Making the green gold ...
The Moulin du Calanquet works with its own olives and those of the various olive growers in the Valley of Les Baux de Provence, using only traditional varieties and only when the fruit is green.
To prevent any fermentation before production begins, the olives are brought to the mill and crushed within 24 hours of being picked. Other requirements, such as the health of the crop, are checked to guarantee the quality of the oil.
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Washing
Washing also includes removing the leaves and any solid foreign bodies: stones, lumps of earth, small branches, metal objects, etc.
This is necessary for safety reason, as the presence of solid bodies could upset the operation of the machines.
Crushing
Crushing consists of putting the olives and their stones through a hammer mill to break down the walls of the tissues containing the oily substance.
The fruits enter the crusher and are crushed against a wall.
The machine crushes the flesh of the olive to obtain an even paste.
Mixing
Mixing is vital, and is carried out in semi-cylindrical vats. It consists of evening out the paste for 45 minutes at 25 - 27°C, and is in fact the first cold press (cold extraction).
Decantation
This consists of separating the solid content (“grignons”) from the liquid (“margines”).
The rotation speed uses their different density to separate the two.
The “grignons” are withdrawn and spread in the olive groves as fertiliser.
Centrifugation
This system is based on centrifugal force, which separates the water (“Margine”) from the oil due to their different density. During the production process, no chemicals or refining agents are used in the making of the olive oil.
The olive oil, still cloudy and unfiltered, is taken to the vats, where it is kept away from contact with air and light at a constant temperature, between 18° and 22°C, to prevent it from ageing rapidly
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The olive oil is decanted naturally into the vats and gradually clears over time. It is bottled as and when orders require.
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