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PROCESSING
Olive oil represents undoubtedly the added value of Mediterranean diet. Fragrant, tasty and rich in nutrients, it requires a long production process to ensure the highest quality and authenticity.
HARVESTING
It all begins with harvesting which Valle dell’Akrai has always entrusted to expert local workers able to select the best fruits. Compared to the usual harvest time, we start once the first olives ripen; however, despite a lower yield, a top quality oil is guaranteed and this is the most important thing to us.
WASHING AND MILLING
On the same day of harvesting, olives are directly transported in boxes to the mill to be weighed; this is important to evaluate the yield and estimate the final production.
Olives are then washed and finally pressed. By means of the most innovative machinery, seeds and skin are separated from the pureed fruits, while the first juice is obtained from the pulp.
At this stage, a centrifugal extractor is used to clarify liquids from olive paste: this is the delicate phase of kneading that will affect the final quality of oil. During this phase the temperature of the water used must not exceed 25°-27° C, thus ensuring the best organoleptic qualities of the oil; instead, if the temperature of water exceeds 27° C, the oil will lost both its taste and its nutritional properties. Valle dell’Akrai oil is produced at a constant temperature of 23 ° C, which means a top quality product.
OIL EXTRACTION AND BOTTLING
The last phase of the production process consists in the final extraction of the residual water droplets from oil which is then moved to storage to allow its optimal conservation for a medium-long period. Once the relevant organoleptic, physical and chemical analyses have been carried out, oil is bottled in elegant dark bottles in order to guarantee the best quality and preserve oil from sunlight. Every bottle is then provided with an anti-topping cap and a stain-proof label.
