Extra virgin olive oils

Ortolana

Ortice

Blend

Olive collection

The fruit is picked by hand in order to preserve its entirety.  According to olive variety, harvest takes place between middle October and the end of November. As the olives begin to ripen they turn from green to black.  
Once collected, olives are placed in perforated crates, 20kg capacity, to ensure the fruit is not crushed and to allow good aeration. The wholeness of the fruit is a main factor in determining the quality of the oil.

Olive mill

Milling takes place the same night as the collection at the neighbouring “Frantoio Sannita” in Cerreto Sannita.  This way, the fruit does not lose any of its features and is worked before the onset of fermentation.
Milling is carried out in a continuous cold cycle.  After defoliating and washing the olives, the pulp and stone are reduced to a paste by the cylinder oil mill directly, without passing through the traditional stone mill.  This allows the olives to avoid harmful oxidation and the loss of any precious polyphenols.  After kneading the paste through switched off heating coils (therefore well below the max 27 degrees Celcius permitted by law), it collects in a decanter where the oil is separated from the water of the olives by a centrifuge. Not heating the paste during kneading and the correct dosage of water at this stage reduces the amount of oil produced but allows for the preservation of polyphenols essential to the extra virgin olive oil.

Oil storage

Capolino Perlingieri oil is stored throughout the year between 15° and 20° Celsius, in full stainless steel containers devoid of any light or smell. It may be a little cloudy or small deposits can be found at the bottom of the bottle, which is only the proof of genuineness. Bottling in classic dark green bottles helps to protect the oil from the noxious effect of the sun.
To preserve the quality of the oil, it is very important to keep it in a cool, dry place, away from smells, sources of heat and light. Remember that extra virgin olive oil freeze at 10° Celsius (50° F).
It is inadvisable to expose the product to extreme temperatures and to the air. These agents are the cause of oxidation, which alters the characteristics and life of the extra virgin olive oil.