Olive trees, silvery leaves and golden-green oil – hardly any other food stands so much for the Mediterranean as olive oil. Here you’ll find some background and practical tips about olives and olive oil, without getting too technical.

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A tree with a long history
The olive tree has been with humankind for several thousand years. Early cultures around the Mediterranean already used olives as food, medicine and even as fuel for oil lamps. Through trade and migration, olive growing spread across large parts of Europe – especially in Spain, which today produces a major share of the world’s olive oil.

Many old olive trees are well over a hundred years old. They grow slowly, are extremely robust and withstand sun, wind and poor soils. This combination of climate, soil and variety is what gives Andalusian olive oils their typical character.

 

From olive tree to olive oil
The journey from the tree to the bottle is quite short – but every step matters:
 

1. Harvest
   Depending on the region and the desired flavour profile, olives are harvested earlier or later – from still green to deep purple. The earlier the harvest, the fresher and often more intense the oil.
    

2. Cleaning
   At the mill, leaves and small twigs are removed, then the olives are washed.
    

3. Crushing
   The whole olives (including the pits) are crushed into a kind of olive paste.
    

4. Separating oil and water
   In modern mills, a centrifuge takes over: it separates the oil from the fruit water and solid parts.
    

5. Filtering or settling
   Depending on the mill, the oil is gently filtered or left to rest in tanks until sediment settles to the bottom.

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The result is a pure, natural product – without additives, simply made from olives.

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What makes a good olive oil?
You don’t recognise a good olive oil only by the label, but above all by smell and taste.
 

• “Extra virgin” is the highest quality category: cold extracted, no chemical treatment, clean flavour and very low acidity.

• Good olive oil smells fresh – depending on the variety, for example of grass, herbs, tomato leaf, artichoke or nuts.

• In terms of taste, a certain bitterness and a peppery sensation in the throat are normal – they indicate valuable compounds (such as polyphenols), not “faults”.

• Many studies suggest that a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, olive oil and low in highly processed foods is associated with a healthier lifestyle. For us, olive oil is above all a honest, natural food that enhances almost every dish.

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Olive varieties and flavour profiles
There are many different olive varieties. In Andalusia, varieties such as Picual, Hojiblanca, Arbequina and Lechín are common – each with its own character:
 

• Picual – often robust and intense, with noticeable bitterness and pungency; great with grilled meat, strong vegetables and rustic dishes.

• Hojiblanca – balanced and harmonious, with fresh green notes; ideal for vegetable dishes, fish and salads.

• Arbequina – mild and fruity, with soft aromas; perfect for tasting with bread, for salads or as a “beginner’s oil”.

• Lechín – a finer, more elegant profile, often used in blends to add depth and harmony.

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Many oils are blends (cuvées) of different varieties – this creates a rounded flavour with multiple layers. Using olive oil in the kitchen

Olive oil is a real all-rounder:
 

• Cold: for salads, dressings, dips, aioli, on bread, over grilled vegetables, pasta or fish.

• Warm: for gentle frying at medium temperatures, e.g. vegetable dishes, sauces or oven recipes.

• For finishing: a drizzle over soups, risotto or grilled meat instantly adds more aroma.

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A few simple tips:
 

• Don’t be afraid to taste good oils pure – a piece of bread, a small spoon, and you quickly find out what you like.

• For hearty dishes, more intense, robust oils are a good match.

• For delicate dishes or desserts (for example vanilla ice cream with olive oil and a pinch of salt), mild and fruity oils work better.

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How to store olive oil properly

To keep its flavour, olive oil needs a bit of care:
 

• store it cool, but not in the fridge (ideally 15–20 °C)

• keep it away from light – light damages the oil

• keep it well sealed, so that as little air as possible gets in

• ideally in dark glass bottles or suitable tins

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Olive oil is not like wine – it doesn’t get better with age. It’s best used within 12–18 months after bottling, and once opened, bottles should be used up within a reasonable time.

 

Want to know more about our own oil?
This page is all about general facts on olives and olive oil. If you’d like to see how things work specifically on our finca – from the harvest around the house to our own finca olive oil – you’ll find more on:

“Our harvest, our oil”