What do 'cold pressed' and 'virgin' mean?

Have you ever wondered what difference it makes if oil is cold pressed or if it is 'Extra Virgin'? Why are some oils unfiltered? For a start, these oils are usually more expensive and are rarely found in the supermarket. (While you may find cheap extra virgin oils in the supermarket, they will usually be oil from overseas that have been blended down from virgin and extra virgin oils. These imported oils may not have to undergo the testing that Australian oils undergo to be sold and exported.)

Oils are extracted in different ways. Some are produced by grinding, cracking, washing and bleaching. This is chemical extraction. This makes the oil cheaper and faster to produce, but as a result, the oils generally have less flavour. The other way that oils are produced is through pressing. There are basically two ways of pressing, hot pressing or cold pressing. They both involve pressing the nuts, seeds or plants, but one method uses steam and heat and the other is simply by old fashioned pressing. Cold pressing naturally yields the most flavour, however, as you can imagine, these oils may be quite expensive due to the labour involved in production.

You may be interested to know that even in this age of automation, for olive oils to be considered an 'Extra Virgin' the oil must be pressed no later than 72hrs after olive harvest, and must be cold pressed. In Australia most producers aim to press no later than 48 hours after harvest. Oil must have an acidity level of .08% to be 'Extra Virgin' oil and up to 2.2% to be classed as 'Virgin' oil. As each day passes after harvest the olives degrade and the acidity of the fruit changes the quality and grade of the oil. Amazingly, up to 90% of the oil is obtained in the first cold pressing. In Australia most oils are pressed so quickly after harvest that their average acidity levels are much lower than in many other countries.

Consequently, when you invest in a bottle of extra virgin oil, you can be sure someone has checked that it deserves its name. Like a good bottle of wine, it has been loved and cared for by a passionate grower who labours over every drop.

Filtered or Unfiltered?

In some cases, oils are left briefly to allow sediment to settle before being bottled. These are designated as unfiltered oils. Unfiltered oils can sometimes be a little cloudy, but retain the most intense flavour. When filtered they are clear and presentable, and may even keep a little longer than unfiltered oils.

At times, leftover pulp is sent to a refinery where it is exposed to heat or chemical processes to extract the remaining oil. This oil does not have the intensity of flavour and is simply known as Olive Oil. Most producers in our country aim to press only Extra Virgin oils. If they have produced a vast amount or, for any other reason have spare oil, it is most often bottled as Virgin or Olive oil. A lot of small growers use EVO's (Extra Virgin Olive Oils) to make tapenades and marinades for their olives. In Australia, as consumers, we often get a very good deal!

It is important to note here that some olive oils are sold as being 'light' and as you have already guessed; this has nothing to do with the fat content, and everything to do with the quality and flavour.