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On the Theotoky Estate, the olives are harvested by mechanical olive shakers that make them fall into fine nets laid out around the trees.
From here the olive harvest is transported directly to the Estate mill where the oil is extracted using the traditional cold pressed method. Firstly, the olives are sieved and sorted in order to eliminate any unwanted leaves and twigs; then after washing they are subjected to crushing and pressing.
The Estate uses one of the few mills that combines a modern crushing process along with a traditional press. This method ensures that the olives yield a maximum extraction whilst allowing time for all available oil to seep out of the press. This in turn gives time for essential enzymatic reactions to take place ensuring the delicious aroma and taste of the Theotoky olive oil.
After the pressing, the olive paste is spread on fibre disks (the traditional hemp or coconut fibre discs are now replaced by synthetic fibres which are easier to clean). A column of these disks is then submitted to a hydraulic pressure of 400 ATM by a hydraulic press that separates the solid and liquid phase.
This traditional method is a perfect way to produce high quality olive oil. After each extraction, the fibre disks are carefully cleaned to avoid any inconsistencies in the flavour of the oil. The Virgin Olive Oil has an acidity rate under 2% whereas the Extra Virgin Oil has less than 0.8% acidity.
The Island of Corfu is famed for its delicious olives. The Island is said to have some four million olive trees, some more than 500 years old. During the four hundred years of Venetian Rule, the Corfiots were paid to plant and cultivate olive trees, replacing the old trees with new vigorous olive groves that flourished in Corfu's lush climate.
