If there’s one thing we pride ourselves on here at Olivado, it’s the quality of our oils.
We strongly believe that cooking with an inferior oil is pointless – why ruin good ingredients by preparing them with a bad oil? This is why our avocado oil cold-pressed extraction process is optimized at every stage, in order to bring you the highest quality oil possible.
Where we source our avocados
We now have two production plants – our original one here in Kerikeri and our second one in the central highlands of Kenya.
Our New Zealand factory uses hass avocados, grown in the North Island, while our factory in Kenya buys our fruit directly from independent family-owned farms.
Our Fair Trade and Organic programme in Kenya now supports more than 1,350 farmers, more than half of them being women.
Avocado oil extraction
Avocado oil is one of few edible oils not derived from seeds. Instead it is pressed from the fleshy pulp surrounding the avocado pit.
We start by checking all our avocados by hand. This way we can stop any rotten or over-ripe fruit from entering the process before it even begins.
The avocados are then washed in a giant water bath. After being given a thoroughly good scrubbing, the skins are removed, along with the stones inside.
This leaves just the pulp, and this is where the oil comes from.
Cold-pressed extraction process
Back in 2000, Olivado pioneered the cold-pressed extraction method for extra-virgin avocado oil.
This ground-breaking process takes the pulp of the avocado, and mashes it up in a giant mixer, turning it into something resembling guacamole.
This puree then goes into a centrifuge, where it spins with enough force to separate the oil and the water contained in the pulp. This is the oil which is bottled and sold.
This cold-pressed extraction process is similar to the traditional method, however there is one key difference – the temperature.
We are very careful never to let the temperature of the process rise above 50 degrees celsius. By doing this, the oil produced will retain all the healthy properties of the avocado fruit.
Only by this process can avocado oil be truly called extra-virgin.
The benefits of cold-pressed extraction
By using minimum heat and no chemicals, the extra-virgin avocado oil retains more of its original properties, including its avocado flavour.
Cold-pressed avocado oil is a beautiful emerald green when extracted. This colour comes from the elevated levels of chlorophylls and carotenoids in the oil, which would otherwise be lost at higher temperatures.
This pioneering extraction process also brings with it health benefits, including a higher percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (the good kind of cholesterol), high amounts of polyphenols (for a healthy heart), beta-sitosterol, Vitamin E, lutein and lycopine (helps reduce prostate cancer and macular degeneration).
It also has a higher smoking point, making it suitable to fry, bake, stir-fry, deep-fry, sear, barbecue, roast and sauté.
Olivado leading the way
Our cold-pressed extra virgin avocado oil retains all of its natural goodness and taste with minimal processing.
As pioneers of the cold-pressed extraction process, we are proud to see this method now being used all over the world. This trend is set to continue, as interest in high-quality, healthy oils continue to grow.
Extra virgin avocado oil has been proven to be one of the healthiest and most versatile of culinary oils.
The rich smooth taste enhances the flavours of delicate foods, and its high burn point makes it the best choice for healthy pan frying and high-heat cooking.
And of course it’s perfect with salads, vegetables, in smoothies and baking.
If you would like to know more about our extraction process, please feel free to contact us. Or if you would like to see our range of high-quality oils, take a look at our products range.
Olivado – taste the goodness.