Puketi Olive Farm
FAQ's Time
What does
"Cold Pressed"
of EVOO mean?
After the Olives have been harvested, washed, and crushed the paste is mechanically transported to a machine referred to as a malaxer, essentially a horizontal bathtub with blades inside. The blades mix the paste for between 20 and 40 minutes, and cold press simply means that the temperature in the malaxer must not exceed 27 C.
What is the smoke point of EVOO and what is the best way to store it?
The smoke point of EVOO is directly related to the so called Free Fatty Acid (FFA ) concentration in the EVOO. The FFA is essentially a measurement of the degree of oxidation of the Olives at processing time. The FFA can range between a low of 0.2 and up to greater than 1.0. The lower the FFA the higher the smoke point, or, the higher the quality of the EVOO the greater the smoke point wich can range between 150 C ( a very high FFA ) and up to 220 C ( a very good quality EVOO/low FFA.
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Oxidation is what adversely affects EVOO and decreases the shelf life of the EVOO. The main culprits, enhancing oxidation are heat, light, exposure to oxygen, and humidity. So, ideally storing your EVOO in a a dark place, at a temp. of 12-14 C, with as little exposure to Oxygen as possible will increase the time the EVOO will remain very good ( generally at least +/- 12 months from harvest date ). In addition, EVOO with an increased concentration of Polyphenols will have a significantly longer shelf life as the Polyphenols counter oxidation in that they are powerful anti-oxidants--- Higher Polyphenols = Longer shelf life