People have used olive presses since Greeks first began pressing olives over 5,000 years ago with Roman olive presses existing up to the present time.
An olive press works by applying pressure to olive paste to separate the liquid oil and vegetation water from the solid material. The oil and vegetation water are then separated.
An olive mill and an olive press dating from Roman times
First the olives are ground into an olive paste using large millstones at an oil mill. The olive paste generally stays under the stones for 30‑40 minutes.
Watch how olive oil is made at Finca Morote, in the traditional way
The weight put on the olive paste that is in the basket, extracts both the oil and the water
The oil will float over the surface of the water and then will be decanted or separated
Make your own homemade olive oil!
