Unfiltered olive oil should be your no. 1 grocery item

What is unfiltered olive oil?

Unfiltered extra virgin olive oil is natural olive juice that is bottled without being filtered. This makes the oil appear cloudy because it contains water and suspended particles. It is also known as fresh olive oil or olive oil in its raw state.

How does the filtering process work?

Once the olives arrive at the olive mill, they are classified according to their variety (e.g., Picual, Arbequina, etc.), condition and/or quality, degree of ripeness, etc.

Next, they undergo the milling process, which involves splitting and crushing the olive to release the juice. This can be done using traditional stone mills, which are now obsolete, or, as most mills do today, with metallic mills or crushers, such as hammers, toothed discs, or ribbed roller mills.

The resulting paste from milling is used in the kneading phase to obtain oil. The oil droplets form a more extensive, more easily separable oily phase from the aqueous phase (olive water) and the solid phase or pomace (skin, pulp, and broken stones).

In the filtering process, the oily phase is separated from the water (aqueous phase) and solid parts (solid phase). The most commonly used system today is “centrifugation”. The olive paste is placed in a horizontal cylinder and spun quickly. In the absence of air and along the length of the cylinder, the pomace, water, and oil are separated by density differences.

 

Advantages of unfiltered olive oil

• Freshness: The appearance of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil guarantees that it comes from the latest olive harvest. Within 4 to 10 months after harvesting, the oils naturally settle in the tanks; after those months, they look the same as filtered oil. Additionally, unfiltered olive oil tastes robust and fresh, which is highly favoured by many.
• Retains additional polyphenols: Unfiltered oil retains the maximum nutrients. One of these nutrients is polyphenols, which are natural antioxidants with anti-inflammatory properties. Unfiltered oils retain extra polyphenols found in the olive juice’s water content.

Disadvantages of unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

• Less attractive appearance: These oils are cloudy compared to the bright and translucent filtered oils.
• Preservation: Since unfiltered oils naturally settle and sediment at the bottom, these sediments can impart some smell to the oil, which does not mean the oil has gone wrong. Therefore, it is recommended that you consume it within the best-before date. However, if the olive oil is stored properly away from light and heat, the unfiltered oil could last longer than the best-before date.

How to consume raw or unfiltered olive oil

To enjoy its fresh and fruity flavour, you should use it on toast, salads, healthy boost shots, etc. It is highly recommended that the maximum amount of nutrients of the unfiltered oil be consumed; it is best eaten raw. Going over the smoking point might break down the organic substances that have not been filtered out, which these organic substances are highly nutritious.

When to buy unfiltered extra virgin olive oil

Unfiltered oils are mainly available between October and December, when the olive harvest occurs. It is recommended that you buy them at this time.

Buying them after a particular time, especially in supermarkets or other food stores, is not advisable if they are not stored properly. As the heat oxidises it, causing it to lose its properties more quickly. Therefore, Reinos de Taifas bottles the unfiltered oil based on demand to retain the maximum nutrients in the oil.

Quality of filtered or unfiltered olive oil

As mentioned in the tasting post, colour is not an indicator of quality. It depends more on personal preference.

The quality of extra virgin olive oil, whether filtered or unfiltered, depends on the fruit’s quality, the production process’s rigour, and its preservation. These factors ensure a high-quality extra virgin olive oil.