About us
Almpantakis family, olive growers since 1866, have a long tradition in the production, standardization and marketing of extra virgin Cretan olive oil.
Today, the knowledge and love for the product have been passed on to the next generation and the family business continues with the same focus:
Superior quality, exquisite taste and preservation of the valuable nutritional values of the ultimate symbol of health and strength, the olive oil.
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Olive oil production process
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01Harvesting and transport.
The first step in the olive oil production process is the harvesting of the olives. The producers, using their olive harvesters and olive harvesting nets, collect the olives from their fields and transport them to the mill daily between the months of October and February. In practice, this means that the olive fruit is ground fresh within a few hours of collection. The olives are transported in jute sacks or perforated cages, so that they can be ventilated and retain their vitality.
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02Cleaning and crushing of the olives.
At this stage, the olives are placed on roller conveyors and pass through special deleafers where the leaves and foreign matter are removed and transported to special silos. It continues on its course and is driven to the olive washer. The clean olives are conveyed by belt to the crusher, which is the main stage of the mill's processing, where a series of rotating agitators crush and homogenize the olives and turn them into a paste, the olive paste. The purpose of crushing is to release the oil.
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03Kneading and separation of olive oil.
After crushing, the resulting olive paste is transferred to the kneading machines and stirred slowly at an adjustable temperature not exceeding 27 degrees Celsius ("cold extraction") for about 35 - 45 minutes. There, the tiny droplets of olive oil come together, completing the mechanical extraction. When the kneading time is over, the olive paste is ready for the separation phase. At this stage it is transferred to a centrifugal machine that separates the oil from the liquid and solid residues, i.e. the vegetable juice is separated from the oil-core that is the raw material for the production of olive-pomace oil and biofuel for home heating or energy production.
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04Extraction of olive oil.
The final separation takes place in the separator, a centrifugal machine that separates the extra virgin olive oil from residues and results in pure olive oil, with a golden green colour and a clean texture. In this phase we measure the qualitative characteristics of the olive oil and test its taste and aroma.
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05Standardization.
During transport from the mill to the standardisation plant, it is placed in specially designed, airtight containers. After natural sedimentation, the clear olive oil is collected and passes through the chemical laboratory for special analyses. Standardization takes place in the specially designed production area and is bottled under strict adherence to health protocols in carefully designed containers, with a maximum capacity of 5lt, in which the olive oil is protected from light and temperature fluctuations, thus preserving its nutrients, taste and aroma. Finally, it is packed in special cartons and on pallets with standard specifications to start its journey safely to the consumer's table.
