Cold-pressed olive oil from Çukurova since 1881
Cold-pressed olive oil from Çukurova since 1881
“Cold-pressed” is usually read as a single number: keep the paste under 27°C. It is more than that. It is how the olive is handled from the moment it leaves the tree until the oil is in the bottle.
Cold-pressed olive oil: a journey of quality starting from the harvest — by Tevfik Sökün.
The term “cold-pressed” is often understood simply as ensuring that the temperature during olive oil production does not exceed 27°C. However, this term represents more than a temperature measure; it refers to the careful and scientifically guided handling of olives from the moment they are picked from the tree until the oil is bottled.
True cold-pressed production is not achieved merely through machine settings — it requires timely harvesting, proper handling, transport and processing of the olives under the right conditions.
01 — Harvest
The first, and perhaps most important, step in cold-pressed olive oil production is the harvest. Not only the ripeness of the olives but also the time of day they are picked is crucial for quality.
Olive harvesting should begin early in the morning and be completed by 12:00.
Olives picked when the sun is at its peak are exposed to sunlight, which rapidly degrades their natural compounds. Within a few hours this can lead to increased acidity and a significant decline in oil quality.
Once harvested, olives should be placed in perforated plastic crates in shaded, well-ventilated areas, without being stacked on top of one another.
02 — Transportation
After harvest, olives must be processed within 6–8 hours at the latest. Mistakes made during this period or in transportation can irreversibly affect the character and quality of the oil.
Without proper transportation, all the care taken in the field can be lost within just a few hours.
03 — Pressing
Technically, cold pressing is defined as processing the olive paste without exceeding 27°C. In practice, temperature control must be maintained throughout the entire production line, not just in the malaxer.
As olives pass through the crusher, mechanical friction naturally generates heat. This increase is often overlooked, but if the paste enters the malaxer already warm, the product cannot truly be considered cold-pressed even if the malaxer stays below 27°C.
Without this attention to detail, even if bottles are labelled “cold-pressed”, the content does not technically meet the definition.
04 — The oil
Using the cold-press method, an average of 13–18 kg of olive oil is obtained from 100 kg of olives. That yield can reach 20–25 kg with hot pressing. The distinction of cold-pressed olive oil lies not in quantity, but in quality.
For these reasons, cold-pressed products are not merely consumables — they are a valuable investment in a healthy life.
Every lot we press keeps its own record: the grove, the harvest day, the bottling day and the acidity measured in the laboratory.
Cold-pressed olive oil from Çukurova since 1881
