Olive Pressing Mats by Dorothy Berry-Lound

These old olive press mats were once used to produce olive oil using the traditional method here in Italy. This basic method is still widely used today, particularly by individual farmers, and it is still a valid way of producing high quality olive oil if adequate precautions are taken.

First the olives are ground into an olive paste using large millstones at an oil mill. This takes about forty minutes and is designed to ensure that the olives are well ground and allow enough time for the olive oil drops to gather together. This process also allows for the olives to release their enzymes which provides some of the aroma and taste of the eventual olive oil. Then the resulting olive paste is spread on fibre disks (like the ones in the photograph) which are stacked on top of each other and then placed into the press.

Traditional olive press mats are made of hemp or coconut fibre but these days they are made of synthetic fibres (so modern mats are much easier to clean).

The disks are then piled on top of one another and pressure is applied from above (weights or a hand turned piston) which squeezes out the liquid. Water is run down the sides of the disks to increase the speed of percolation. The liquids are then separated either by a standard process of decantation or by using a centrifuge. Provided everything gets cleaned properly between pressings, this results in a good quality olive oil, but it is quite labour intensive.

We live within a few kilometres of a large olive mill that uses modern methods to product its organic olive oil, but it is nice to see remnants of its historical past.

This photo art image has been given a sepia tint to reflect the age of the subject.