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Once the olives have been picked and are ready to be turned into oil, they are washed to remove dirt, leaves and stems, and then crushed to release the oil. Green and black olives are the same fruit, just picked at different stages of ripeness. Early-harvest green olives produce bitter, robust oil which is rich in antioxidants, while late-harvest black olives yield milder, fruitier golden oil. To preserve its flavour and nutrients, olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place in a tightly sealed dark glass container. The method of pressing, along with the type and maturity of the olives, directly affects the oil’s quality, antioxidant content and flavour. Olive oil quality is ranked as follows: Extra virgin olive oil - The highest-quality olive oil, made from cold-pressed olives with no chemicals and acidity below 0.8 percent. Cold pressing means the olives are crushed and pressed without using heat, preserving their natural flavours, aroma and antioxidants. This method ensures the oil retains the highest levels of nutrients and distinctive taste. Virgin olive oil - Also cold-pressed, but has a slightly higher acidity of up to 2 percent. Higher acidity indicates more breakdown of the olive fruit, which can happen if the olives are overripe, damaged or stored too long before pressing. Virgin olive oil contains fewer antioxidants and less flavour compared with extra virgin olive oil, though it is still a natural and healthy oil. Refined olive oil - Chemically processed, often using heat, to remove defects and is often blended with virgin olive oil. It has a mild, neutral flavour and contains few antioxidants compared with virgin or extra virgin olive oils. Olive pomace oil - The lowest-quality olive oil, extracted from the residual olive paste after the first pressing. The paste is heated to extract the remaining oil. It offers minimal health benefits compared with extra virgin olive oil and has very little flavour or antioxidants.
