{"id":6446,"date":"2021-10-18T08:32:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-18T08:32:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T12:40:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T12:40:33","slug":"olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Olive Milling: What Is It? Meaning and Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>olive milling<\/strong> phase is an important and delicate stage in the process of obtaining extra virgin olive oil and requires great care to be performed correctly. In this article, we will discuss this specific step and how to carry it out professionally in order to obtain the <strong>best possible raw oil<\/strong> and avoid errors that could compromise the quality of the desired final result: an <strong>excellent <a href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/\">extra virgin olive oil<\/a><\/strong>. Read on!  <\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_86 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Indice<\/div>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #343e3d;color:#343e3d\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #343e3d;color:#343e3d\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#What_Is_Olive_Milling\" >What Is Olive Milling<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#Olive_Milling_Process\" >Olive Milling Process<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#Phase_1_%E2%80%93_Washing_and_Defoliation_of_the_Olives\" >Phase 1 &#8211; Washing and Defoliation of the Olives<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#Phase_2_%E2%80%93_Olive_Milling_also_known_as_%E2%80%9COlive_Crushing_or_Pressing%E2%80%9D\" >Phase 2 &#8211; Olive Milling, also known as &#8220;Olive Crushing or Pressing&#8221;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#Phase_3_%E2%80%93_Oil_Packaging\" >Phase 3 &#8211; Oil Packaging<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-milling-what-is-it-meaning-and-process\/#Olive_Crushing_Conclusions\" >Olive Crushing: Conclusions<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_Is_Olive_Milling\"><\/span>What Is Olive Milling<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s discover the <strong>olive milling<\/strong> phase. In this stage, the freshly harvested olives are transported to the mill where, depending on the method used by the mill, they undergo <strong>milling or crushing<\/strong>, which essentially refer to the same step. We speak of milling when the olives undergo a <em>&#8220;pressing&#8221;<\/em> process through grinding achieved by granite millstones, much like in the past, where oxen or horses pulled the heavy stones, whereas today they are electrically powered. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is a different matter, however, for <strong>crushing<\/strong>, where the raw oil is produced by metal crushers specifically designed for the purpose. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Olive_Milling_Process\"><\/span>Olive Milling Process<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>olive milling<\/strong> process begins, as mentioned, with the transport of the olives to the mill. At Contedoro, we focus heavily on the precise organization of the harvest day, so that the olives can be transported to the mill within the day to be pressed fresh. This delicate step is of vital importance to prevent the olives from losing the properties that distinguish them and make an extra virgin olive oil special.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s see how the <strong>olive pressing<\/strong> process continues.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phase_1_%E2%80%93_Washing_and_Defoliation_of_the_Olives\"><\/span>Phase 1 &#8211; Washing and Defoliation of the Olives<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This first step consists of washing (with potable water) and cleaning the olives of leaves or twigs that remained attached to the fruit during harvesting. During this step, at Contedoro, a <strong>team of agronomist tasters<\/strong> who follow the entire <a href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/our-oil\/\">extra virgin olive oil production chain<\/a> removes olives with evident defects from the machinery that could jeopardize the high quality of the final product. <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phase_2_%E2%80%93_Olive_Milling_also_known_as_%E2%80%9COlive_Crushing_or_Pressing%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>Phase 2 &#8211; Olive Milling, also known as <em>&#8220;Olive Crushing or Pressing&#8221;<\/em> <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, the olives move toward the millstones or crushers for what will be the first real step in obtaining <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/our-oil\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/olio-evo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EVOO<\/a><\/strong>, where the so-called <strong>olive paste<\/strong> is obtained\u2014the first extract of skins, pulp, and pits of the freshly ground olives.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding this particularly delicate phase, there is a very important consideration to be made that also affects the <a href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/olive-yield-what-it-is-and-what-it-depends-on\/\">olive yield<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many mills with modern systems for obtaining extra virgin olive oil prefer to use so-called <strong>hot extraction<\/strong>, which allows for a larger quantity of oil in a much shorter time. This method of extra virgin olive oil extraction, however, compromises the beneficial properties of the olives as it uses a heating mechanism that alters the properties of the fruit and, consequently, negatively affects the quality of the extra virgin olive oil. Conversely, <strong>cold extraction<\/strong> is the preferred olive pressing method for those aiming to obtain a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/\">high-quality extra virgin olive oil<\/a><\/strong>. In fact, it is the method that has always been used at Contedoro, where the sole objective is to obtain a superior quality extra virgin olive oil; thanks to this method, it is possible to preserve all the aromas, <strong>antioxidants, and organoleptic properties of the oil<\/strong>.   <\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Phase_3_%E2%80%93_Oil_Packaging\"><\/span>Phase 3 &#8211; Oil Packaging<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Therefore, following the grinding and crushing of the olives, the freshly pressed oil moves toward the <strong>packaging phase<\/strong>, which we will not cover in this article but in others on our blog. We will simply say that this phase is also delicate and requires attention to obtain an excellent extra virgin olive oil. Some of the aspects to be respected include storage in dark places away from light sources, a stable and possibly controlled temperature, and finally correct bottling, avoiding leaving the oil in contact with oxygen (its sworn enemy).  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Olive_Crushing_Conclusions\"><\/span>Olive Crushing: Conclusions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In conclusion of this article on this delicate oil production phase known as <strong>olive milling or crushing<\/strong>, we can state that the process of obtaining a good <strong>EVOO<\/strong> cannot ignore a careful olive grinding phase which, if carried out correctly, allows for a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For any information regarding this or for questions concerning extra virgin olive oil, contact us or write to us; we will be happy to answer your questions!<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-horizontal is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-cbcdc57d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-luminous-vivid-amber-to-luminous-vivid-orange-gradient-background has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/shop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Discover Contedoro EVOO<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The olive milling phase is an important and delicate stage in the process of obtaining extra virgin olive oil and requires great care to be performed correctly. In this article, we will discuss this specific step and how to carry it out professionally in order to obtain the best possible raw oil and avoid errors [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_angie_page":false,"page_builder":"","_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[141],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oil-and-oil-mill"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6446"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6448,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6446\/revisions\/6448"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/contedoro.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}