Making Olive Oil

Warren manages Jonio's Olive Grove Estate and is part of the team making the olive oil.  He is showing the olives as they look now.   They are a variety called Koroneiki Olives which are small.  They are as big as they get, but as they mature they will turn a purple-red.  The first step in olive oil production is to dump the olives into a grinder (second picture) where they are ground into a thick paste.  Next the paste is pressed using the second machine which has 20 silver filter plates which remove the pits and skin.  The liquid is collected at the bottom of the machine and put into a large plastic container.  Here the water separates from the oil.  We have been enjoying our bottle of Jonio's Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  On the bottle it says, "These olives produce a complex, soft, smooth and delicate fresh flavour with a slight peppery finish."  Whenever I cook with olive oil I will think of Jonio's!