The Corrections

First, an apology to you all and the salamander. It is probably an Italian Cave Salamander, indigenous to our stretch of the Appenines and not really a cave dweller. Many thanks to Nicola Bressi and Paul Tout for setting me straight.

Second, an apology to olive oil makers through the ages. There is a huge body of accumulated wisdom out there and I did shun it.

I had a second try because, fool that I am, I couldn’t bear to not try again having the olives to hand.

Here we see the double paving slab rolling method of ‘frangitura’. So many variables to consider. Does one break the pip/kernel? Add water? Heat? And some extras.

The last oil I think I emulsified. And no-one returns from emulsification, right?

Did I tell you about the vital role malaxation plays? the softening/kneading of the crushed olive paste to encourage coagulation of the tiny oil droplets in each blessed drupaceous cell. Without malaxation we are nothing. Nothing but heathens reliant on hexane to release our other oils.

Cold pressed means not pressed above 27C/80F? Is that right? I mean, that’s not exactly cold.

Anyway, I pressed on and produced a lot of vegetable water, as they call it, and maybe some oil after pressing. Still waiting for gravity separation to occur. As did the Greeks and Romans.

Still. I enjoyed it. A story to be told to Tom my as soon to be born grandson over some Christmas dinner.

‘Did I tell you, young Tom, about the year I pressed my olives?’. (Rolls eyes, beseeches: Mum, MUM, MUMS, grandad’s mythering about his olives again. I’ve heard it this last five years. Did he stop in his tracks after his sodding olio di olive or what?’

Beautiful to be outside. A quick trip to shop. A new set of pans. A woman at the counter said, ‘Such a beautiful gift.’ I nodded sagely. The Boss doesn’t know. Beautiful? Gift? Give over.

Ended the day watching an iPlayer Scotland tribute to Hamish McInnes- climber and Glen Coe resident. Cameos for Don Whillans and Joe Brown and lots of hills.

For a state of the art olive oil processing unit see here - the pdfs in Eng. http://www.pieralisi.com/Viewdoc?co_id=701