Cretan Olive Oil

Available from Tom or Claire from our own olive trees at the Olive Grove Villas www.cretanvillas.co.uk

1 litre tin = €6 or 500ml tin = €4

Nothing is more characteristic of Crete than the millions of olive trees that grow in valleys and mountainous areas. Cretans have been cultivating the olive tree and have been using olive oil since 3500 BC -archeological findings have proved that it was used during the early Minoan period, around 4000 years ago.

Olive oil is really miraculous for the health!

Olive Oil - the benefits

Made from the natural juice of the olive, olive oil is truly a precious “elixir” of life, and helps the people of Crete to enjoy a wonderful diet and attain a healthy and long life.

Apart from its delicious flavor, medical studies have discovered the great importance of extra virgin olive oil to health and longevity.

The therapeutic and beneficial attributes have been known for thousands of years and the Cretan diet is recognized as one of the healthiest in the world.

Cretan olive oil which is rich in non-saturated fatty acids is the main ingredient of this healthy diet and has many known health benefits:

It is known to decrease the chance of heart disease by lowering LDL cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) which is responsible for the creation of fat deposits in the arteries and does not affect HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol) which works against fat deposits which may have already developed.
Olive oil helps to regulate the metabolism and the development of the brain and bones in children. It is also a source of vitamin E.
As it is a natural antioxidant, olive oil slows down the biological ageing process. It reduces the over production of acids in the digestive system, therefore reducing the appearance of ulcers and other gastroenteric problems.

The Ancient Greeks believed that Virgin olive oil was beneficial in prevention and treatment of many afflictions such as ear infections, stomach disorders and skin complaints, in fact they treated over 60 different ailments with this wonderful product.

Today modern medicene is in agreement with the ancients and olive oil is recommended for circulatory illnesses,in the prevention of several different cancers and in the treatment of diabetes and stomach ulcers.It can reduce blood pressure and help with impotence.

With all these health benefits it is little wonder that some hail this precious oil as a miracle cure. The octogenarian Cretan farmer and his 100 years old mother are living proof!

Cretan olive oil is one best in the world as it is still hand harvested using traditional methods to produce the olive oil and is entirely organic. The unpolluted Greek island is the ideal setting for truly wonderful tasting and nutritious Cretan olive oil to be produced.

Olive oil can be used to aid weight loss as research indicates that replacing other types of fats with olive oil helps people lose weight without additional food restriction or physical activity. Studies have shown that when people substituted olive oil for saturated fat, they ate less food and either maintained their weight or actually lost weight. Several other studies indicate that olive oil enhances the body's breakdown of stored fat.

The high levels of Vitamin E contained in olive oil is said to improve your sex life. An old custom in Crete was to give newly-weds bread which had been soaked in the new seasons olive oil, this was said to ensure that their sex life would get off to a good start.

Storing and Using Olive Oil

Olive oil should be stored in an airtight container, away from heat or light. Correctly stored, good oil has a shelf life of around 12 -18 months. It is not recommended to store olive oil in the refrigerator, as it tends to become cloudy and acquire a gel-like consistency. Leaving it at room temperature for half an hour will return to its previous texture, however.

You can add garlic, herbs or spices to olive oil and allow the flavours to infuse over a period of weeks. Or simply use the pure flavour of extra virgin olive oil for salads, dressings and vinaigrettes. You can also use it to dip fresh crusty bread into or on a baked potato or add it to mashed potatoes instead of butter. When sautéing or frying, use regular olive oil or a blended one. For deep-frying, the simple olive oil grade of "olive oil," is excellent because it has a higher smoke point than virgin or extra virgin oils.

Olive Growing

The olive tree provides wood, leaves, fruit and oil. Olive wood can be used as fuel and for carving and using in furniture manufacture. The silvery green olive leaves are fed to goats on Crete and are also used in medicinal teas for humans! Olives, both black and green, are the luscious fruits of this evergreen tree. And of course olive oil is the liquid gold from this versatile and undemanding tree.

Olive trees grow slowly, taking from five to seven years to produce fruit. When they do, each tree yields just six - eight litres of oil! However, they can have a lifespan of up to 2,000 years. Individual olive trees have supplied countless generations with their religious, culinary, medicinal, heating and lighting and beauty treatment needs for centuries.

As ripening occurs, most olives change from green to purple to dark red to black. Approximately 5 - 6 kilos of olives are required to produce 1 litre of olive oil. Most olive trees can provide enough olives to produce about 3 litres of oil and some trees may provide 3 times that quantity.

Olive Harvesting

Olives must be harvested at the correct time in order to obtain the greatest quantity of oil without an increase in the acidity level. The experienced olive grower knows the exact time when the olives should be harvested. Olives that are picked too soon may contain no oil.

Olives contain oil soon after they have turned a light green colour and the volume of oil increases as they become darker green and then change to purple or black.

If the olives are allowed to ripen too long, the volume of oil will continue to increase as will the acidity level, which has a negative impact on the quality.

Cretan Olives

On Crete and in Greece in general, olives are generally harvested from early November right through to February dependent on the area and variety. Harvesting of the olives on Crete is usually a family affair with children, the elderly, women and men all contributing to the labour intensive and time consuming process.

Hand picking Cretan olives is still the best method for harvesting from the olive groves because it causes the least amount of bruising to the fruit and thus yields the best oil.

Some olive farmers beat the trees with large poles to loosen the olives that fall to nets laid on the ground. Others use large wooden or plastic devices to "comb" through the foliage and loosen the olives.

Olive Pressing

After harvesting, any remaining leaves are removed; the olives are washed and are usually pressed soon after they have been harvested. In many olive growing countries, the olives must be pressed within 72 hours to qualify as virgin oil. Any longer and the olives will begin to ferment resulting in inferior oil.

The basic processes of pressing have essentially remained almost unchanged for thousands of years. Millstone wheels grind the entire olive, including the pit, which is then placed onto mats in thin layers and then pressed to squeeze the pulp. Oil and water filter through the mats to a collection tank below. Finally the oil is separated from the water.