The Olive Mill

The term "frangitura" comes from "Frangere" to press or crush, which is also where the name"Frantoio" or olive mill comes from: in this phase the pulp and the stones from the olives are pressed under enormous millstones which turn inside a tube.
The grinding renders the olives into a homogeneous paste.
This operation consists of a prolonged grinding of the paste after pressing.
This enables the breaking down of water-oil emulsions formed during the pressing, and the union of drops of oil which become progressively larger and will allow them to be more easily separated from the water.
Next, the paste is squeezed, using the traditional cold-pressing method, between vegetable fibre discs for an hour applying ever-increasing pressure.
This causes a liquid to emerge made up of oil and water. The material between the discs, left over from the pressing, is called olive husk.
During the final part of the operation, the separation, the oily liquid is centrifuged to separate the oil from the water and other impurities.
From the tube of the centrifuge a yellowy green nectar emerges, ready to be bottled and consumed.
He equipment used in our old oil mill.
Though the equipment used may not be antique, we can guarantee the use of traditional methods throughout the oil-making process, therefore obtaining an organically produced, top quality olive oil with an old-fashioned flavour.