Oil is most often considered to be a pleasant condiment.
What can do better to harmonise a mixed salad, a vegetable
platter or a grill, to give them that indispensable little “plus” which
delights the palate
Oils possess nutritional
qualities which put them well above this function. More than a condiment, oil
is a real food.
Oils carry into the body the essential nutriments
for life: lipids.
Lipids play a double role in our cellular structure; component element
and basic energy source.
More than this certain vitamins (A, D,
E, F, K) are carried into the body by lipids contained in food. Theses
are the liposoluble vitamins, otherwise known as soluble in fat.
It is however necessary
to carefully choose fats.
- For cold culinary uses, oils rich in
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) are ideal. In effect, these EFA’s
carried by the oils are essential to the body, because it cannot synthesise
them.
- On the other hand, for hot culinary uses, it is strongly recommended
to use oils richer in Saturated Fatty Acids. These are more stable
when heated.
The term “virgin” is the designation of an oil for sale that
meets precisely certain criteria which are fixed by law (Fr):
- cold extraction by an exclusively mechanical process, without solvents.
- clarification by physical or mechanical means (paper or cotton cloth).
- no refining by physical or chemical means.
These oils can without hesitation be considered as the real juice of
oily fruits.
Extra Virgin : ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
The term “extra virgin” is a legal designation applicable to
olive oil.
An extra virgin olive oil is an olive oil with an acidity level less
than or equal to 1% and irreproachable flavour. The lower the acidity,
the higher the quality of the oil.
First pressing : '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
First pressing consists of mechanical crushing and pressing
of the grain, with a press which acts as a large “juice squeezer”.
The oil then undergoes a final stage: deodorization.
Cold first pressing : ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
In this case the grain is crushed and pressed mechanically
at low temperature.
The oil does not undergo any further processing.
Refined :
'''''''''''''''''''''
The oil undergoes two successive refinings, one physical and
the other chemical (notably with the use of solvents and soda)...
Passed through all these stages of chemical treatment, the oil is no
longer a “pure juice”.
* Our oils are selected from oily fruits,
grains or shoots from the best harvests, in France or the whole world,
cultivated by controlled organic farming; the grains and fruits are also
free from pesticide residues.
* The selected grains are stored in ventilated
silos which allow the repelling of insects and in consequence do not use
insecticides. These silos are only used for the products of Organic
Farming to avoid the risk of contamination with other products.
* Quality controls are systematically applied on reception: acidity,
freshness, moisture content, oil content
* Before the pressing of the grains or
fruits, those which are damaged are removed then dust is removed by sifting,
brushing and blowing.
A separator removes empty shells, other parts of the plants and small
stones.
This preparation work plays a deciding role in the quality of the oil
and the authenticity of its flavour.
* Before going into the press or centrifuge the grains or oily
fruits are turned into a paste : flattened by being passed between to rollers
or even ground by a millstone.
Depending on the type of raw material,
oil can be obtained in two different ways: by mechanical press when the
raw material is a grain or shoot, by a centrifuge when it is oily fruit.
* By mechanical press, the grains are “kneaded” in an endless
screw.
This turns at slow speed in a cage whose exit is reduced into a cone
which produces the pressure.
The temperature is continuously controlled, it should be between 35ºC
and 45ºC.
By centrifuge: the oil and water is separated from the pulp of the
fruit.
The takes place in two stages.
* A first filtration through cotton cloth to eliminate traces
of moisture and solid waste (particles suspended in the oil on leaving
the press) followed by decanting into vats to eliminate waxes.
* A second filtration called “polishing” through blotting paper
to remove the last of the waxes and traces of moisture. It gives
the oil a brilliant sheen.
Comment :
A deodorisation by steam under vacuum
can then take place with some oils. It reduces to nothing the risk
of afla toxins (toxins produced by micro-fungi) present in some oils such
as peanut and lowers the acidity. This process does not call on any
synthetic chemical product and is thus compatible with the standards for
organic produce. These oils nevertheless lose the designation of
virgin.
This is the last stage, but not the least.
It is this which is going to seal the efforts brought, stage by stage,
to the processing of the oil and to guarantee its level of quality at that
time. In order to avoid all risk of self oxidisation caused by light
the bottles are tinted. We advise you to recork after use, so as
to limit all prolonged contact with oxygen.
)
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other pages on oils to refined/denatured
oilsFR (soon GB)