More information

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Reception The olives arrive at the mill every day and are inspected to ensure that they are in perfect condition to guarantee the good quality of the oil. They are then cleaned of leaves and impurities from the harvest. After that, they are weighed and stored to be washed and processed into oil. This process is carried out quickly to avoid damaging the olives and prevent alterations in acidity and abnormal flavors. Processing Mallafré works diligently and carefully to obtain virgin oils with all their aroma, flavor, and color, without losing vitamins and natural properties. They produce extra virgin olive oil in a stone mill, where the olive paste is obtained. This paste is then selectively extracted using the Sinolea and Palacin filters, a process that yields between 40% and 60% flower oil, i.e., oil obtained without pressure; the remaining oil is obtained through centrifugation. All parts that come into contact with the olives are made of stainless steel. The oil is then naturally decanted, classified, and stored in underground tanks called lagares, which are ideal because they have a very stable temperature. From the tank, it goes to the bottling machine, which bottles it in various formats. Olive oil tradition Mallafré is a family mill founded in 1934 by the grandfather, Joan Mallafré Salvado, and the grandmother, Josefa Cros Torrents, in Riudoms, a town in the Baix Camp region (Tarragona). At that time, the mill consisted of grinding stones and a hydraulic press. In 1975, with the help of my father, Humbert Mallafré Cros, the grandfather added another set of grinding stones and a second hydraulic press. In 1984, my father expanded the mill again with the acquisition of two more modern hydraulic presses. Due to the increase in olive production, in 1989, with the help of the third generation, the new centrifugation system was implemented with the acquisition of a press capable of processing 40,000 kg of olives per day. Later, another continuous press was acquired, doubling the milling production. In 2003, we acquired a new mill to produce 100,000 kg per day. Our mill is unique in its kind, as it consists of a set of grinding stones, four hydraulic presses, and two continuous systems with partial extraction called Sinolea and Palacin, with their respective decanters and centrifuge.