Gabriel Beltran1, Antonio Hueso1,2, Mohamed A Bejaoui1, Abraham M Gila3,4, Raquel Costales3, Araceli Sánchez-Ortiz1, Maria P Aguilera3,4, Antonio Jimenez1. 1. IFAPA Center Venta del Llano, Junta de Andalucia, Jaén, Spain. 2. CEIGRAM/Dpto. Producción Agraria, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos, Madrid, Spain. 3. Centro Tecnológico del Olivar y del Aceite, Fundación Citoliva, Parque Científico-Tecnológico GEOLIT, Jaén, Spain. 4. IFAPA Center Venta del Llano, Jaén, Spain.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Olives are stored for a short time after harvesting pending processing in the oil mills. Furthermore, olives are often washed prior to fruit storage. In this work we study how washing and storage affect fruit ethanol content and the effect on virgin olive oil ethanol content and quality. RESULTS: Olive storage produced an increase in the fruit ethanol content, achieving values six times higher when storage was in silos. Washing the olives resulted in an increase in fruit ethanol content, although when washed olives were processed immediately no difference was found. The increase in fruit ethanol content during storage was reflected in higher oil ethanol concentration. Similarly, olive washing resulted in oils with higher ethanol concentration. Industrial conditions gave more important increases in oil ethanol content than that from olives processed by hand. For quality parameters all the olive oils were classified as 'extra virgin'. In general, oils showed a slight decrease in some sensory attributes. At industrial scale after 24 h storage oils were classified as 'virgin' because sensory defects were found. CONCLUSION: Olive storage should be avoided or reduced to less than 12 h; if possible, olives should not be washed before storage since this practice favors losses in sensory characteristics and the synthesis of ethanol, a precursor of ethyl esters.
BACKGROUND: Olives are stored for a short time after harvesting pending processing in the oil mills. Furthermore, olives are often washed prior to fruit storage. In this work we study how washing and storage affect fruit ethanol content and the effect on virgin oliveoil ethanol content and quality. RESULTS:Olive storage produced an increase in the fruit ethanol content, achieving values six times higher when storage was in silos. Washing the olives resulted in an increase in fruit ethanol content, although when washed olives were processed immediately no difference was found. The increase in fruit ethanol content during storage was reflected in higher oil ethanol concentration. Similarly, olive washing resulted in oils with higher ethanol concentration. Industrial conditions gave more important increases in oil ethanol content than that from olives processed by hand. For quality parameters all the olive oils were classified as 'extra virgin'. In general, oils showed a slight decrease in some sensory attributes. At industrial scale after 24 h storage oils were classified as 'virgin' because sensory defects were found. CONCLUSION:Olive storage should be avoided or reduced to less than 12 h; if possible, olives should not be washed before storage since this practice favors losses in sensory characteristics and the synthesis of ethanol, a precursor of ethyl esters.