Oil pressed to coil - what are they and how are they hold?
Did you know that in Italy, the big producers carry out tastings of cold-pressed olive oils similar to those of wines?
Or that, in Egypt, sometimes only glue is eaten with the same olive oil, also an intense green, very fragrant and with the same slightly bitter and slightly peppery taste?
Indeed, even the oils can be categorized as banal or super classy, some with an extremely delicate, fruity-floral taste, with freshly mown grass aromas, and an unreal fluorescent green color.
In our country, cold-pressed oils (especially sunflower oils) began to appear shyly on the shelves after the '90s and then, slowly, people began to catch their taste.
Meanwhile, the market opened and the famous olive oil began to come and then all sorts of rarities, such as sesame oil for example.
It is true that those oils used for tastings have not yet entered our country, except probably for high class restaurants, but we still have a multitude of oils.
What are pressed cold oils ?
Cold pressed oil is that oil that has been obtained by using a production technology that involves the use of a low heat regime.
Because, in case of using a higher temperature in the pressing process, it will help to fluidize the oil and to obtain a larger quantity of the same amount of raw material, so a better yield. True. But, instead, under the action of heat, the aroma and color of the oil will degrade, accompanied by the decrease of its nutritional value.
For this reason, cold-pressed oil tends to be more expensive than regular commercial oil (which, in addition to pressing, can be extracted additionally with the help of hydrocarbons, followed by various refining processes: discoloration, deodorization, etc. to make it suitable for consumption). Although cold pressed oil is more expensive, it is also of a much higher quality.
The term "cold pressed oil" is subject to different regulations, depending on its origin, ie in which part of the world it was made.
In the European Union, for example, oil that is labeled as cold pressed must be produced in an environment that never exceeds a certain temperature. The temperature varies, depending on the oil, but is generally around 27 degrees Celsius.
Instead, the United States, oil labeling is not regulated, so "cold pressed oil" may actually oil produced in conditions other than by cold pressing. Consumers are forced to use sight, smell or taste to determine whether or not the oil is really cold pressed.
Obtaining cold pressed oil
To obtain the oil, the raw material (nuts, seeds, fruits, etc.) is transformed into a paste.
The paste goes through a kneading process through a slow stirring, which encourages the oil to accumulate.
To extract the oil, apply pressure to the paste, forcing the oil out of it.
In the case of hot pressing, heating the paste will lead to a change in the viscosity of the oil and a better flow of it, which will increase oil production. Some manufacturers mix the paste with hot water, or heat the paste before pressing.
The real cold pressed oil (the so-called extra virgin) is obtained only from the first pressing of the respective paste.
After the oil has been produced, it is filtered from any impurities and then bottled.
Some companies produce a cheaper oil, which is actually obtained from pressed oil cake (so-called "olive oil" - in the case of olives) made in a high pressure environment. It is also sometimes called oil obtained from the second pressing.
High pressure is required in the case of some raw materials such as nuts or some seeds, which creates a thicker cake, and this has the disadvantage that it can increase the temperature by rubbing the seeds.
Some oils obtained in this way can still be called cold pressed, because the increase in temperature is not significant.
That is why companies are required to properly label these oils, through formulations such as "cold pressed oil cake oil".
Due to the small amount of oil left in this "cake" which is extracted for economic reasons, it is mixed with virgin oil for better taste and so all kinds of "varieties" appear on the market (like 20% virgin the rest of the cake, etc.).
Traditionally worldwide, the oil is extracted from oilseeds: soybeans, sunflowers and other sources such as olives and corn. Other plants were used mainly in the technical field such as: rapeseed or flax.
Lately, due to research, it has become possible for the oil to be extracted from almost any plant, especially from its seeds, which naturally concentrate the highest amount of fat.
Thus, flax, which was used in the paint industry, found a therapeutic use, or grape seeds, which until recently were a waste, became very sought after, as did cereals, which also became a source not for grains, itself but due to their germs, which have a high fat content, and the list goes on.
Also, due to the fact that these new sources of oils are not produced in industrial quantities like the traditional ones, and the production process is more difficult due to a lower lipid content than in traditional sources, these oils are usually packaged even in larger quantities, small and their price is much higher than any table oil.