Curiosity on Oil
Among the commonly used oils, olive oil is the one that is derived from the fruits and not from the seeds.
From different fruit plants in the Mediterranean countries, oil is one that bears fruit later. Olives, in fact exceed chronologically in the year in the maturation of chestnuts.
Thanks to the beauty of the olive plant that Atena, goddess of the Greek Olympus, managed to secure the sovereignty of the thriving city of Athens, fought by the powerful god of the sea, Poseidon. He promised for the city dominance on the seas but Athena convinced the assembly of the gods giving to the acropolis a beautiful olive tree.
Only a few hours a day, between December and January, the olive plant can withstand to peaks of temperature that do not exceed 7° C.
Why a drop of oil falls in the water it floats and it spreads all over the surface? Because the specific weight of the olive oil is less than the water: while a liter of water weights about one kilogram, one liter of oil weights about 913 grams.
Olive oil is a lipid, that is a fat. It is produced and consumed in fluid state. It begins to solidify at temperatures already quite high, around to 10-15 °C.
The olive tree is an evergreen tree that placed in the right habitat, can live for centuries. It needs a mild winter, and a warm and possibly dry summer. The temperatures, which may occur depending on the year, can cause irreparable damage.
At the beginning of the Christianity the olive branch was offered as a votive symbol. The branch lead Christians gathered in prayer in the catacombs and it is still a universal symbol of peace and love.
“FASCIA DELL’OLIO” is the name of the area bounded on the globe between 45° and 30° parallel, whose climatic conditions are suitable for growth and cultivation of olive trees whose fruit is derived from olive oil.
Between 5° and 20°C, the delta temperature that allows the olive tree to survive and do their growing cycle.
The average result of squeezing the whole fruit of the olive tree is a liter and a half liters of oil.
