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<pre>Jim:

Maybe it is the acidity in the apple that helps cleanse the palate. Kind of
like sorbet. As far as Extra Virgin goes I don't know where it originated
but here are some definitions from Random House/Webster's Dictionary that
will shed some light on the why. EXTRA- being more or better than what is
usual, expected or necessary; additional or superior. VIRGIN- pure;
unsullied. Not previously exploited or used.
I don't think I'll go where the other definitions for virgin go. I don't
think they apply to olive oil. Be good and have fun.

Phil Maro
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<pre>Extra virgin olive is is oil from the first pressing or squeezing of the
olive. In most large refineries, the olives are crushed to separate them
from the seeds. The seeds are discarded, and the olive are put in a
centrifuge to separate out the oil.

Not all of the oil comes out the first time in the centrifuge, but what
oil does come out is "extra virgin".

Later squeezings are done, but because the olive begin to decay, the oil
isn't as tasty, etc. International standards exist for the grading of
olive oil, and there are also many unscrupulous operators who have ways
of adulterating oil so as to get more money for it than it is worth.

Roger Digel-Barrett, USA

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<pre>My understanding is that in commercial olive operations either with
presses or centrifuges the olive pit (wood) and seed (inside pit) are
all crushed to extract the oil. There are some experimental processing
plants where the olive flesh is separated from the pit before oil
extraction. Last year I visited a company in Brindisi where such a
machine was being commissioned.

Second pressing generally refers to using an actual press. Today modern
machines such as alpha laval, Wesfalia etc remove most of the oil in the
first run. The pomace is then sold for olive pomace oil manufacture.

Prof Stan Kailis
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<pre>----- Original Message -----
From: digbar@juno.com

>Extra virgin olive is oil from the first pressing or squeezing of the
>olive.

This is true from the old style vertical hydraulic presses. New machines
work with centrifuges to separate the liquid (oil and vegetable water)from
the solid.

>In most large refineries, the olives are crushed to separate them
>from the seeds.

Refineries are only used to extract the leftover oil from the pomace and to
bring its acidity level to zero. Pomace is the solid (flesh and pit)
leftover from the mechanical separation using the press or the centrifuge.

>The seeds are discarded, and the olive are put in a
>centrifuge to separate out the oil.

Actually the centrifuge does the separation. It is fed with crushed olives
with some extra regular water added to the mix.

>Not all of the oil comes out the first time in the centrifuge, but what
>oil does come out is "extra virgin".

93-97% of the oil should come out the first and only time from the
centrifuge. What is left over is economically and mechanically not feasible
to get out with the centrifuge. The pomace is sent to the refineries to get
out whatever is left over. It is noted that the traditional hydraulic
presses leave about 10-15% of the oil in the pomace as compared to 3-7% with
the centrifuge system.

Regards
Jamal Sadoun
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