Our Oleification Process

The difference from any oil is our special Sicilian mountain oil

Our job is to extract the best and purest oil possible

The Art of Producing Extra Virgin Olive Oil

We exclusively select the best cultivars in the Sicani Mountains: from Nocellara del Belice to Biancolilla, from Girasuola to Ogliarola. The various types of olives arrive at the oil mill only a few hours after harvesting to be processed.

The first step

The harvest season:

The best time to harvest is when the olive reaches the herbaceous stage of ripeness. Especially in October, the olives are richest in chlorophyll and the resulting oil has a fruity and spicy taste. The olive harvest is one of the most important steps in the production process of extra virgin olive oil. There are several methods, the one we use is the Bracatura, in fact this technique consists of the manual harvesting of the olives, which are dropped on cloths spread at the base of the trees. The care for the tree and the fruit guarantees a high quality oil. Once harvested, the olives are transported to our Oleificio Sanfilippo for cleaning, pressing and crushing.

The second step

The Selection and Cleaning of Olives:

It is important to know that the success of a good oil comes from the fact that the olives arrive at the mill in the best condition, both for integrity and cleanliness. The olives are washed with jets of water so that all impurities such as stones, soil and twigs can be removed. The drupe must come out of the washing section clean, certainly, but also intact. Simply breaking the skin inevitably leads to a loss of the product.

The third step

Gramulation

La gramulation represents one of the most important links in the entire continuous extraction production chain. The key role is the stirring of the oil paste at a controlled temperature not exceeding 27*. This process favours the rupture of the micro-cells, thus creating the emulsion between oil and water, which are separated in the next step.

The fourth step

Development and innovation:

Thanks to the skills acquired over three generations and the development of modern technology in the group Pieralysis, The company Olearia Sanfilippo is able to produce the highest quality oil without the addition of incoming water, using the new 2-stage continuous extraction system. The new Scorpion series plant represents the flagship of our company, thus guaranteeing quality and service to our customers.

The fifth step

Cold Extraction:

After the extraction process, we have the separator which, through its centrifugal force, removes all solid residues in the oil, improving its quality and guaranteeing our customers an oil with a unique and unmistakable taste.

The Sixth Passage

Storage and Preservation:

After extraction, the oil must be allowed to rest. The product as it is contains solid residue in suspension and is turbid. During this resting phase, the residue will settle to the bottom of the container and the oil will become clear spontaneously. Subsequently, our oils are stored inside stainless steel silos in contact with a nitrogen atmosphere to prevent oxidation.

The Seventh Passage

Bottling:

Our olive trees grow in the Sicani Mountains territorya unique place located in the exact centre of Sicily. A very different ecosystem where most other Sicilian oils face the sea. Ours is a rugged land that alternates between rocky terrain and pristine forests of plane and pine trees.crossed by a mountainous complex that has two determining effects on the care of the plants, the ripening of the olives and the quality of the oil.