality at this point.
Oils with too high degrees of acid and/or a taste too rough can be refined in an industrial process that removes smell, colour and taste. This refined oil is often flavoured by addition of a certain percentage of 'Extra Vierge' grade and may be sold as 'Olive Oil' or 'Pure Olive Oil'. This neutral oil is very suitable for cooking and frying. Biostore .ie sell this type of oil under the name of 'Sevilla'. From the pulp that remains after pressing another kind of oil is made. The so-called 'pit' or 'sansa' oil. This by-product is always refined and virtually tasteless. We don't sell this type of oil.
Tastes
The weather conditions, the soil and the lay of the orchard, the race or type and even the moment of harvesting all add up to the typical taste of every olive oil. To put it roughly: Italian oil is somewhat green with a vegetable taste, whereas Spanish olive oil has a somewhat richer taste and a fleshy character. The taste of the oil always appears to be in beautiful harmony with the kitchen of the region of origin. Images of crispy salad, feta cheese, onion and tomato will spring to your mind the moment you taste the fresh oil from Crete, whereas the rich body of Southern Spanish oil reminds you of chorizo, Serrano ham and the regional stews.
It's easy to distinguish the different tastes of several kinds of olive oils and a pleasant experience too. Sampling the oils should rather take place without bread, as you will experience the tastes with more delicacy, though at the beginning you might get a little confused. A bite from a green apple and a sip of water between the samples may help to keep the tastes apart.
Storage
It is best to keep olive oil in a cool and dark place and certainly not in a kitchen window as sunlight decomposes the oil. Good and fresh olive oil can be kept well for at least eighteen months from the moment of pressing. In the long run however even the best of oils will grow rancid. Olive Oil freezes sooner than water. Below 8 degrees centigrade the oil will thicken. There is no harm in this, as the oil will regain its liquidity when the temperature rises. In unfiltered oils miniscule particles may settle down in time to form a deposit, a thin layer at the bottom of the bottle.