Our production method

To make the Belcari olive oil, the olive fruit is handpicked (not mechanically harvest). The degree of olive fruit ripeness during the hartvesting determines to a large extent the character and style of the olive oil that is produced.

Oils made from greener early harvests typically display stronger grassy and bitter flavor characteristics. On the other hand, harvesting later in the season will generally produce higher volumes of softer, sweeter oil and less bitterness.

Many olives are harvested at an intermediate level of ripeness. Many producers think that by doing so, the resulting oil will display complex aromas and flavors in the spectrum of green apple and green artichokes, which balanced the levels of bitterness and pungency.

Belcari guarantees that all olives harvested are “first” cold extraction within 1 hours. This is our guarantee that ensures absolute freshness and vitality of flavor.

In the past, all olive oil was produced by crushing the fruit into a paste and then spreading this past onto mats or felts, which were stacked onto a press. The oil is then squeezed from the pulp, much like squeezing water from a sponge and this subsequent oil was called the ‘First Pressing’. In many cases, the pulp recovered is then pressed a second or third time, and the oil recovered from these subsequent pressings is of lower quality.

A major problem with this form of processing, which is still used in some countries is maintaining the cleanliness of the mats. The mats, which act like a sponge, retain oil that can become rancid or even ‘ferment’. Olives that are subsequently processed are very likely to become contaminated with the defect character retained by the mats.

With modern processing techniques, the fruit is crushed and the oil is separated in a continuous manner without the use of mats or felts. In this way, almost all of the recoverable oil is removed in a single operation (first extraction) under controlled temperature conditions to ensure true ‘cold extraction of the oil. Belcari extra virgin olive oil is processed in this manner to ensure that it maintains its delightful natural olive fruit aromas, flavor and other healthful properties.

Further oil recovery from the discarded pulp can be achieved by using methods such as distillation or solvent extraction. Belcari does not produce oil from second extraction or by employing artificial recovery techniques such as these.

‘First Cold extraction extra virgin olive oils are the highest grade of premium oils.
Produced from fruit of the highest quality and the oil is extracted with meticulous care. More importantly the extraction is gentle and we obtain the best “free run” oil with the final result being extra virgin olive oil. These oils are noted for their fresh "olive" aromas and flavors and such are typically more expensive than other types of oils.